Laboratory of Mathematics and Writing

Resident Evil - Code: Veronica I'm following up my playthrough of Resident Evil 2 with Code:Veronica instead of the RE3. I was inspired by Capcom's recent announcement of a Code: Veronica remake. So, I decided to jump right in before it gets released. Naturally, I'm going to compare Code: Veronica to RE2 quite a lot throughout this review. They're both great games and it just so happens that I played them on the same console: the Sega Dreamcast. Improvements The graphics are better than RE2. The zombies and monsters themselves are more detailed and gruesome. The human characters are more refined and, dare I say, prettier. The environments are completely rendered in the 3D engine this time around. Some might prefer the pre-rendered environments of the previous entries, but I believe they look better in Code: Veronica. Maybe it's just me, but it seems the lighting is more enhanced. Moreover, I think the character m...

Grandia II My adventure into turn-based RPGs continues. I've already played Super Mario RPG, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Chrono Trigger, and Evolution 1 & 2. Of those, Chrono Trigger is the best by a massive margin and the only one I'd even replay. The others are decent, but none of them turned me into a believer of turn-based combat. Grandia II, on the other hand, did exactly that. I would even go as far as saying that the combat in Grandia II is superior to Chrono Trigger's. It loses in every other area, but it wins in that one matter. I didn't know what to expect from Grandia II, but for the most part, it surpassed my expectations. There's one glaring flaw that makes me hesitant to replay it in the future, but aside from that, it's a very fun game that I can easily recommend, especially if you're into the genre. Exquisite Combat The combat system is very well thought out. I've praised Chrono Trigger...

Resident Evil 2 I remember watching a friend of mine play this game at his house on the Playstation back in the 90s. I was maybe nine or ten years old. I can't remember how far he got into the game, but I definitely remember that first encounter with the licker. Then there was those game over screens: your character's body getting eaten alive by the zombies while the words "You Died" splatter onto the screen in blood. It gave me the creeps, Haha! I would later complete the remake of the first Resident Evil on the Gamecube at another friend's house. It was a great experience. Even though I haven't played Resident Evil since then, I do have respect for the franchise for just those little moments. I recently completed Resident Evil 2 on the Sega Dreamcast and I honestly believe it holds up surprisingly well. There was a part of me that was fearful of this game showing its age. The only thing that truly aged was ...

Sonic Adventure Here's another game that I didn't get to play growing up. We where lower middle class in my younger years. So, the Sega Dreamcast I received was a hand-me-down. Hence, why I got it after the support for it died. It came with a few games and unfortunately, Sonic Adventure is not one of them. Perhaps it's for the better. Even though I rememember the big buzz the Dreamcast and this game generated, I cannot look upon this game with nostalgia colored glasses; not completely, anyway. With that being said, I must say that this game didn't age quite gracefully, but it's still a decent experience worthy of at least a single playthrough. If only just to play the very first fully 3D Sonic game. Early Camera Work The one thing that stuck out to me the most was the camera. Early 3D games back in the 90s have yet to solve the camera problem as the character you are controlling was moving around the environment...

Metropolis Street Racer I did not play this game growing up nor did I play any of the Project Gotham Racing games either. For that matter, I don't think I played too many racing games growing up. The only ones I remember playing where Top Gear on the Super Nintendo, the Cruis'n series of arcades, Outrun, Midnight Club 2 on the Xbox, and San Francisco Rush 2049 on the N64. Those games where all fun and enjoyable, but they didn't leave a long lasting impression upon me. They where the type of games that you pick and play for a few hours and think "Cool!" and then pack it in to go on about your day. Ready to Drive Metropolis Street Racer does indeed have pick up and play mechanics, but it's the first racing game I've played that directly challenges you. It's not even the fact that it's a harder racing simulator with arcade tendencies; it's how it challenges you. Beating the stopwatch and...

Omikron: The Nomad Soul I remember trying Shenmue over a decade ago. I believe I was in grad school or just before entering. I can't quite remember. Now, Shenmue is often touted as one of the Dreamcast greats and incredibly ahead of its time. Perhaps I played it too late because after playing through only the first disc, I failed to appreciate it and stopped playing it. I still have a copy and perhaps I will make another attempt in the future. It's really just a murder mystery with barely any action in it. The setting is generic. The plot is generic. None of it captured my attention for very long. Again, I'll give it another go in the future. After all, Dreamcast is my second favorite console. Comparison I mentioned Shenmue because it is the first thing that popped into my mind while playing Omikron: The Nomad Soul. Just like Shenmue, Omikron is also a murder mystery with some action in it. What sets it apart, howeve...

Another Average RPG I reviewed Evolution: The World Sacred Device is a charming but average RPG. The sequel, Evolution 2: Far Off Promise, can described in exacty the same light. It's got pretty much the same set of characters with only a few additions. The story is different and, frankly, less interesting. The combat is almost identical. The only difference is that the enemy grid now has a fourth column. So, it's 4x3 instead of 3x3. The biggest change is that the dungeons themselves are no longer randomly generated. All except the practice tower contain fixed floor plans. That's it. Less Personality There is really not much to talk about. Only the story and setting is different. It takes place after the events of the first. Mag is traveling with the same friends from before. The addition of the pirate adds a little bit of extra charm as he turns over a new leaf once you face and defeat him in his hide out and becomes a...

Slave Zero This game was released right in the middle of the Y2K era: 1999. Naturally, the art direction totally matches the era. It's got the green, black, and steel grey aesthetics that belong in the most Y2K movie ever: The Matrix. It's also got emphasis on distant technologies. In this case, it's about growing massive cyborg mechs out of oversized embryos. It goes into vague detail about how this process is acheived using dark matter compounds. It's not particularly important. What is important is how the game plays and it plays fine; repetitive, but fine. Generic Fun This game is about as generic as you could possibly get. It's also quite repetitive. It also happens to be quite a bit of fun. You are Chan, a member of the Guardians. You are in control of a giant biomech on a quest to take down the tyrannical SovKhan and free humanity from his quest for global domination. You will have to destroy SovKhan...

Cel-Shaded Xtreme Sports Saga I love the "Cel-Shaded Xtreme Sports Saga". That's what I am going to call it. I am not an authority in any capacity, but I am going to make up my own terminology anyways.The Cel-Shaded Extreme Sports Saga consists of three games: Jet Set Radio, Jet Set Radio Future, and Bombrush Cyberfunk. There's probably many more games out there that can be included in the category of Cel-Shaded Extreme Sports, but these are the most obvious selections and they are intimitely linked to one another.All three are absolutely worth playing and among my favorite games ever. If I where to rank them from best to worst, it would be thus: Jet Set Radio, Bombrush Cyberfunk, then Jet Set Radio Future. Jet Set Radio Future Jet Set Radio Future is my least favorite. It's still an amazing game that I will always wholeheartedly recommend it. I just prefer Bombrush and the original Jet Set Radio. A big reason is that the story ...

Another Turn Based RPG I'm not sure why tried this game. Maybe beause it was an RPG on the Dreamcast the was relatively inexpensive. I paid roughly thirty dollars for this. I don't think I'm ready to pay the damned near 200 dollars for Skies of Arcadia. I guess I should have started with Grandia 2. It has a much better reputation than Evolution. Grandia 2 is generally held in high regard, Evolution is viewed as a charming but mediocre RPG. Maybe that's why I chose to play it. I wanted to play a simple, average, but charming RPG so that I may have something to compare every RPG to. Simple but Charming The description of simple, average, but charming is the most fitting descritption you can possibly give this game. The story is a typical and predictable affair in which you are an explorer that dives into dungeons for treasure. An imperial military shows up with interest in the same artifacts you are digging up. Turns o...

Jet Set Radio When someone says "Sega Dreamcast", I automatically picture Jet Set Radio in my head. I'm not video game historian or cultural analyst, but I feel like the Dreamcast occupied a very specific aesthetic at very certain time. The time, of course, being late 90s and early 2000s. The aesthetic is something I can't quite put into words. I believe it comes from each game striving to appear unique in its on way. This resulted in many games in the Dreamcast library truly standing out not only from each other, but from other games on other consoles. It's a combination of attitude and rebelliousness along with playfulness and whackiness. The two best titles that I believe more most exemplary of these descriptors is Space Channel 5 (I don't like it, but my sister did) and my absolute favorite on the console and one of my favorites ever: Jet Set Radio. Love at First Playthrough I actually acquired my Dreamcast after the ...