Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Richard Burns Rally [PC, 2004] - It's Play Time! - Ep.#3 - It's a Pixel THING
Richard Burns Rally (RBR) is simply the most accurate driving simulation ever released. There's also versions of this game on the Xbox and on the PlayStation 2, but it's on the PC that this awesome piece of software takes enormous proportions, due to the Rallyesim and Czech mods available and, consequently, thousands of online championships that, even today, still has legions of fans around the world.
In this special "It's Play Time!" video, I'm playing with an xbox360 controller for windows, but, to get the most out of it, RBR must be played only with a set of pedals and wheel.
Enjoy!
If you're into retro - or not so retro - stuff, please subscribe at http://www.youtube.com/user/ThePixelTHING and visit http://www.facebook.com/PixelThing & http://twitter.com/Pixel_THING
Support me on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/PixelTHING
Sunday, January 18, 2015
Personal 10 Best 8 & 16-bit Intro Tunes [Home Computers] - It's a Pixel THING - Ep.#35
I must
first remind you that, in this video, I only make reference to titles from 8
and 16 bit home computers of late eighties and early nineties. At that time
these were THE gaming platforms here in Europe.
In that
Era, the Amiga was the pinnacle, not only in terms video, but also in the audio
department. As for the 8 bit machines, and spite the superior audio chip of the
Commodore 64, my preference goes directly to the ZED X Spectrum.
Let’s dive
right into my Top 10 Intro Tunes from 8 and 16 bit home computers!
FUZZBALL
(AMIGA)
Developed
by Scangames Norway and published by System 3 Software in the beginning of
1992, Fuzzball features music from composers Tomas Dahlgren and John Carehag.
The intro music is a really platform friendly tune that fits right into the
mood of this Amiga exclusive title.
Watch the video.
DARK FUSION
(ZX SPECTRUM)
Back in
1988 I was blown away by Dark Fusion’s drum style intro music on the ZED X
Spectrum! I recall questioning “is this even possible in such a limited
machine”? It is such an awesome intro tune that, most of the times, I just
loaded the game only to listen to its music! By the way, the artist responsible
for it is Ben Daglish and the game was published by Gremlin Graphics.
NAVY SEALS (ZX SPECTRUM)
Based on
the movie of the same name and, obviously, developed and published by Ocean
Software in 1991, this intro tune was written by Matthew Cannon, also known for
other great musical pieces of other astonishing movie conversions made by
Ocean, like, for instance, Batman the Movie and Robocop 2.
XENOPHOBE
(ZX SPECTRUM)
Right after
Xenophobe is loaded, this super-fast pumping audio track shoots awesomeness everywhere!
The
original arcade game from where it was ported gave three players the
opportunity to, simultaneously, exterminate all aliens. It was so much fun!
ASTRO
MARINE CORPS (ZX SPECTRUM)
From
Spanish developer Creepsoft and publisher Dinamic Software came, in 1989, this
amazingly colorful arcade shoot-em-up that, in the ZED X Spectrum version, we’re
contemplated with this amazing tune, from composer Jose Antonio Martin Tello,
right after the game is loaded.
MIDNIGHT
RESISTANCE (ZX SPECTRUM)
Midnight
Resistance’s soundtrack needs no introduction. It’s simply one of the best ever
created for a video game and, on the megadrive/genesis, is where it really
shines!
Even so,
I’ve found the ZED X Spectrum intro music the most enjoyable and the game was
considered one of the best ever made for this platform. Published by Ocean
Software in 1990 for all available home computers of that time, Midnight
Resistance was a conversion of another awesome arcade original. Credits for its
music goes to composer Keith Tinman.
SAVAGE (ZX
SPECTRUM)
In 1988,
Probe Software developed this awesome 8 and 16bit gem: Savage. By that time, I
was simply blown away when I first heard the intro music for this game, and I
simply stood there, listening to it over and over again. David Whittaker, responsible
for this great tune and for others like Shadow of the Beast’s, was known as the
composer with the largest amount of work in this area in late 80s.
THE NINJA
WARRIORS (AMIGA)
Faithful to
the arcade original, the intro music for The Ninja Warriors on the Commodore
Amiga is one of the best I’ve ever heard since I began playing video games.
This tune continues throughout the first level and it has an extremely high
quality taste from its original composer, Hisayoshi Ogura of Taito. 16 bit
versions were the responsibility of Ronald Pieket Weeserik and they sound
really faithful to the original.
STORMLORD
2: DELIVERANCE (ZX SPECTRUM)
Written in
1989 by Dave Rogers, Stormlord’s 2 intro music is a really gorgeous tune and
different from all other available at that time.
Watch the video to listen this awesome tune!
TURRICAN 2
(AMIGA)
Finally, my
number 1 intro tune and number one video game soundtrack is from Turrican 2:
The Final Fight, from award winning composer Chris Hülsbeck.
Released in
1991 by Rainbow Arts, the game is an audiovisual masterpiece and one of my top
10 titles of all time across all platforms.
If you're into retro - or not so retro - stuff, please subscribe at http://www.youtube.com/user/ThePixelTHING and visit http://www.facebook.com/PixelThing & http://twitter.com/Pixel_THING
Support me on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/PixelTHING
Saturday, January 10, 2015
MX vs ATV Unleashed [2006, PC] Overview - It's a Pixel THING - Ep.#34
Following
the worldwide success of Motocross Madness 1 and 2 exclusively on the PC and, a
few years later, in 2004, MX Unleashed for the original Xbox and PS2, Rainbow
Studios brought us, in 2005, MX vs ATV Unleashed.
Firstly on
the PS2 and Xbox, it eventually came out, one year later, in 2006, for the PC,
but, this time around, with an awesome track editor!
This will
be my main focus in this video, ‘cause all the other racing stuff is already
covered all over the internet.
The creators
of this great title saw the overwhelming reception of both Motocross Madness
games and the huge fan base created around them, and felt the urgent need to
replicate that success on the PC all over again. To make it even more
irresistible to the fans, Rainbow Studios decided to include on the same disc,
and only on the PC version, a friendly track editor!
I won’t be
showing here how to create tracks or something like that. It’s just a quick
look at some of the great stuff that fans can do with that awesome tool.
The game
features an extensive single player career that you can complete using
motocross bikes and ATVs. There are also other types of unlockable vehicles
available to take out for a spin like, for instance: golf karts, monster
trucks, trophy trucks, off-road buggies, sand rails, biplanes and even
helicopters. These last two types are extremely difficult to control, so I
advise you to stick with the off-road stuff, it’s so much fun!
As for the
controls, you can use the keyboard and re-map it to whatever best suits your
preferences, but the best controller around that you should use is, with no
doubt, the XBOX360 controller for Windows.
As usually,
in this franchise, you can pull off some tricks whilst in the air to get extra
points. Use those on the store to grab some new rides and gear, besides other
great stuff.
I simply
hate stadium events, but love the outdoor nationals. It’s here where all the
fun begins. Those natural elevations and bumps are so damn enjoyable to ride!
Remember to use the clutch at the start of the races and in those tight hairpin
turns; that way you can maintain your momentum with short bursts of speed.
Another
important move you can make to stay ahead of the pack is the suspension
pre-load for the jumps. Learn how and when you should use it and you’ll
certainly start winning races.
The
soundtrack can be switched off, but there’s some nice licensed music from, for
example, Nickelback and Papa Roach, that really fits into the action. As for
the sound effects, those were taken from real life vehicles and they sound
really good.
But none of
this is that relevant. What really matters are those hundreds or even thousands
of user made tracks and the main source for these files is still mcmfactory.com.
MX vs ATV
Unleashed is also one hell of a good and enjoyable game to play with your friends
over network, and with all those user-made tracks, you’ll be fighting for first
place for quite a while!
Graphics
could be better, with mud and dust covering the bike, but the fun factor
present in the game is huge and makes us forget those tiny little things.
If you're into retro - or not so retro - stuff, please subscribe at http://www.youtube.com/user/ThePixelTHING and visit http://www.facebook.com/PixelThing & http://twitter.com/Pixel_THING
Support me on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/PixelTHING
Monday, January 5, 2015
Dakar 2 [2003, PS2] Playthrough - It's Play Time! - Ep.#2
Right at start of the real Dakar off road race, here's my playthrough of DAKAR 2 on the PlayStation 2!
Enjoy!
If you're into retro - or not so retro - stuff, please subscribe at http://www.youtube.com/user/ThePixelTHING and visit http://www.facebook.com/PixelThing & http://twitter.com/Pixel_THING
Support me on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/PixelTHING
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)