I picked up Doom 3: BFG Edition on launch day because I love all things Doom. I was blown away with the original Doom and how it ushered in the era of shooters. I love Doom 2 and the double barred shotgun. When Doom 3 came out and I had a computer good enough to play it I enjoyed it for its dark horror style. A few years later I replayed Doom 3 and again, enjoyed its dark atmosphere but that time I turned off the lights and cranked up the sound.
When iD Software announced Doom 3: BFG Edition I was excited. Doom 3: BFG Editions big additions are the original Doom & Doom 2. It also includes some new content for Doom 3 in the Lost Levels. It can also be played in 3D,... Read All
I picked up Doom 3: BFG Edition on launch day because I love all things Doom. I was blown away with the original Doom and how it ushered in the era of shooters. I love Doom 2 and the double barred shotgun. When Doom 3 came out and I had a computer good enough to play it I enjoyed it for its dark horror style. A few years later I replayed Doom 3 and again, enjoyed its dark atmosphere but that time I turned off the lights and cranked up the sound.
When iD Software announced Doom 3: BFG Edition I was excited. Doom 3: BFG Editions big additions are the original Doom & Doom 2. It also includes some new content for Doom 3 in the Lost Levels. It can also be played in 3D, if you have the right hardware for it.
I have Doom 3 on PC and wanted to try it out on a new platform so I picked it up on the PS3. From the reviews I read and by playing it in person at PAX on XBOX 360 and now the PS3 I can say that Doom 3 plays buttery smooth. If you are console bound, love shooters and want something that doesn't lag for second, Doom 3: BFG Edition is for you.
When I got the game the first thing I did was boot up the original Doom to show my wife and see how well it played. It played very well but she was unimpressed with the game as it is now 19 year old. I look at it with love, but if you didn't play it I can see how it wouldn't impress. I then started a new Doom 3 game and was immediately flooded with awesome memories and a wave of excitement for entering Mars base again.
The beginning of Doom 3 has a compelling pulp sci-fi horror premise. After spending a ton of time messing around in base and getting a high score in Super Turbo Turkey Puncher(i'll make a separate post about that) I went on the first mission and header into Mars city basement. I won't spoil the story but not too long after you get your pistol the S hits the F and you are shooting zombies and demons just like iD intended.
One thing I noticed playing the game is that you can't zoom to aim. Modern shooters allow you to zoom your gun in to aim better, Doom 3 does not. This isn't something they took out of the game, it simply wasn't present in the original. After playing modern shooters you sort of realize you cant zoom and wherein its not a big deal, is something worth noting as games march ever onward.
So far all I have played of Doom 3: BFG in length is the original Doom 3 campaign and it seems pretty much as I remember it. They sprinkled more ammo in places than I remember, things are way brighter but that doesn't make the game easier. I haven't spent any time worrying about ammo conservation, just which gun to use to dispatch my foes.
The big change in Doom 3: BFG Edition is that they allow you to turn on the flashlight while you hold your gun. Now this isn't as bad as I thought, though I do appreciate I have the original Doom 3 discs so I can go back and play it the way it was. That said, when you turn on the flashlight holding a pistol the light beam comes in from the side in a way that seems odd. Its like the Marine is holding the light way out to his side at an angle. Its strange and sort of threw me off when it turned on. I was like "how can he be possibly holding the light that way?" But then again, its a game about demons and eventually you do go to hell... It's not a big deal, it was just something I noticed.
I still haven't played much of the original Doom, Doom 2 and the lost levels. When I do, ill post more.
I found a few interesting bits posted online about Doom 3. Here they are for you to enjoy:
I'm actually not sure I'm going to get this. I already have all the games, and there are mods for Doom 3 that make it look better than the BFG edition, and add some gameplay tweaks. I'd basically be paying $20 for the lost mission, which from what I understand is just a horde mode.
Have you played with any Doom 3 mods in the past? How does it compare?
jdodson Admin Post Author
wrote on 10/20/2012 at 03:08pm
I didn't play it with mods before so not point of comparison there for me. I linked to a side by side video for what graphics changed and wherein it looks a bit better its not night and day better.
Ill check out the lost levels reviews, seemed like more than moar bad guys but I could be wrong.
jdodson Admin Post Author
wrote on 10/20/2012 at 03:21pm
Haven't found any gameplay reviews for the lost mission. Dang:
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There's a joy to be had in perfection through simplicity. The kind of perfection that comes without dizzying highs. Revolution over evolution, etc. That's what I think of when I think of Mega Man X.
Mega Man 2 was my first NES game (along with SMB and, puke, Operation Wolf) and my imagination was ignited by the setting and concept. There's something elemental to the idea of killing an enemy to get his power. It's why ancient tribes ate the hearts of their enemies. This game allows you eat metallic heart after metallic heart until you have the power of a dozen tribes. Mega Man X perfected what Mega Man 2 started and that's why we chose it for the first episode of Watch... Read All
There's a joy to be had in perfection through simplicity. The kind of perfection that comes without dizzying highs. Revolution over evolution, etc. That's what I think of when I think of Mega Man X.
Mega Man 2 was my first NES game (along with SMB and, puke, Operation Wolf) and my imagination was ignited by the setting and concept. There's something elemental to the idea of killing an enemy to get his power. It's why ancient tribes ate the hearts of their enemies. This game allows you eat metallic heart after metallic heart until you have the power of a dozen tribes. Mega Man X perfected what Mega Man 2 started and that's why we chose it for the first episode of Watch Out For Fireballs.
Every aspect of the earlier Mega Man games is improved here. The levels are more complex now that the wall climb allows verticality and, in a move few games have replicated, the order you tackle the stages greatly changes their content. The way this blew my mind as a child....
This game not only rewards reflexes but also exploration. By searching out of the way places and applying your myriad powers in creative ways, you can get a host of upgrades that, in turn, unlock further exploration. This metroidvania touch works wonders, elevating the game from an arcade platformer to something more.
Since you're going to be spending so much time dissecting these levels, it's a good thing they're varied and interesting and it's a good thing the music is top notch. One of the top 5 SNES games, I'd say, and one of the greatest platformers ever.
Like you Gary, I started with Mega Man 2 as well. Kind of glad I did because Mega Man 1 was pretty hard. That said, I could go on and on about Mega Man 2 and how much I love it so much.
Mega Man X is a really good game. I like you, dug the little things too. For me, the ability to have a cool ability from the start was pretty awesome. I didn't do much until the shot was fully charged up myself. Wall jumping was a nice addition because I felt like Mega Man jumps were pretty hard as is, now if you don't make it by just a bit you can wall jump to safety.
The music and graphics were good and the game came with more of a story than the others.
My only real negative on this game is the speed Mega Man travels. I would have sped him up a bit because he just felt... too slow? Its a minor gripe for such a good game though.
That slow movement thing might be something I missed in my last playthrough. I do think it looks a little like he runs in place as he moves, which might contribute to that.
Ever notice how adding zombies makes a game more fun?
Suffice to say that I am excited about Sleeping Dogâs DLC.
I kept telling my nephew (as we were playing it) that it would be cool if Sleeping Dogs had an undead upgrade. Guess what? It is now going to have one.
Just in time for Halloween, as this DLC is set to drop October 30th, consider your return ticket to China as fully punched.
If youâve played Sleeping Dogs, then you realize that it has had some really lame DLC packs come out that donât really help the game play at all (as far as extending it). I cannot imagine buying any of packs for any reason, and I kept waiting for a reason to get some DLC. If you have been... Read All
Ever notice how adding zombies makes a game more fun?
Suffice to say that I am excited about Sleeping Dogâs DLC.
I kept telling my nephew (as we were playing it) that it would be cool if Sleeping Dogs had an undead upgrade. Guess what? It is now going to have one.
Just in time for Halloween, as this DLC is set to drop October 30th, consider your return ticket to China as fully punched.
If youâve played Sleeping Dogs, then you realize that it has had some really lame DLC packs come out that donât really help the game play at all (as far as extending it). I cannot imagine buying any of packs for any reason, and I kept waiting for a reason to get some DLC. If you have been waiting too, then you are in luck. It is finally here.
This is not just any kind of undead. This is Chinese undead with glowing eyes. This means, it is basically Wei Shen vs. the forces of Big Trouble in Little China. However, not to be outdone by any kind of undead monster, Wei Shen will be packing, not only guns about something far more useful. Wei Shen will be sporting lighting fists because of some magical tea (Egg Shen style!). Wei Shen will have all the power he needs to defeat the undead in awesome ways.
Therefore, it is time to pack your bags and travel back to China. It is time to kick some evil undead butt and help save China from its fate. Wei Shen is ready, are you? See you on October 30th when I will be live streaming this title when it drops.
Adding Zombies as DLC seems to be a pretty popular pattern in games now and its a good thing. Even when Call of Duty did it on the iPhone I was like "that makes sense."
Big Trouble in Little China was a great 80's movie and using that as a jumping off point is a good idea! Dropping this Oct 30th is good, but it should be out a week earlier or something. I just picked up the Doom re-release Doom 3: BFG Edition and its great because I can play it up to Halloween and all.
A good video recap of 2012's Portland Retro Gaming Expo. It covers the show floor pretty well as far as the whole vibe of the event.
If you are in the area for PRGE 2013, you should definitely attend. There might be a event in your local area as well, so check into that! Go, go, go!
A good video recap of 2012's Portland Retro Gaming Expo. It covers the show floor pretty well as far as the whole vibe of the event.
If you are in the area for PRGE 2013, you should definitely attend. There might be a event in your local area as well, so check into that! Go, go, go!
Dr. Mario is one of my favoriate puzzle games and this video is an epic way to kick off Retro Tuesday! I sort of wonder if this video was an epic setup or just a random happening? Regardless, its fun to watch. Oh and stick with it until the end, thats when it goes straight to awesomeville!
Dr. Mario is one of my favoriate puzzle games and this video is an epic way to kick off Retro Tuesday! I sort of wonder if this video was an epic setup or just a random happening? Regardless, its fun to watch. Oh and stick with it until the end, thats when it goes straight to awesomeville!
Vdog, this may be important part for you to notice. His video says TAS. TAS stands for Tool-Assisted Speedrun. It means he played on an emulator and he saved and reloaded until he had 100% perfection on every part. He also can do things like slow the game to and absolute crawl. TAS is still challenging and it's not cheating because there's a pretty big following of TAS on SNES games.
jdodson Admin Post Author
wrote on 10/18/2012 at 09:30pm
Assisted... That makes sense. The person had a ton of time to line up all the pills just right. Still, not shabby either way.
For some insight on exactly how helpful TAS is. Check out some TAS runs of megaman. They get every single shot perfectly through the whole level. They make it look so smooth and the bosses look like a joke. Of course this is they save. Check where monster is. Shoot like 10 different ways til they one shot him. Then start recording again (it doesnt show a pause) and it'll show him making impossible feats.
It actually takes a lot longer. Still a lot of time invested. For this mario thing to work. He literally needed to record and play the whole level over like 9 times. Til he knew every single color that comes out. To perfectly line up each color he wanted. This probably took him ages with the amount of color manipulation and positioning.
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I bought the season pass, but I haven't installed the DLC yet. I think I'm going to hold off on this until I finish the main game first.
jdodson Admin Post Author
wrote on 10/18/2012 at 12:09am
DUDE MOAR SHINY, INSTALL INSTALL!
jdodson Admin Post Author
wrote on 10/18/2012 at 12:10am
But yeah, I got GOTY on PS3 and the DLC was on disc. I waited until way later to install it, just wanting to go through the game proper first. Close to the end I installed it for fun.
Ah well then I'm right with you guys in that respect. I am indeed installing it after I beat the game. However, that happened last night (on playthrough 2). My duo character of zero with my cousin having maya just hit level 50 yesterday. We didn't cheat or rush through or anything. We just played a lot.
jdodson Admin Post Author
wrote on 10/18/2012 at 09:29pm
Awesome Jacob! Gratz on beating it! Write up something on how your whole experience was sometime, id love to hear your thoughts.
Maybe not spoilers, but yeah, how was the ending as compared to BL1 :D
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At this years Portland Retro Gaming Expo I was able to try out the new GameDock for iPhone, an awesome device that turns your phone into a console. The GameDock features retro styled NES controllers and using them makes iPhone games much more awesome to play. I was able to ask one of the Cascadia Games developers Chris some questions and he awesomely shipped me back some information.
Please friend, read on:
jdodson: So Cascadia Games started with iPhone games. I wonder at what point you decided, "Hey, we need to make the iPhone a console!"
Chris: I honestly donât know when it clicked. I was in the middle of developing Cavorite 2. A lot of folks complained about not liking... Read All
At this years Portland Retro Gaming Expo I was able to try out the new GameDock for iPhone, an awesome device that turns your phone into a console. The GameDock features retro styled NES controllers and using them makes iPhone games much more awesome to play. I was able to ask one of the Cascadia Games developers Chris some questions and he awesomely shipped me back some information.
Please friend, read on:
jdodson: So Cascadia Games started with iPhone games. I wonder at what point you decided, "Hey, we need to make the iPhone a console!"
Chris: I honestly donât know when it clicked. I was in the middle of developing Cavorite 2. A lot of folks complained about not liking the touch-screen for controls in the first one. Iâd added iCade support, but the big arcade stick didnât fit the retro console vibe I wanted. I had the Super Nintendo in mind with the games. I was also playing around on my old SNES quite a bit for inspiration. So somewhere around that time, the idea popped into my head that a phone could be the ultimate game cartridge.
jdodson: How long did it take you from the concept of the GameDock to building a prototype you could play a game with on your TV?
Chris: I pitched my friend Andi on it in January (or so). By March, he had come up with a prototype based on our ideas and research. We decided we had something worthy of Kickstarter. So we got in contact with a small company up here called FunGizmos, who helped us polish it into a better prototype.
jdodson: Apple isn't known as the most open of companies to work with, what is required to get permission or licensing to build for the iPhone?
Chris: If you want to send data across the 30-pin port, you need to be part of their MFi program. Itâs fairly involved to go that route. We opted instead to make the GameDock work like a keyboard in the same fashion that an iCade works. That sidesteps the direct need to seek Apple approval. Eventually, however, weâd like to be involved with MFi.
jdodson: The GameDock dock doesn't look to be tooled(iPhone 5 uses a new dock connector) for the newer iPhone 5, is it still compatible with iPhone 5?
Chris: It wonât charge your phone since we donât have lightning-compatible parts. But the game controls are sent over bluetooth. So you can still play games with the iPhone 5 without it being docked.
jdodson: You funded your Kickstater campaign(congratulations on that btw), when do you anticipate the GameDock will ship to your project funders?
Chris: Thanks! Weâre pushing to get them out by December. Itâs not totally in our hands, of course. We need to get stuff from our suppliers in time, for example. We should have a better shipping date estimate by the end of this month.
jdodson: Do you plan on selling the GameDock as a stand alone product outside the Kickstarter?
Chris: Yes. You can actually pre-order them from us now at http://iosgamedock.com/preorder. Weâre building more than we need to fulfill the Kickstarter requirements. After that, it will depend on demand. Ideally, weâll be able to find a distribution partner and go for a big production run.
jdodson: What was the trickiest part of building the GameDock you didn't anticipate?
Chris: Easily the biggest issue is just explaining how it works. The fact that your phone doesnât need to be docked (since the video adapter isnât built into the board but rather is a separate cable), for example, has confused a lot of folks. There have been a lot of questions about which devices it works with (answer: iPhone 4 and up, iPad 2 and up, iPod 4th gen and up). Even just the goal of recreating the entire console experience isnât clear to everyone. (Though I think when a person has a gamepad in his or her hands, it sinks in.) Additionally, people wonder where the games come from (answer: the App Store). Thatâs been a lot more work than I thought. We havenât been clear enough explaining the benefits either. For example, now your mobile game can double as a console game; you can start a game on the TV then finish on the bus. Local two-player games are an added benefit too that you wonât get elsewhere.
jdodson: At what point where you testing out the GameDock and it "just clicked" for you and you realized it was going to be awesome? (Note: I tried it out, it is)
Chris: Easily when we first tried Mos Speedrun on it. The game just worked and it played great. Using the gamepads really changed some of these iPhone retro games from just evoking a style into games that were exactly like what we experienced growing up.
jdodson: GameDock ships. The majority of people love it and it is getting positive reviews. What is the next move for Cascadia Games?
Chris: The first thing is to make it an easy to reach and rewarding niche for developers to hit. We obviously want lots of games on there working well. Fortunately, so far developer response has been great given how early we are in the process.
After that, Iâd like to look at iPhone 5 charging and other mobile phone support. Ideally, we could find a distribution partner and really turn this into something big. Short of that, I imagine we would Kickstart a version 2.0 with a few improvements based on what we learn from this first run. We have some other ideas as well, but Iâm not giving away any secrets!
jdodson: Thanks Chris and congratulations and good luck with the GameDock!
Angry Birds Star Wars will be released November 8th! It makes sense this paring is happening as Angry Birds is now a huge household game. After Angry Birds space it makes sense that Star Wars comes afterward. I wonder what elements it will bring to the franchise besides John Williams music? Don't get me wrong, John Williams music is superb I am just wondering what else it will have.
If all it brings is the Star Wars music and art we all love I will have to say that's enough for me to play it! I have Angry Birds Space on my phone and still have yet to get past more than the first two levels. Look forward to knocking my birds into Storm-pigs, Wampa-pigs, Sand-pigs,... Read All
Angry Birds Star Wars will be released November 8th! It makes sense this paring is happening as Angry Birds is now a huge household game. After Angry Birds space it makes sense that Star Wars comes afterward. I wonder what elements it will bring to the franchise besides John Williams music? Don't get me wrong, John Williams music is superb I am just wondering what else it will have.
If all it brings is the Star Wars music and art we all love I will have to say that's enough for me to play it! I have Angry Birds Space on my phone and still have yet to get past more than the first two levels. Look forward to knocking my birds into Storm-pigs, Wampa-pigs, Sand-pigs, Jabba-pigs, Bounty Hunter-pigs & Jar Jar Binks.
Are you going to pick this one up or will you let it pass you by? Remember it only costs .99 midichlorians!
Hahaha! I love that trailer not to mention the idea for the game. Star wars and Angry Birds combined sounds amazing. Although I still am waiting for battlefront 3...
jdodson Admin Post Author
wrote on 10/16/2012 at 03:19am
Yeah if Lego gets Star Wars love the why not the Angriest Birds? I am also with you on a new Battlefront game!
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Blizzard recently posted a two part interview with the Starcraft 2 creative team and I wanted to share a few interesting bits. I am excited about Heart of the Swarm and I am still awaiting my beta invite. And if anyone from Blizzard reads this, I would certainly love a beta key!
Some of these questions drop game lore which may contain some kind of spoilers.
" Question: How do units like the mutalisk and banshee fly in space if there is no air?
Answer: Another great question that has been the subject of internal debate, hair pulling, and furniture throwing. Basically, mutas produce a gas that pushes against their own mass as itâs excreted. Even in a vacuum, this causes... Read All
Blizzard recently posted a two part interview with the Starcraft 2 creative team and I wanted to share a few interesting bits. I am excited about Heart of the Swarm and I am still awaiting my beta invite. And if anyone from Blizzard reads this, I would certainly love a beta key!
Some of these questions drop game lore which may contain some kind of spoilers.
" Question: How do units like the mutalisk and banshee fly in space if there is no air?
Answer: Another great question that has been the subject of internal debate, hair pulling, and furniture throwing. Basically, mutas produce a gas that pushes against their own mass as itâs excreted. Even in a vacuum, this causes propulsion, because the gas is pushing against the muta as itâs expelled. Maneuvering is difficult for a muta, but it can release the gas in a range of directions.
When mutas are in an atmosphere, they simply use their wings. The gas is reserved for space travel. And if anyone's wondering why they flap their wings in space? Instinct. Just like a dog pumping its hind leg when you scratch its belly.
For any terran or protoss unit, the answer is even simpler: itâs outfitted with standard propulsion equipment only for use when traveling in space. "
"Question: In StarCraft, the Queen of Blades told Mengsk that she isn't interested in revenge. Why is killing him suddenly her life's purpose, according to the most recent trailer?
Answer: The Queen of Blades and Sarah Kerrigan are not quite the same person. The Queen of Blades is essentially Sarah Kerrigan under the influence of some devastating forces: incredible power, a dominating level of psi energy, and the presence of Zerg mutagen from the cellular level up.
To be clear, the Queen of Blades is not a separate entity that possessed Kerrigan. Kerrigan is (certainly in her mind) responsible for the terrible things she's done. She has immense guilt for those actions, but she was not completely in her "right mind" in Brood War.
All of that is a roundabout way of saying the Queen of Blades felt no need to kill Mengsk. She did not see him as a threat. Sarah Kerrigan, on the other hand, knows that Mengsk wants her dead, and she very much holds a grudge for his abandoning her on Tarsonis."
"Question: At the end of Wings of Liberty, Mengsk's empire was collapsing. The zerg had overrun most of the fringe worlds and were encroaching on the core worlds. Raynor had revealed Mengsk's genocide of Tarsonis to all the people of the Dominion, and they were in open revolt and rioting out in the streets of the major cities, including Augustgrad. His son had then commandeered half the fleet in a desperate move to kill the Queen of Blades. How has Mengsk maintained control of the Terran Dominion with all this war and conflict?
Answer: With a mix of brutality, incredible intrigue, and old-fashioned cunning. Mengsk's empire at the time of Heart of the Swarm is by no means secure, but he is crafty and has many mechanisms to hold on to power. If the Swarm had been out to dismantle his empire, that would have been too much to withstand...or if the Kel-Morians had still been a viable enemy at that time, that could have been the tipping point. But remember, the Swarm was taking planets only to search for the artifact, and the Swarm fractured when the Queen of Blades disappeared. And the Kel-Morians were barely holding it together at that time.
Check the blog entries posted for all the Q&A you can handle. As more entries are posted we will keep up updated.
I'm actually not sure I'm going to get this. I already have all the games, and there are mods for Doom 3 that make it look better than the BFG edition, and add some gameplay tweaks. I'd basically be paying $20 for the lost mission, which from what I understand is just a horde mode.
Have you played with any Doom 3 mods in the past? How does it compare?
I didn't play it with mods before so not point of comparison there for me. I linked to a side by side video for what graphics changed and wherein it looks a bit better its not night and day better.
Ill check out the lost levels reviews, seemed like more than moar bad guys but I could be wrong.
Haven't found any gameplay reviews for the lost mission. Dang: