Final Fantasy XV is finally coming to PC on March 6. The PC edition includes all currently available DLC and some new features, like mod support, among others. Because itās coming to PC, I now have one less reason to buy a PS4, thus saving me some money. Luckily, Square Enix released a benchmark. Check it out and feel free to post your score! I got 6079, which means I should be able to run the game on high quality settings comfortably. (http://benchmark.finalfantasyxv.com/na/)
Iāve long been a fan of the Final Fantasy series, although I havenāt felt as happy with the series in the last decade or so. So, even though Iām a bit eagerly awaiting this release, I feel a bit... Read All
Final Fantasy XV is finally coming to PC on March 6. The PC edition includes all currently available DLC and some new features, like mod support, among others. Because itās coming to PC, I now have one less reason to buy a PS4, thus saving me some money. Luckily, Square Enix released a benchmark. Check it out and feel free to post your score! I got 6079, which means I should be able to run the game on high quality settings comfortably. (http://benchmark.finalfantasyxv.com/na/)
Iāve long been a fan of the Final Fantasy series, although I havenāt felt as happy with the series in the last decade or so. So, even though Iām a bit eagerly awaiting this release, I feel a bit hesitant. Still, I did watch and enjoy the movie. The benchmark alone looks great.
Let me know what you think of the game, if you have it. Is anyone else planning to get this for PC?
I already have it on PS4 but I haven't even opened it yet. So many games.
I love that they release benchmarks like this!
Azurephile Super Member Post Author
wrote on 02/02/2018 at 08:50pm
Cool. I noticed a FFVX edition of the PS4 at Gamestop. There are still games that make me want one, like the new Kingdom Hearts and FFVII Remake. I just keep hoping these console games come to PC.
The ones that drove me to get a PS4 are Sony games that have zero chance of coming to PC. God of War, Horizon Zero Dawn, The Last Guardian, and lets be honest, probably Red Dead Redemption 2. Based on the first one never coming to PC when all of Rockstar's other games do eventually.
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Nintendo dropped a Tweet today mentioning that they are going to be releasing a new Mario Kart game on mobile.
"The checkered flag has been raised and the finish line is near. A new mobile application is now in development: Mario Kart Tour! #MarioKartTour Releasing in the fiscal year ending in March 2019."
I'm pretty interested in a Mario Kart game on phones but I hope it's not a badly paired down version of what makes Mario Kart games great. Super Mario Run was a really great version of New Super Mario Brothers on smartphones but I felt like Animal Crossing was a bit of a miss. I think a Mario Kart game could work with touch controls but I hope it doesn't get bogged... Read All
Nintendo dropped a Tweet today mentioning that they are going to be releasing a new Mario Kart game on mobile.
"The checkered flag has been raised and the finish line is near. A new mobile application is now in development: Mario Kart Tour! #MarioKartTour Releasing in the fiscal year ending in March 2019."
I'm pretty interested in a Mario Kart game on phones but I hope it's not a badly paired down version of what makes Mario Kart games great. Super Mario Run was a really great version of New Super Mario Brothers on smartphones but I felt like Animal Crossing was a bit of a miss. I think a Mario Kart game could work with touch controls but I hope it doesn't get bogged down in modern free to play trappings that make those games more annoying than entertaining. What do you all think, does a phone based Mario Kart sound fun or should this franchise stick to proper Nintendo systems with a better control systems and a traditional price tag?
I think it could be incredible but I hope it has a price tag instead of micro transactions. Iāve played some phone racing games and the accelerometer really works well for them.
I'm somewhere between excited and interested in this. I think it could work really well and if love to find out more! Also, sounds like Nintendo could release the game anytime after this spring, since they just said they'd release the game in the fiscal year that ends in March 2019. That year starts this year :)
Retro game console re-releases have been a really popular market in the last few years and everyone is getting in on the action. The latest entrant, the Commodore 64 Mini will now release on March 29th featuring 64 licensed games, a USB connectable joystick and the ability to use it as a C64 family computer including the ability to write Commodore BASIC programs. They've also said the C64 Mini will be up-gradable via USB firmware updates and I imagine will be somewhat hackable as well.
The keyboard on the unit itself isn't functional but it does come with two USB ports so you can plug in your own keyboard. Depending on the price and how much of a functional C64 system... Read All
Retro game console re-releases have been a really popular market in the last few years and everyone is getting in on the action. The latest entrant, the Commodore 64 Mini will now release on March 29th featuring 64 licensed games, a USB connectable joystick and the ability to use it as a C64 family computer including the ability to write Commodore BASIC programs. They've also said the C64 Mini will be up-gradable via USB firmware updates and I imagine will be somewhat hackable as well.
The keyboard on the unit itself isn't functional but it does come with two USB ports so you can plug in your own keyboard. Depending on the price and how much of a functional C64 system this is, I might pick it up. The first computer my parents had was a C64 and I started writing software for the first time reading BASIC programs out of computer magazines and changing them so I could create my own games.
This is one of the most intriguing mini consoles just because of the potential for more. I hope they nailed the execution and have a good price point for it.
jdodson Admin Post Author
wrote on 02/02/2018 at 03:24am
Yeah, I agree. A C64 computer that can be potentially extended? Uh yeah.
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If you are interested in knowing more about how Rian Johnson came to direct Star Wars The Last Jedi you absolutely must listen to this epic two hour interview with him about The Last Jedi. Firstly, the whole interview is incredible and you should listen to it all but Rian mentioned a few things I thought were interesting based on some of the feedback for The Last Jedi. One interesting bit is that Rian was writing The Last Jedi as The Force Awakens was filming and, at that point, he had the script and dailies to help him write The Last Jedi. He notes that he had no idea what aspects of The Force Awakens would resonate with fans. Rian also mentioned that Snoke seemed to... Read All
If you are interested in knowing more about how Rian Johnson came to direct Star Wars The Last Jedi you absolutely must listen to this epic two hour interview with him about The Last Jedi. Firstly, the whole interview is incredible and you should listen to it all but Rian mentioned a few things I thought were interesting based on some of the feedback for The Last Jedi. One interesting bit is that Rian was writing The Last Jedi as The Force Awakens was filming and, at that point, he had the script and dailies to help him write The Last Jedi. He notes that he had no idea what aspects of The Force Awakens would resonate with fans. Rian also mentioned that Snoke seemed to be a particular fan favorite and that if Snoke backstory had been written into The Last Jedi it would have been cut because of time and other character considerations.
This interview also happened on the Slashfilmcast one of my favorite podcasts that adds a really personal touch to The Last Jedi discussion. Soon The Last Jedi Bluray will hit and according to Johnson a ton of deleted scenes are going to hit along with behind the scenes footage that should be interesting to watch. I'm curious what people think of this interview and how the discussion of The Last Jedi has continued since it's launch December of last year?
Project Octopath Traveler is a upcoming Switch game that looks to bring back some of the best parts of classic JRPG's from the 16bit era to modern gaming with a 3D flavor. The demo launched on the Switch last year and it showed a ton of promise but many people had issues with some of it. Looks like the developers of the game have addressed many of these concerns and talk about how they've updated the game in the developer update video above. Specifically they improved movement in terms of speeding up the character and allowing them to run much faster than before. They bumped up the encounter rate when running at full speed but that seems a fine trade off to get around... Read All
Project Octopath Traveler is a upcoming Switch game that looks to bring back some of the best parts of classic JRPG's from the 16bit era to modern gaming with a 3D flavor. The demo launched on the Switch last year and it showed a ton of promise but many people had issues with some of it. Looks like the developers of the game have addressed many of these concerns and talk about how they've updated the game in the developer update video above. Specifically they improved movement in terms of speeding up the character and allowing them to run much faster than before. They bumped up the encounter rate when running at full speed but that seems a fine trade off to get around the game faster.
In the next episode of Cheerful Ghost Radio we all talk about Project Octopath Traveler as one of the games we are excited about playing in 2018 and I mention that the game might be getting updates based on all the demo feedback and it looks like that was right.
Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member
wrote on 01/31/2018 at 04:23am
I don't think I can get interested in this game after the demo.
Hopefully they release an updated demo to entice people who might have been put off by the first demo. Will, if they did that would you give the updated demo a shot?
Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member
wrote on 01/31/2018 at 08:56pm
Maybe. I didn't care for the warrior's story all that much. If they said they reworked the story, I might give it a try.
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John Riggs reviews the new Retro-Bit Super Retro Trio+ that melds the Nintendo, Super Nintendo and Genesis together in an interesting way. Not only can you play nearly all of the game karts of those systems with it but it allows you to switch between the different regions as well as provides composite video/audio out as well as HDMI at 720p. Like all X in one systems it supports the controller ports from all the systems so all your controllers work as well as provides a fair NES & SNES Controller out of the box. I have the Hyperkin RetreoN 3 which works really well for composite video/audio but I am looking at picking something up that will do HDMI out and this... Read All
John Riggs reviews the new Retro-Bit Super Retro Trio+ that melds the Nintendo, Super Nintendo and Genesis together in an interesting way. Not only can you play nearly all of the game karts of those systems with it but it allows you to switch between the different regions as well as provides composite video/audio out as well as HDMI at 720p. Like all X in one systems it supports the controller ports from all the systems so all your controllers work as well as provides a fair NES & SNES Controller out of the box. I have the Hyperkin RetreoN 3 which works really well for composite video/audio but I am looking at picking something up that will do HDMI out and this looks like a really great new option to look into.
"Step up your retro-gaming experience and relive three classic systems like never before, in crisp 720p resolution! The SR3 Plus is the premium top loading console for all of your original NES, SNES, and Genesis games. Custom built with three cartridge slots, six controller ports, and now with HDMI compatibility!
Retro-Bit Super Retro Trio Plus Features
Compatible with original NES, SNES, and Genesis game cartridges
Custom built with NTSC/PF/NJ/PA region switch
AV and HDMI (6 ft. cable included) compatible
Includes two 10 ft. wired six button controllers
Controllers compatible with SNES and select Retro-Bit consoles
Two controller ports for NES, SNES, and Genesis controllers
Continuing the Awesome Games Done Quick 2018 wrap up series with another set of amazing speedruns starting with the Mega Man 1, 2 & 3 relay race with Team Auto, Team Beat, Team Roll and Team Rush in 1:26:59. 4 teams all racing through the three Mega Man games in under an hour and thirty. If you are interested in getting some tips on running these games, this is the run to watch.
Hyper Light Drifter by simplyfir in 31:16 - Hyper Light Drifter is a new Indie game that melds the classic Zelda formula with the soothing music of Disasterpiece. It's an expert run by simplyfir and if you want to soak in this game it's a quick way to do it.
... Read All
Continuing the Awesome Games Done Quick 2018 wrap up series with another set of amazing speedruns starting with the Mega Man 1, 2 & 3 relay race with Team Auto, Team Beat, Team Roll and Team Rush in 1:26:59. 4 teams all racing through the three Mega Man games in under an hour and thirty. If you are interested in getting some tips on running these games, this is the run to watch.
Hyper Light Drifter by simplyfir in 31:16 - Hyper Light Drifter is a new Indie game that melds the classic Zelda formula with the soothing music of Disasterpiece. It's an expert run by simplyfir and if you want to soak in this game it's a quick way to do it.
Risk of Rain by scaz.zaf in 13:42 - It takes me, at most, an hour to go a few levels in to Risk of Rain to only die a horrible, horrible death but scaz can complete the game in a blistering 13 minutes! It's such a quick run that it's over before you can blink and scaz makes it look incredibly easy which it isn't.
Contra by TheMexicanRunner and angrylanks in 9:58 - Remember when you used to play NES Contra with a friend and used the up up down down left right left right code to get 99 lives and beat the game? Well TheMexicanRunner and angrylanks beat it together with a handful to strategic deaths to make the the whole run clock in in under 10 minutes. UNDER... 10... MINUTES...
Dragon Warrior by NEScardinality in 27:19 - Not sure I've watched a run where it showed more RNG manipulation and control over a game than NEScardinaity running Dragon Warrior on NES. In games like Dragon Warrior you randomly run into enemies a lot through the overworld and NEScardinality uses RNG manipulation to avoid nearly all fights except the ones used for gaining experience or gold to get items and levels needed to complete the game.
Cheerful Ghost Games Club is back with Excitebike!
You may remember this semi-regular CG event where we pick a game and invite everyone to come play it with us and discuss what we think. This time, we're changing things up a bit. We will do one game a month (or maybe more!) and tying the events into a Cheerful Ghost Radio series about classic games.
We'll review the games in an episode following the event, and include opinions and commentary from people who joined and chatted with us about it.
This month's game is Excitebike! Excitebike is an NES racing game that has been a fan favorite since its launch with the NES. In addition to the main tracks, Excitebike lets you... Read All
Cheerful Ghost Games Club is back with Excitebike!
You may remember this semi-regular CG event where we pick a game and invite everyone to come play it with us and discuss what we think. This time, we're changing things up a bit. We will do one game a month (or maybe more!) and tying the events into a Cheerful Ghost Radio series about classic games.
We'll review the games in an episode following the event, and include opinions and commentary from people who joined and chatted with us about it.
This month's game is Excitebike! Excitebike is an NES racing game that has been a fan favorite since its launch with the NES. In addition to the main tracks, Excitebike lets you build your own tracks and save them back to the cart. It has spawned a few sequels and references in other Nintendo titles over the years. Join us as we talk about the first racing game on the NES!
The local retro game collector community is pretty strong and as such we have a lot of local events strung through the year that are well worth attending even if you are lightly into the retro scene. In October Cheerful Ghost runs a booth at Portland Retro Game Expo and in January some of the same folks host the PRGE/NWCGE Swap Meet. It's hosted at the Portland Double Tree and it's much smaller and more focused on buying, selling and trading retro games. Will and I hit it up this year and were some of the first people in line to peruse the crazy amount of amazing retro games and collectables. One of my yearly goals is to limit myself to only buying 5 games this year... Read All
The local retro game collector community is pretty strong and as such we have a lot of local events strung through the year that are well worth attending even if you are lightly into the retro scene. In October Cheerful Ghost runs a booth at Portland Retro Game Expo and in January some of the same folks host the PRGE/NWCGE Swap Meet. It's hosted at the Portland Double Tree and it's much smaller and more focused on buying, selling and trading retro games. Will and I hit it up this year and were some of the first people in line to peruse the crazy amount of amazing retro games and collectables. One of my yearly goals is to limit myself to only buying 5 games this year and that makes going to a retro game expo tough but I had a game in mind I've wanted to get for a long time. One of my favorite games on the Super Nintendo is King Arthur's World and it's one of the more obscure games on the platform. I never thought the game got the recognition it deserved as a kind of Lemmings inspired knights and wizards RTS. Since the game doesn't have a huge following it doesn't sell for a lot so I picked it up for a good price.
As Will and I were rounding the show floor I overheard a vendor saying they wanted to move their issues of Nintendo Power and were selling them for a dollar. They were bagged and boarded and in great condition so I immediately was interested. The guy that the vendor told that to directly nabbed each issue he could find but missed a box so after he left I swooped in and walked away with 18 issues. I'm thinking about slowly working to owning a nearly complete collection and this is a really great first step. The issues I bought were Top Secret Passwords, Super Mario Bros. Inside Out Part 1 & 2, Issue Number 9, 23, 24, 26, 28, 37, 45, 48, 55, 63, 68, 70, 71, 74 & 107. I'm thinking a complete collection up to about issue 70 or so sounds good so i'm fairly well on my way to that.
I also picked up a couple versions of Star Wars on VHS I didn't own yet in The Empire Strikes back 1992 release along with The Making of Star Wars VHS released in 1995. I've nearly completed my Star Wars on VHS collection and all I need to button it up is Empire and Jedi on the original CBS/FOX VHS run and Revenge of the Sith. I'm still not sure if I plan on collection all the versions of Star Wars on Laserdisc or if i'll just go for one version of the trilogy on Laserdisc. It's a really obscure format and like Betamax i'm interested in how hard it might be to find locally.
3D graphics and Dolby Surround Sound! I really don't remember this game at all. Hopefully I can see it sometime soon!
And that's rad about the Nintendo Powers. I remember having so many as a kid, but I don't remember what happened to them. I probably didn't take care of them, and they got recycled after falling apart lol
Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member
wrote on 01/26/2018 at 05:34pm
It was funny, we found King Arthur at the last booth we visited. It was meant to be.
I picked up for the NES: Goonies 2, Fester's Quest and Batman and for the Genesis: Aladdin and Golden Axe.
Nice finds Will! Aladdin was great back in the day (I had it on the SNES), and I remember Fester's Quest and Batman from many weekend rentals :)
Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member
wrote on 01/26/2018 at 06:32pm
Thanks! I had both Fester's Quest and Batman back when I originally had a NES, so I had to pick those up. I played Goonies 2 a lot at my friend's house back in the day and remember good things about it. I always wanted Aladdin for the Genesis, but never picked it up. As far as Golden Axe goes, it is just a fun game.
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The Humble Store is giving away Amnesia: The Dark Descent and Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs as a collection right now for the next 24 hours. If you are interested in some of the more well reviewed indie horror games and don't want to spend any money, head over to Humble and grab a free Steam key.
A little taste of what's in store for you in Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs...
"The year is 1899
Wealthy industrialist Oswald Mandus awakes in his bed, wracked with fever and haunted by dreams of a dark and hellish engine. Tortured by visions of a disastrous expedition to Mexico, broken on the failing dreams of an industrial utopia, wracked with guilt and tropical disease, he wakes... Read All
The Humble Store is giving away Amnesia: The Dark Descent and Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs as a collection right now for the next 24 hours. If you are interested in some of the more well reviewed indie horror games and don't want to spend any money, head over to Humble and grab a free Steam key.
A little taste of what's in store for you in Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs...
"The year is 1899
Wealthy industrialist Oswald Mandus awakes in his bed, wracked with fever and haunted by dreams of a dark and hellish engine. Tortured by visions of a disastrous expedition to Mexico, broken on the failing dreams of an industrial utopia, wracked with guilt and tropical disease, he wakes into a nightmare. The house is silent, the ground beneath him shaking at the will of some infernal machine: all he knows is that his children are in grave peril, and it is up to him to save them."
I already have it on PS4 but I haven't even opened it yet. So many games.
I love that they release benchmarks like this!
Cool. I noticed a FFVX edition of the PS4 at Gamestop. There are still games that make me want one, like the new Kingdom Hearts and FFVII Remake. I just keep hoping these console games come to PC.
The ones that drove me to get a PS4 are Sony games that have zero chance of coming to PC. God of War, Horizon Zero Dawn, The Last Guardian, and lets be honest, probably Red Dead Redemption 2. Based on the first one never coming to PC when all of Rockstar's other games do eventually.