A few Favorite Games on a few Different Systems - It's a Pixel THING - Ep.#60

While cleaning and reorganizing things on my room, I was hugely struck by nostalgia when I was going through my collection. So many memories flashed right away through my mind, and I just sat and played some of my personal favorite video games on the systems that I have plugged in and ready to play.

First stop: 1987 

Game: Combat School, a Konami arcade original game converted by Ocean Software for 8bit home computers.

If you wanna break your joystick or smash the keys on your computer, this is the perfect game for that! We play as a recruit and must finish seven training events in order to graduate, but, in the end, we’ll be sent onto a mission to rescue some hostages that are being held by terrorists. This final level somewhat reminds me of Target Renegade and other similar titles.

Next stop: 1993 

Game: Cannon Fodder, a Sensible Software original video game considered as one of the best titles ever created. And was available for different platforms, but the one I’ve played the most was the Amiga version.

This action-strategy shoot-em-up game is so freaking hilarious and pronouncing its title in Portuguese was a subject of laughter back in high school, where we used to duplicate floppy disks using that useful tool know as X-Copy.

If you haven’t played it, you are not a gamer!!

  

Still in 1993, one title that I’ve missed on the mega drive / genesis was Jurassic Park.

 I thought that it was similar to the Amiga version. How I was wrong! This is as awesome game and easily one of my favorites on this system!

We play as Dr. Grant and we must battle through this hostile environment. Or, we can just play as a Raptor engaging other dinosaurs and avoiding the many traps. Such an awesome game!

Jumping right into 1995, Star Wars Dark Forces means a lot to me.

 It was the first game I bought with my own money and still my favorite first person shooter ever. It brought so many innovative ideas to the genre that are still present in today’s video games and it was the first Lucas Arts’ venture into this new world of first person shooters. Oddly, was banned from a lot of countries ‘cause it was seen as a Doom clone! I’ve already reviewed this game; it was, in fact, my second video, so, if you’re interested, just browse my channel or use the search tool.

Let’s continue our journey and take a quick stop in 1999.

The game: Sega Rally 2, on the Dreamcast. 

So many awesome moments playing this one with my friends at the arcades. We just couldn’t wait to play it on the Dreamcast, and spend entire weekends organizing championships and trying to beat each other and get to the top of the chart!

Highly addictive and super fun!

One of the first exclusive orginal Xbox titles was Transworld Snowboarding that I’ve just discovered recently. It was released by Atari in 2002 and is simply one of the best snowboard game I’ve ever played! It features 17 real world locations and it tries to simulate real life snowboarding tricks. The sense of speed riding down the mountains performing professional stunts is just highly entertaining and time consuming, ‘cause you’ll find yourself playing this game for many hours!

A year later, in 2003, Rockstar Games released the PC edition of my Grand Theft Auto favorite game: Vice City, probably because of its 80s inspired theme. I really love all things eighties related and Scarface is also one of my favorite movies ever. So, both subjects combined just made my day back when Vice City was announced! It was also available for other systems, but the PC version, as Tina Turner would say: “is simply the best” for its superior graphical and high quality looking box with embossed title and subtitle and this shiny Vice City outline!

A must play and a must have for every fan of the franchise!

Rushing now to 2005, this is, without any doubt, an hidden gem on the Playstation 2: Batman Begins, based on the movie with the same name.

Eurocom did an amazing job with this game and almost all in-game voices were provided by the real actors from the movie. This is a stealth action-adventure type of game where we stalk our enemies and invoke fear into them. I really love the fighting style implemented onto Batman Begins with huge and awesome powerful moves and martial arts techniques.

And the environmental audio is of extreme high quality! Again, an hidden gem that the press just crushed back when the game was out! Did they played it? I don’t think so.

And finally, in 2010, Rockstar Games did it again, this time with Red Dead Redemption

that is on my top 10 list of best video games ever made. I simply love to explore this huge wasteland, with amazing and beautifully detailed landscapes. I really hope that a sequel will be revealed soon!

The music, sounds and voice acting are of exceptional quality and execution, and if you play it using a surround sound system, you’ll be immediately transported back in time to those perilous and dusty western locations.

Red Dead Redemption was a kind of white flag of peace to every GTA fan that were disappointed with its kind of weak fourth chapter. I personally enjoyed the PC version of GTA IV, but, after finishing it, I felt somewhat incomplete. Red Dead Redemption came to the rescue and filled up that hole left by GTA IV.

I’m sure that you’ve all played these games and, if you haven’t, just give those a try! I guarantee you that it won’t be a waste of time!

I’m now gonna continue to enjoy my vacations and discover some more titles that are buried deep down in my collection!

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