Alright. It's been a couple of weeks; I can't keep putting it off.
Let's get this thing done and then we can move on to more interesting
stuff.

This time on Amazon Prime Gaming we get:

* Fallout 2 (via GOG)
I guess Amazon (and GOG) didn't get the memo
about Bethesda deciding to resell their old Fallout
games in an overpriced bundle. There's nothing
wrong with "Fallout 2"; sure, it's old and creaky,
but it's got good bones and fan-patches can help
with some of the more problematic issues. But
given how often "Fallout 2" has been offered as
a freebie, is there anyone out there who doesn't
own a copy yet?

* SCARF
Part walking sim, part 3D platformer, part
puzzle game, "Scarf" is a fairly casual explorer
whose greatest sin is its lack of originality.
Whether it's "Abzu", "Rime", "Journey", "Eastshade",
they're all fairly similar Indie titles and
Scarf fails to differentiate itself. If you've
never played any of these, well, I suppose
"Scarf" might appeal. But if you have experienced
these games, the sense of ennui and familiarity
will probably keep you from finishing it.

* Gravitar Recharged (via Epic)
Another old-school arcade game with neon-glow
visual remasters. Personally, I find these old-
school games just too simplistic for my tastes, but
that's because I prefer games for story and setting.
If its the challenge of the gameplay that grabs
you, you'll probably get a kick out of these
releases.

Three up, three down. Nothing horrible but nothing in the least bit
exciting either. But I guess that's par for the course with Prime
Gaming these days.

Until the next time we have to do this...

On 13/03/2024 00:05, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
>
> Alright. It's been a couple of weeks; I can't keep putting it off.
> Let's get this thing done and then we can move on to more interesting
> stuff.
>
> This time on Amazon Prime Gaming we get:
>
>
> * Fallout 2 (via GOG)
> I guess Amazon (and GOG) didn't get the memo
> about Bethesda deciding to resell their old Fallout
> games in an overpriced bundle. There's nothing
> wrong with "Fallout 2"; sure, it's old and creaky,
> but it's got good bones and fan-patches can help
> with some of the more problematic issues. But
> given how often "Fallout 2" has been offered as
> a freebie, is there anyone out there who doesn't
> own a copy yet?
>

I already have this on Steam but I may pick it up anyway. Not quite sure
why as I must have started it about four times and every time about an
hour in the visuals start getting to me. I keep meaning to look for a
mod that means the graphics don't make my eyes bleed!

> * SCARF
> Part walking sim, part 3D platformer, part
> puzzle game, "Scarf" is a fairly casual explorer
> whose greatest sin is its lack of originality.
> Whether it's "Abzu", "Rime", "Journey", "Eastshade",
> they're all fairly similar Indie titles and
> Scarf fails to differentiate itself. If you've
> never played any of these, well, I suppose
> "Scarf" might appeal. But if you have experienced
> these games, the sense of ennui and familiarity
> will probably keep you from finishing it.
>

I did have a peek but that main character says no. I'm ok with stylised
graphics, indeed well done I think they are better than 'photo
realistic, but I just can't do cute ones. Shame really.

> * Gravitar Recharged (via Epic)
> Another old-school arcade game with neon-glow
> visual remasters. Personally, I find these old-
> school games just too simplistic for my tastes, but
> that's because I prefer games for story and setting.
> If its the challenge of the gameplay that grabs
> you, you'll probably get a kick out of these
> releases.
>

Typical, it's on Epic - oh well. I played it a few times in the arcade
but the the game very much based around it I played a lot was Thrust on
the Speccy 48k. Pretty hard, weren't pretty much all games then, but
still fun and an absolute bargain as it was released in a budget range
for £1.99 at a time when £9.99 was already common for a game.

> Three up, three down. Nothing horrible but nothing in the least bit
> exciting either. But I guess that's par for the course with Prime
> Gaming these days.
>

The last several months have been pretty poor as it used to be I'd
normally have one game a month that I'd have been willing to pay for and
one I'd give a try.

On Tue, 12 Mar 2024 20:05:20 -0400, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action,
Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

>Until the next time we have to do this...
>
Oh dear god, you're not even having fun any more? It's becoming a chore?

I'm beginning to worry that you have the gaming form of nymphomania.

--
Zag

No one ever said on their deathbed, 'Gee, I wish I had
spent more time alone with my computer.' ~Dan(i) Bunten

Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> writes:

> * Gravitar Recharged (via Epic)
> Another old-school arcade game with neon-glow
> visual remasters. Personally, I find these old-
> school games just too simplistic for my tastes, but
> that's because I prefer games for story and setting.
> If its the challenge of the gameplay that grabs
> you, you'll probably get a kick out of these
> releases.

I did like Gravitar as a kid and was just thinking of playing it again
in MAME the other day... I also liked the somewhat similar game Thrust
on the C64. I think a couple of those Recharged games were freebies on
Epic, Centipede and some lesser known arcade, black widow maybe? But
those versions just sucked, they didn't seem to capture anything from
the originals. Plus the art style doesn't really please me.

After watching 30 seconds of gameplay video of this recharged Gravitar,
looks like it sucks too. So no sale here even if this is hardly
expensive on Steam (I don't have Prime).

On 3/13/2024 3:36 AM, JAB wrote:
> On 13/03/2024 00:05, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
>>
>> Alright. It's been a couple of weeks; I can't keep putting it off.
>> Let's get this thing done and then we can move on to more interesting
>> stuff.
>>
>> This time on Amazon Prime Gaming we get:
>>
>>
>> * Fallout 2 (via GOG)
>>      I guess Amazon (and GOG) didn't get the memo
>>      about Bethesda deciding to resell their old Fallout
>>      games in an overpriced bundle. There's nothing
>>      wrong with "Fallout 2"; sure, it's old and creaky,
>>      but it's got good bones and fan-patches can help
>>      with some of the more problematic issues. But
>>      given how often "Fallout 2" has been offered as
>>      a freebie, is there anyone out there who doesn't
>>      own a copy yet?
>>
>
> I already have this on Steam but I may pick it up anyway. Not quite sure
> why as I must have started it about four times and every time about an
> hour in the visuals start getting to me. I keep meaning to look for a
> mod that means the graphics don't make my eyes bleed!
>
Your eyes are only bleeding because of the radioactive Fallout.

--
I've done good in this world. Now I'm tired and just want to be a cranky
dirty old man.

On 3/13/2024 6:02 AM, Zaghadka wrote:
> On Tue, 12 Mar 2024 20:05:20 -0400, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action,
> Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
>
>> Until the next time we have to do this...
>>
> Oh dear god, you're not even having fun any more? It's becoming a chore?
>
> I'm beginning to worry that you have the gaming form of nymphomania.
>
Gamomania!

(Sounds like a Godzilla universe kaiju.)

--
I've done good in this world. Now I'm tired and just want to be a cranky
dirty old man.

Zaghadka <zaghadka@hotmail.com> wrote at 13:02 this Wednesday (GMT):
> On Tue, 12 Mar 2024 20:05:20 -0400, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action,
> Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
>
>>Until the next time we have to do this...
>>
> Oh dear god, you're not even having fun any more? It's becoming a chore?
>
> I'm beginning to worry that you have the gaming form of nymphomania.

What's that?
--
user <candycane> is generated from /dev/urandom

On Wed, 13 Mar 2024 08:02:11 -0500, Zaghadka <zaghadka@hotmail.com>
wrote:
>On Tue, 12 Mar 2024 20:05:20 -0400, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action,
>Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

>>Until the next time we have to do this...

>Oh dear god, you're not even having fun any more? It's becoming a chore?
>I'm beginning to worry that you have the gaming form of nymphomania.

If I don't do it, then Ant will and get the Internet Points. Dare we
entrust a Formicidae with that sort of power?!?!?

I'll happily take it on the chin to prevent that from happening. I
don't want to end up working in the ants' sugar mines. ;-)

On Wed, 13 Mar 2024 15:22:14 +0200, Anssi Saari
<anssi.saari@usenet.mail.kapsi.fi> wrote:

>Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> writes:
>
>> * Gravitar Recharged (via Epic)
>> Another old-school arcade game with neon-glow
>> visual remasters. Personally, I find these old-
>> school games just too simplistic for my tastes, but
>> that's because I prefer games for story and setting.
>> If its the challenge of the gameplay that grabs
>> you, you'll probably get a kick out of these
>> releases.
>
>I did like Gravitar as a kid and was just thinking of playing it again
>in MAME the other day... I also liked the somewhat similar game Thrust
>on the C64. I think a couple of those Recharged games were freebies on
>Epic, Centipede and some lesser known arcade, black widow maybe? But
>those versions just sucked, they didn't seem to capture anything from
>the originals. Plus the art style doesn't really please me.

Amazon has - through Epic - offered "Recharged" versions of the
following arcade games: Asteroids, Black Widow, Breakout, Caverns of
Mars, Centipede, Missile Command, Yars... and now Gravitar. They all
follow the same basic concept: take a classic arcade game, update the
visuals with lots of bright, almost neon colors, and 'revitalize' the
gameplay with lots of new mechanics while trying to keep what made the
originals so intoxicating.

Not being a fan of classic arcades, I can't judge if they've managed
the latter. I didn't find the games all that enjoyable in the early
80s, and I don't have much fun with them now. But is my lack of
enthrallment a problem with the remake, or just because arcades aren't
my thing?

But in my - probably biased and cynical - opinion it looks like the
developers too often go overboard with unnecessarily complicated new
mechanics. I think the appeal of the originals were its simplistic
gameplay were easy to learn, and the real fun was mastering them as
they got faster and faster. These new games - in my uneducated,
unappreciative opinion - feel too 'kitchen sinked'. Too much has added
willy-nilly just for the sake of adding stuff, without understanding
the underlying allure of the base game.

On 3/12/2024 5:05 PM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
>
> Alright. It's been a couple of weeks; I can't keep putting it off.
> Let's get this thing done and then we can move on to more interesting
> stuff.
>
> This time on Amazon Prime Gaming we get:
>
>
> * Fallout 2 (via GOG)
Now I have it on GOG too. Wee.
> * SCARF
> * Gravitar Recharged (via Epic)These too.

From last time I guess: Criminal Archives on Legendary. As I can't be
bothered with Legendary here's the code if anyone without Prime wants it
and happens to see this:
1MWPF-OQKCA-5HQXR

Of note on Luna currently for free (Amazon Streaming)

Trepang2 - A futuristic horror FPS. 93% on Steam, so may be worth
checking out if you have Prime, don't mind streaming, and like that sort
of thing. I'll probably try it out.

DriftCE - Automobile drifting game, decent reviews on Steam of 75-84%.
I hate drifting so will not be trying it out.

--
-Justisaur

ø-ø
(\_/)\
`-'\ `--.___,
¶¬'\( ,_.-'
\\
^'

On 3/13/2024 3:28 PM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
> On Wed, 13 Mar 2024 15:22:14 +0200, Anssi Saari
> <anssi.saari@usenet.mail.kapsi.fi> wrote:
>
>> Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> writes:
>>
>>> * Gravitar Recharged (via Epic)
>>> Another old-school arcade game with neon-glow
>>> visual remasters. Personally, I find these old-
>>> school games just too simplistic for my tastes, but
>>> that's because I prefer games for story and setting.
>>> If its the challenge of the gameplay that grabs
>>> you, you'll probably get a kick out of these
>>> releases.
>>
>> I did like Gravitar as a kid and was just thinking of playing it again
>> in MAME the other day... I also liked the somewhat similar game Thrust
>> on the C64. I think a couple of those Recharged games were freebies on
>> Epic, Centipede and some lesser known arcade, black widow maybe? But
>> those versions just sucked, they didn't seem to capture anything from
>> the originals. Plus the art style doesn't really please me.
>
> Amazon has - through Epic - offered "Recharged" versions of the
> following arcade games: Asteroids, Black Widow, Breakout, Caverns of
> Mars, Centipede, Missile Command, Yars... and now Gravitar. They all
> follow the same basic concept: take a classic arcade game, update the
> visuals with lots of bright, almost neon colors, and 'revitalize' the
> gameplay with lots of new mechanics while trying to keep what made the
> originals so intoxicating.
>
> Not being a fan of classic arcades, I can't judge if they've managed
> the latter. I didn't find the games all that enjoyable in the early
> 80s, and I don't have much fun with them now. But is my lack of
> enthrallment a problem with the remake, or just because arcades aren't
> my thing?
>
> But in my - probably biased and cynical - opinion it looks like the
> developers too often go overboard with unnecessarily complicated new
> mechanics. I think the appeal of the originals were its simplistic
> gameplay were easy to learn, and the real fun was mastering them as
> they got faster and faster. These new games - in my uneducated,
> unappreciative opinion - feel too 'kitchen sinked'. Too much has added
> willy-nilly just for the sake of adding stuff, without understanding
> the underlying allure of the base game.
>
>

I tried a couple, but frankly I liked the originals better, or more
recent knockoffs with better balanced powerups. Actually for Breakout
I preferred Arkanoid.

--
-Justisaur

ø-ø
(\_/)\
`-'\ `--.___,
¶¬'\( ,_.-'
\\
^'

On 3/13/2024 3:15 PM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
> On Wed, 13 Mar 2024 08:02:11 -0500, Zaghadka <zaghadka@hotmail.com>
> wrote:
>> On Tue, 12 Mar 2024 20:05:20 -0400, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action,
>> Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
>
>>> Until the next time we have to do this...
>
>> Oh dear god, you're not even having fun any more? It's becoming a chore?
>> I'm beginning to worry that you have the gaming form of nymphomania.
>
> If I don't do it, then Ant will and get the Internet Points. Dare we
> entrust a Formicidae with that sort of power?!?!?

IIRC Ant doesn't have Prime, so you have no worries with him posting
Prime free games at least. Not that I want you to stop posting and
reminding me.

--
-Justisaur

ø-ø
(\_/)\
`-'\ `--.___,
¶¬'\( ,_.-'
\\
^'