All Geared Up!

My Metal Gear addiction shows no signs of slowing down. After making numerous calls to game shops last week, I was finally able to score an original two disc version of Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence for $24. Why did I want the two disc version so badly? This is the only way I'm able to play the original 1987 MSX Metal Gear and it's 1990 MSX sequel Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, on a console system. Of course Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence all by itself is still all kinds of awesome and the 3D camera rocks, but the addition of those two classics games just makes the old-school gamer in me drool. Also, I more or less had to get this version because for some lame reason, Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2 are not included in the Metal Gear Solid Essential Collection of Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence.

Including just MGS3 and MGS3: Subsistence, I've lost track of how many times I've played through the game. I managed to beat the game with no alerts (I rest the game every time I got spotted) and was rewarded with stealth camouflage, which makes an already epic game even more fun. I never knew how much fun it was to knife people until I did it countless times when to enemy soldiers who couldn't see me. Unfortunately, the first disc of MGS3: Subsistence locked up during the cut scene where Snake meets EVA for the first time and I couldn't return the game without giving back the second disc, which holds the MSX MG titles. Thankfully the place I got the game at was selling the MGS Essential Collection games separately so a single copy of MGS3: Subsistence only set me back $10, so I picked that up along with Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance for $8.

When I went to get MGS3: Sub, I didn't plan on walking out with Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, a remake of the PlayStaiton Metal Gear Solid for the GameCube. It's basically MGS with MGS2 gameplay. That means first person shooting (YES!), hanging from ledges and what could possibly be my favorite gun in the MG series, the tranquilizer (Pretty sure it's called the M-9 here) I played the game a bit and it feels a bit odd playing a MG game on the GameCube controller, but man, it looks sooooooo smooth and feels that much more tighter than the PlayStation game, though I'm sure many fans still prefer the PS version over the remake. As a huge MG fan, Twin Snakes was tough to pass up. Besides it was only $24 and it was the store's last copy.

Metal Gear?!

Over the past few weeks, I've been stricken with Metal Gear fever. It all started when I finally sat down and played through Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. Would you believe that I've already played through it twice? The game is just that good. It may even be my favorite Metal Gear game, but I'll need to replay past games and those I've yet to play to make the final call on that one.

MGS3 was released in 2004, so I'm super, ultra late to the party as usual. I was kinda taken aback when I'd first seen screen shots of the game and the first thing that hit me was the new jungle setting. After MGS and MGS2, I thought the series was dead set on facilities and warehouse areas. Shows what I know. After a short while, I learned to adjust to the jungle setting. In fact, I probably know MGS3 better than any other MG. Par the course for a MG game, MGS3 was ripe with lots of twists and turn, including one tear jerker of an ending. Those of you that have finished the game know what I mean. For those that haven't, well, I won't spoil it for you.

Upon playing through MGS3, I've been listening to various Metal Gear soundtracks, looking at MG art work and reading up on the series history. Since I don't own a PS3 and I couldn't wait to play MGS4, I hit up YouTube to view most of the game's cut scenes. It was then that I discovered that MGS4 has the most cut scenes of any MG. Seriously, it was like watching a movie. A very good movie. I'll have to get a PS3 and play the actual game some day. 

I'd like to find a copy of MGS3: Subsistence so I can play the MSX versions of MG and MG2: Solid Snake. I was thought there was a copy at my mall in GameStop, but it was just the original MGS3. I may have to shop for it online. Then there's the PSP games. So much MG so little time.

You're Playing on Easy? NOOB!

When word got out that Mega Man 10 would have an easy mode, well, you can probably guess what ensued over the internet.

"Easy mode? How lame!"
"Only noobs play on easy!"

And so on. At times, I think it escapes many that not everyone is of the same skill level. I was pretty scrappy at Mega Man games when I first started out some 20 years ago, but I managed to improve. That being said, for all my adeptness at previous Mega Man games, Mega Man 9 was pretty hard, much to the point that I feel that Capcom/Inticrates focused on the difficulty above all else.

I wasn't the only MM fan that found the game's difficulty to be frustrating. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I don't mind a challenge but there's a difference between challenging and just stupidly hard. They probably realized that MM9 was too difficult for some players, thus the reason for easy mode. Why should other players be denied a good time with a MM game just because they don't have 20 something years of MM experience under their belt? These same people that mock easy mode are probably the same ones that will get their junk handed to them in other games.

It's nice to have choices and I wouldn't be surprised if more than a few players actually play the game on easy mode.

Street Fighter 2010: Final Fight Arranged Album

Well, the year 2010 is finally upon us and you know what that means! Yes, it's time to reflect on Street Fighter 2010: The Final Fight! "Wait, what?" you say, flabbergasted. Before Capcom actually put a "II" behind Street Fighter, there was an NES game by the name of Street Fighter 2010. What did said game have to do with Street Fighter? Not much, really. There was some guy named Ken who ran around in some acid trip-like future jumping on platforms. And the Ken in the game had no relation to Ken Masters. I could probably go on all day about this game, but if you want the 411 on this one, just check out the AVGN's review. He's a bit more merciful on it than other games.

You should also check out Washudoll's Street Fighter 2010: Final Fight Arranged Album. No matter what you thought of the game, this arranged album is nothing short of magnificent. Heck, you don't even need to be familiar with the NES music to appreciate it. It's only composed of five tracks, dare I say, those five tracks are easily some of the most astounding audio I've ever heard. The album is also free so you've got no excuse not to have it.

I'm no stranger to Washudoll's works. She did an arrangement of Concrete Man's theme and I honestly thought it was far superior to the arranged theme on the Rockman 9 Arrange Soundtrack.

True Colors Soundtrack Review

Vocal tracks are nothing new to Sonic games. They've been around since the early 1990s since (to my knowledge) Sonic CD with popular numbers like Sonic Boom (from the USA version of Sonic CD), and Cosmic Eternity (from the Japanese version of Sonic CD). However, it seems that they've become more the norm with Sonic Adventure. Practically every Sonic game since then has seen it's share of lyrical tracks.

You know something else that isn't new? Sega's love for releasing compilation albums. I've lost count of how many of these have come out, let alone the ones that have specifically focused on everyone's favorite blue hedgehog. That's OK, because True Colors: The Best of Sonic the Hedgehog Part 2 (they really need to work on making shorter album titles) could very well be the best Sonic compilation album. At least until Sega finally decides to give Sonic a mammoth sized multi disc album release that the Phantasy Star Shinobi and Dayton games have seen. But until then, we'll just make do with True Colors, which is still a pretty sweet collection.

With so many vocal tracks on the numerous Sonic games, it can be hard to keep up with all of them, so True Colors is a welcome "greatest hits" compilation, and in my opinion, the best one yet. It spans numerous Sonic games, taking songs from some of the best (Sonic CD) and worst (Shadow the Hedgehog) titles. I think one thing most Sonic fans would agree with is that the music from the games has been overall solid throughout the hedgehog's history. 

I actually listened to this album far more times than I imagined I would. Among my favorite songs are Un-gravify, Dreams of an Absolution (both versions on this album rock) the aforementioned Cosmic Eternity, Waking Up, and E.G.G.M.A.N. Of the 18 tracks on this album, only two of them are non vocal; Sonic3 MegaD Mix, a sound effects style remix of Sonic 3, and the very awesome Theme of E-102y. There are a ton of other popular songs they could have used from Sonic Adventure in place of Theme of E-102y, (My Sweet Passion is also a part of this collection as is a remix of Open Your Heart) but I think they made the right choice. That track has always been one of the best Sonic tunes ever composed. 

Remember the Sonic the Hedgehog animated movie from the '90s? If so, sorry to trudge up bad memories, but a rather obscure, but fan favorite track made it's way to this album and it happens to be from that abomination of a movie. There were three things good about that flick; Sonic yelling "SHUT UP, TAILS!", the kickin' South Island track and the ending theme, Look-a-like. Regrettably, South Island is absent from this collection, but a short version of Look-a-like is here. To my knowledge, this is the first time Look-a-like has ever seen an album release. Pity the full version isn't here, but we'll take what we can get.

I really can't say there are any bad songs on this album, but there are some songs I'm in less favor of like Lazy Days and maybe the remix of Open Your Heart, but it's not like either of those songs make me cringe when I listen to them. Far from it. They just aren't my bag. Personally, I think this is the best collection of vocal Sonic tracks and maybe even the best compilation Sonic album. Recommended for any and all Sonic fans.

4.5/5

Full album info

OCR Turns 10

As of December 11, 2009, Overclocked Remix is now ten years old. As I've said in the past, I wasn't there in the beginning, but when I discovered the site, it became a companion for video game remixes. There's a lot of tallented peopled that have helped make OCR the site it has become and I honestly believe many of them could make music professionally someday if they choose to do so.

Happy 10 year anniversary OCR! Here's to another 10 years!

Arrrgggh, Not Again!!!

Built in 1957, the Laguna Seca is one of the most famous tracks in all of racing. It's also known for being that one level for some gamers and has once again become the bane of my existence.

The Laguna Seca has haunted me since Gran Turismo 2, both in license tests and in actual races. It was also a track I dreaded running my tires over in Gran Turismo 3. I started up Gran Turismo 4 over the weekend and guess what real life track has returned? The track has 11 turns, the most (in)famous being "the corkscrew." This blind turn has messed me up more times than I can count, even when I know it's coming. I must have done a license test the other day for over 20 minutes because of this stupid track. I can only imagine the horrors this track has caused actual racers in real life.

The above image gives you a better view of what the curve looks like. It may not look all that threatening and to those that haven't raced on it, well, ignorance is bliss.

It's been a while since this track has gotten me this worked up and since I just started GT4, I doubt this is the end of my frustration.