atomicpoet

atomicpoet, 12 days ago to random

Is the PC port of The King of Fighters 2002 any good?

To me, King of Fighters is one of the best fighting games of all time. In the 90s and early ‘00s, SNK was known for being one of the best at the genre. They had many good series, but along with Samurai Shodown, King of Fighters was one of their best.

The PC port is mostly accurate. The graphics look good, and the sound is great. And so long as you have a gamepad, you’ll probably be happy with it.

Yet where this port disappoints is in the keyboard controls. The big flaw here is in the button mapping. Arrow keys are for movement. Q, W, X, and C are for action buttons.

Now take a look at your keyboard. Q and W are far away from X and C. It’s bloody easy to hit another key that does nothing.

This flaw could have been alleviated if there was an option to re-map the keyboard controls. Alas, there is not. And this makes no sense considering that button re-mapping has been a thing for decades.

Mortal Kombat, the original DOS port – which came out in 1993 – has button re-mapping. Because of that option, what would otherwise be a completely unplayable game has become pretty damn playable today. I am a god at Mortal Kombat and it is simply because the game allows me to map my own buttons.

Why do I even bring this point up when a gamepad would simply alleviate this problem? Because many PC gamers don’t even own gamepads. Keyboards are their only option.

And the other thing is, PC gamers have become used to a certain degree of comfort when it comes to keyboard controls. Most people, myself included, would prefer WASD for movement with the action keys on the right side of the keyboard. If you’re left-handed, perhaps you’d have different preferences – but that’s the beauty of button mapping, isn’t it? You can change the controls according to your preferences.

A have a few further quibbles but they’re minor. Since this is clearly an emulated game, it would have been nice to have different filters for scanlines or CRT effects. It would have also been nice to have save states.

But at the end of the day, this is still The King of Fighters 2002. Again, so long as you have a gamepad, this is a good enough port for PC. Everything you love about The King of Fighters 2002 on Neo Geo will be available on PC.

It’s just too bad about the keyboard mapping.

atomicpoet, 12 days ago to random

Me to my smartwatch: “I just spent five minutes walking, and now you’re going to nag me to walk now that I just sat down?”

atomicpoet, 12 days ago to random

Today, 48 games were released on Steam. These are the games I found interesting:

Above

• a 3D climbing game set in a mysterious worrld, featurring cell-shaded graphics
• gamepad supported
• price: FREE!

Quest Of Peril

• a rogue-like dungeon crawler with exploration elements set in the dark world of Dying Earth
• price: FREE!

Legends Of The Eternal Flame

• a 2D action platformer staring a flame on a quest to save the world from eternal darkness
• gamepad supported
• price: C$6.49 but currently has a -15% discount, selling at C$5.51

Lesson Learned

• a 2D tower defense where you gather resources, build towers, and manage your minions
• gamepad supported
• shared/split screen co-op
• price: C$11.49 but currently has a -25% discount, selling at C$8.61

Romanticized Dreams of a Post-Apocalyptic Cowpoke

• a top-down shooter with randomly generated loot, levels, and enemies
• Mac and Linux ports available
• price: C$8.99 but currently has a -20% discount, selling at C$7.19

Capes

• a superhero-themed game, similar to XCOM, where you recruit, train, an deplay your team to fight villains
• gamepad supported
• price: C$52.99 but currently has a -10% discount, selling at C$47.69

Wind Rider

• a simple, relaxing gliding game with an endless map and randomly generated obstacles
• gamepad supported
• price: FREE!

Thriving City: Song

• a city builder set in 960 A.D., during the Song Dynasty
• gamepad supported
• Mac port available
• soundtrack available as DLC
• Demo download available
• price: C$24.79 but currently has a -25% discount, selling at C$18.59

返杀 Back Fire

• a Chinese-made FMV gunfight action adventure with choose-your-own-adventure characteristics
• price: C$15.49 but currently has a -20% discount, selling at C$12.39

atomicpoet, 12 days ago to random

Here I am playing Lawn Mowing Simulator. I used to make fun of the notion of such a video game existing. Yet here I am playing one.

Originally, I bought this game because I thought it was funny. But after spending quite a bit of time mowing virtual lawns, I’m not laughing anymore.

This isn’t even the first lawn mowing game to exist. The infamous Gizmondo, the handheld console connected to the Swedish mafia, had Momma Can I Mow The Lawn?. It was never released but you can still find footage on YouTube.

What’s hilarious here is that both Lawn Mowing Simulator and Momma Can I Mow The Lawn were both made by British developers. Surely, this is a coincidence.

I’ll say this for Lawn Mower Simulator. It takes lawn mowing very seriously. They went out of their way to get real-world licensed lawn mowers from “prestigious” manufacturers such as Toro, SCAG, and STIGA.

Personally, I’ve never heard of these brands. Here in Canada, the main lawn mowers in use are frorm John Deere, Ryobi, and Club Cadet.

(Amusingly, lawn mower manufacturer Husqvarna has the video game Doom available on one of their lawn mowers.)

Either way, this game is definitely a lawn mowing simulator. It felt like mowing a lawn. With the time it takes you to mow a lawn in this game, you could probably spend the same time mowing a real lawn.

And you know what? Playing this game made me remember how much I hate mowing the lawn. My mom always made me do this at least weekly. It was always tedious and slow – just like this game.

I’m not saying this is a bad game. It’s just exactly what it claims to be. So if you’re the type of person to think, “I wish I could mow the lawn but I don’t have a lawn nor a lawn mower” then this is the game for you.

Nevertheless, if you’re a lawn enthusiast, there’s certain aspects of Lawn Mowing Simulator that are a bit of a turn off. For example, there’s way too much bloom. As well, the draw distance can use some work. But the biggest flaw is that it’s sometimes hard to judge the size of the grass you’re supposed to mow. Perhaps grass physics isn’t advanced enough yet?

To me, the biggest source of frustration is that sound. I don’t like the sound of lawn mowers. To hear this for an hour straight is too much. And there’s no music to drown out that god damn lawn mower noise.

Skyhook Games created Lawn Mowing Simulator. Previous to this game, they were a contractor for other developers. This is their first original game ever.

Someone recently told me that PC gaming is about fulfilling niches. There’s a game for literally everyone. I suspect that person is right.

I have no doubt that lawn mowing enthusiasts walk among us, and they’re thrilled to play Lawn Mowing Simulator.

atomicpoet, 12 days ago to random

My wife asked why I want to hook my Steam Deck to my CRT. I told her that it’s the cheapest way to do a de-make.

She thinks I’m silly.

atomicpoet, 12 days ago to random

Nothing like a good samosa.

atomicpoet, 13 days ago to random

The aim of all media companies—social media included—is to build a Ticketmaster-like monopoly on media and information.

This now extends to identity itself, which is now media.

You are a brand, and media companies want to own your life. This is why I run atomicpoet.org, my own personal Fediverse server.

atomicpoet, 13 days ago to random

A good example of why physical games will never go away is the Blaze Evercade.

I’ll be blunt, I don’t like this machine. It’s underpowered, and both the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck blow it out of the water as far as specs and game library are concerned.

But the Evercade does have cartridges, and they are collectible. For that reason, the Evercade has built a pretty enthusiastic fanbase around it.

https://a.co/d/ckE68rf

atomicpoet, 13 days ago to random

I don’t see physical games dying for the same reason I don’t see vinyl, cassettes, CDs, VHS, DVDs, or Blu-Ray dying.

People don’t just buy to consume, they buy to collect.

Physical media isn’t just about function, it’s about form. And form is tied to identity.

atomicpoet, 13 days ago to random

There’s a rumour that the next Xbox is going to be 3DO 2.0.

That is, it’s going to be a reference system for other manufacturers like Asus or Samsung to manufacture their own Xbox consoles.

This has been tried before. The most infamous example was with the 3DO, which was not a success.

But since Microsoft has a long track record in the PC business, and the PC business follows this model, maybe they’ll be successful.

atomicpoet, 13 days ago to random

From an economic angle, the core problem with the 9th generation of consoles is that the install base does not justify the investment in AAA titles.

Let’s take a look at this generation’s sales:

• Nintendo Switch - 139.86M
• PlayStation 5 - 58.01M
• Xbox Series X|S - 28.51M

The Nintendo Switch can’t deliver AAA experiences, and it never was meant to do that. It is not a platform for AAA games. Rather, it’s for 1st party Nintendo games and indie titles.

PS5 and Xbox Series X|S can deliver AAA experiences. However, four years into their launch, neither console is close to selling 100M units. In actuality, they collectively have only sold 86.52M units.

This is a problem if you’re an Ubisoft or Square Enix because if you’re investing $200M in a single AAA title, delivering a console exclusive to either PS5 or Xbox Series is simply a bad return on investment. If there are only 58M owners of a PS5, how many of them will wind up buying that Final Fantasy VII re-make?

For good reason, if you’re making AAA games, console exclusivity doesn’t make sense. But also, if you’re not going to make your AAA title a console exclusive, why ignore PC – which has twice the userbase as Switch, PS5, and Xbox Series combined?

And why not invest more into PC where, if you want, you can build your own storefront, bypass licensing fees, and optimize for even better hardware than what’s possible on console?

Thus, fewer and fewer console exclusives are coming out. This is good for developers and publishers. It’s also good for PC gamers.

Yet, it’s terrible for console buyers who were promised exclusives with the best, most optimized experience possible. For good reason, the current console generation upsets them. They were sold on a promise, and that promise has yet to be delivered.

Things truly aren’t looking good for modern console gamers, especially fans of AAA titles.

atomicpoet, 13 days ago to random

6 of the top 10 most researched games on MobyGames are games that I wrote about during the last week:

• Timberman
• Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
• Vegas Tycoon
• XCOM 2
• Bots Are Stupid
• Tomb Raider II

At first I thought this was a coincidence. However, there’s no way that Bots Are Stupid – a game that has 89 reviews on Steam – would be on that chart without my help.

I suspect that this is all the Fediverse’s doing.

atomicpoet, 13 days ago to random

Why is the 9th generation of video game consoles so terrible?

Here’s a good deep dive that lays the blame at three main causes:

1. No games
2. Generic experience
3. Difficulty in use

Few exclusive games are made for modern consoles. Turning the machines on has become bland. And just launching a game is difficult.

The bigger question: why not get a PC where there’s a bigger game library, a better experience, and it’s easier to use?

That’s a question many traditional console players have been asking themselves recently. It’s a question I also asked myself 10 years ago when I finally decided that PC would become my primary platform for gaming.

I don’t regret moving to PC from consoles. It’s been a richer experience, exposed me to more diverse forms of gaming, and has given me tremendous flexibility.

That said, I don’t think moving to PC means having to give up the console experience. You can have that console experience with a Steam Deck. Hell, a Steam Deck is a lot like owning a Nintendo Switch but with a bigger gaming library and more input options.

If you want the best modern console experience, the Steam Deck is the way to do it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJxaIP8F3K8

atomicpoet, 13 days ago to random

Nowadays, it’s easy to look at games like Square Heroes and dismiss it as a basic multiplayer.

But 10 years ago, they served an important niche: providing an arena multiplayer game for anyone with a PC. And what I mean by that is if you were running on even the most basic PC with 1GB of RAM, no GPU, and any mainstream operating system, you could get Square Heroes to work.

You could then have fun little survivor or capture the flag tournaments. And yeah, this was quite fun for what it was.

But the multiplayer for Square Heroes is dead. Actually, I think that I’m the only person to play this game in an entire month. Which means my only option for play is with bots. And the bots have terrible A.I. and offer no challenge whatsoever.

I’m not bitter, though. I bought this game eight years ago. Square Heroes was an obscure game upon release, and it’s an obscure game even now. When people actually played Square Heroes, it had good reviews.

So do I think this game is worth the price of C$14.49 on Steam?

Ha!

It ain’t worth paying that kind of price for a dead multiplayer game. Hell, it’s not worth paying any kind of price at all when multiplayer is the only reason to play it. I’m certainly not paying C$28.99 for a 3-pack – especially when so many other multiplayer games are vying for our attention, and they’re so much less expensive.

And actually, if I didn’t mention Square Heroes now, you’d probably never know it existed. So why am I even mentioning it?

Because it’s a game I played back in 2016. It gave me a little bit of a kick. And I think it’s worth remembering. That’s why.

Square Heroes screenshot (RTX 3080 Ti)
Square Heroes screenshot (RTX 3080 Ti)
Square Heroes screenshot (RTX 3080 Ti)

atomicpoet, 13 days ago to random

Titan Souls will either be your version of gaming heaven or your version of gaming hell. There is no in between.

To sum up what this game is all about, imagine The Legend of Zelda with only boss fights. Except if you’re touched once, you’ll die instantly. And you only have one weapon – an arrow – and every time you shoot that arrow, you have to retrieve it or else you’re defenseless.

If this sounds awesome, Titan Souls is the game for you. If this sounds horrible, stay far away.

One thing I will say about Titan Souls, though, is that while you’ll die many, many times, your enemies can also be killed with one shot of the arrow. You just have to figure out their vulnerabilities and then act fast. When you happen to kill an enemy, you feel a tremendous sense of accomplishment as a result.

There is one thing that kind of annoys me, though. When you kill an enemy, it’s implied that you become more powerful. Yet you don’t pick up any new abilities and you certainly don’t gain more health.

Another thing I feel the need to quibble with is the keyboard controls. To be sure, this game clearly wants you to use a gamepad and even says so at the starting screen. Still, I don’t understand why these types of top-down games insist on arrow keys for movement instead of WASD. I also don’t understand why I can’t aim and shoot with the mouse. Perhaps this would be too much of an advantage for keyboard and mouse over gamepad, and the developers are clearly all about delivering a console-like experience.

I like the graphics. It reminds me of Game Boy Advance games but with a better resolution. Speaking of which, I’m glad this game supports 1920x1200 with a 16:10 aspect ratio because this is my preferred resolution.

The music is also quite nice. It’s good enough to merit its own DLC. I wish the soundtrack was available on GOG.com, but it is available on Steam.

Acid Nerve developed this game. They also made Telepaint for mobile platforms, and Death’s Door – available on all platforms. Almost all three of their games have great reviews.

It shouldn’t surprise you that I like Titan Souls quite a bit. However, it’s not for everyone. If you dislike hard games, this probably won’t be fun for you.

Titan Souls screenshot (RTX 3080 Ti)
Titan Souls screenshot (RTX 3080 Ti)
Titan Souls screenshot (RTX 3080 Ti)

atomicpoet, 13 days ago to random

I guess Facebook has become MySpace but with AI.

https://youtu.be/IXDjbqiThuk

atomicpoet, 13 days ago to random

My advice for anyone who wants to get into retro PC gaming:

1. Almost any machine will do. Most games made during the past 25 years work fine on modern computer, and those that don’t can be emulated.
2. GOG.com is your friend. You can find lots of free games on there, lots with steep discounts, and there’s no DRM.
3. Wait for bundle sales. Services like Fanatical often sell retro games for incredibly cheap in a game bundle deal.
4. Look for games never ported to console. They’re often the hidden gems, and because they lack name recognition, they’re often inexpensive.
5. Try things out on archive.org. The Internet Archive has a huge catalogue of DOS demos and full games, many playable in your web browser.

atomicpoet, 13 days ago to random

Today, 35 games were released on Steam. These are the games I found interesting:

Corpse Keeper

• a rogue-like fighting game with RPG elements set in a dark medieval world
• gamepad supported
• playable on Steam Deck
• price: C$25.99, but currently 40% off selling at C$15.59

Elegy of Fate

• a top-down part-based RPG about seling a malevolent deity in a ring and evading the pursuit of a goddess
• price: C$15.49, but currently 10% off selling at C$13.94

Reus 2

• a city building, colony sim, and god game all in one with charming 2D visuals
• price: C$32.50, but currently 10% off selling at C$29.25

Seven Second Summer Camp

• a surreal meditation game that might now be a medition game with low poly aesthetics
• price: C$8.99

Gooba Ball

• a physics-based puzzle game where you combine colourful balls to achieve the ultimate form
• price: FREE!

RIPOUT

• a horror FPS where you fight your way through procedurally generated derelict ships
• gamepad supported
• online co-op
• playable on Steam Deck
• price: C$32.50, but currently 20% off selling at C$26.00

Light The Lamp Hockey

• a old school ice hockey game with 8-bit style pixel art graphics
• gamepad supported
• shared/split screen PvP and co-op
• price: C$19.49, but currently 25% off selling at C$14.61

Infinite Mana

• a surreal 2.5D JRPG with a wide variety of aesthetics where you play a wanderer without a memory
• gamepad supported
• demo download available
• price: C$33.99, but currently 15% off selling at C$28.89

Nine Sols

• a 2D hand-drawn action platformer with Sekiro-inspired deflection focused combat, set in an East Asian-inspired fantasy world
• gamepad supported
• soundtrack available as DLC
• Mac port available
• price: C$38.99, but currently 10% off selling at C$35.09

atomicpoet, 13 days ago to random

The most overrated video games of all time – according to me:

1. Pong – Pong is not the “first video game” that everyone thinks it is. Hell, it’s not even the first game that’s like Pong. Tennis came out for the Magnavox Odyssey first, and it was essentially the same game anyway.
2. Mega Man – as a series, Mega Man is great. But that first Mega Man isn’t so great. It was incredibly rough and tedious. Mega Man only got great with Mega Man II.
3. Elder Scrolls: Arena – the only reason this game has the reputation that it has is because it’s the first game in the series. But wow! Are the controls bloody terrible! I would not wish them on my worst enemy.
4. Goldeneye – let’s be honest, the only reason this game has the reputation that it has is because it was an okay FPS, with a movie license, on a Nintendo console. That’s right, just an okay-ish game with terrible controls. If we’re being honest, Quake blows it out of the water even in the multiplayer department.
5. Postal – the only reason this game exists is to offend mom and dad. Otherwise, it’s entirely purposeless and is a meaningless shooter that’s boring as hell. If not for the edginess, we would deem this yet another casual game.