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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated the PlayStation 4 version of Atari Flashback Classics Volume 1 in Video Games

Jun 19, 2019

As a child I fondly remember going to Arcades and how exciting it was to see new games arrive. IN the pre-Internet days, you would only learn of new games through word of mouth, a magazine article, or seeing them in an arcade, so naturally gamers would check out a few locales on a regular basis to help ensure that they were up to date with all of the gaming options available to them.

Atari established itself early and often as one of the leading companies for Arcade Games and classics such as Asteroids, Centipede, Missile, Command, Tempest, and countless others always drew eager gamers who would place their quarters down to experience what the company had to offer.

In time Atari released the Atari 2600 system which allowed gamers to play 100s of titles at home even though the graphics and gameplay were far from the standards of the Arcade Games and were comically primitive by today’s gaming standards.

Atari released subsequent systems but never gained the impact on the market that their original system did largely due to increased competition, the decline of the Arcades, and the rise of PC gaming, but many fondly remember that era of gaming well and the classics that installed an early love of gaming in us.

Thankfully a good dose of nostalgia and fun has arrived for the Nintendo Switch in the form of the Atari Flashback Classics Collection. While there have been other collections of classic Atari games before, this collection offers 150 games taken from the best of their Arcade, Atari 2600, and Atari 5200 catalogs. Being able to play Arcade versions of beloved classics like Lunar Lander and the blister inducing Trac-Ball games like Football and Baseball is a nostalgic trip down memory lane.

The games are faithfully captured but do require some patience as in the mobile version; the gaming screen is often only a portion of the screen leaving gaps on either side. Some games as well also must be played vertically which requires some adjustments.

The controls can take some getting used to as some are too responsive which makes controlling the games an exercise in patience and frustration. It does help to change the sensitivity but I can see how some players will not want to do this for each game they encounter issues with.

With a collection this large some titles did not make the cut as I would have loved to have seen Battlezone and Kangaroo be included as I think gamers should truly be able to have every Atari Arcade game in one collection but of course there are often numerous reasons behind their absence so we can only hope that the collection will prove popular enough to spawn a second collection down the road.

For now the Atari Flashback Collection offers an impressive collection of beloved and obscure Atari games from the days of old which is a must-own for fans of that era and those who love retro gaming.

http://sknr.net/2019/01/05/atari-flashback-classics/

Kudos

Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Strike Force Heroes 3 in Video Games

Jun 19, 2019

The world of Free to Play Games has a fantastic new entry with the arrival of Strike Force Heroes 3. The game is harkens back to the classic side scrolling action games of the past but incorporates modern graphics, sound, and physics in a winning combination.

Players pick a squad character and then enter a mission armed with a variety of weapons such as an automatic rifle and a pistol. Players can switch between weapons as needed with a single key press and use the mouse to get a full 360 degree range of fire and vision as the leap between the various platforms to dispatch enemies, gain power ups, and avoid traps.

The campaign of the game offers 50 new missions and there are also new weapons and perks such as an aim bot that greatly help combat available for players compared to the previous game in the series.

The game also offers some solid music and sound effects, much better than one would come to expect in a free to play game and really helps ramp up the intensity of the game.

The high number of weapons and perks that become available to players as the game unfolds is really amazing as players have the freedom to find a loadout that best reflects their style of play rather than being forced to adapt to a rigid in game standard.

The game is played on a PC so that means that players will have to use a keyboard for movement. The W, A, S, D, as well as the Q key and other selected keys as the game unfolds for perks. Players will need to use a mouse as well as the ability to face left, right, up and fire in all directions is based upon the mouse to move the position of the gun and the mouse buttons to fire and reload. It can take some getting used to at first as well as the hang time that is associated with the jumps, but after a few moments it will be second nature for most players.

Players can also use the arrow keys in order to navigate the maps which involve lots of jumping and ducking and cover multiple levels. My first mission involved crawling the shafts, jumping over a trap frequently and climbing up a truck to leap to snow covered ledges as an example.

The enemies of the game are fierce as right off the bat I was forced to contend with shotgun and sword wielding bad guys who even coming at me one at a time were a challenge and took repeated and sustained fire in order to defeat. Let us also not forget that the enemies get harder as players advanced and that there are Boss Battles as well for players to deal with.

In Summary, Strike Force Heroes 3 is fun and challenging game that offers plenty of great things for fans of action games and who love to have a bit of retro gameplay as well.

http://sknr.net/2017/01/08/game-review-strike-force-heroes-3-free-online-game/

Kudos

Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated the PlayStation 4 version of Wolfenstein: The Old Blood in Video Games

Jun 19, 2019

Wolfenstein: The Old Blood is the latest entry into the long running series which saw its origins back in the days of the Commodore and Apple computers.

Following up last year’s Wolfenstein: The New Order, Old Blood serves as a prequel to the last game but players do not need to own the previous game in order to play.

The game follows series hero William BJ Blazkowicz as he must escape from the deadly Castle Wolfenstein and then recover some secret documents while thwarting the latest Nazi campaign of evil.

Old Blood brings more of the run and gun mayhem that the series has become famous for and does not deviate much from the successful formula of previous games in the series. Players still grab health, ammunition; armor, health, and overcharge all around them and off fallen enemies and the enemies are as nasty and endless as ever.

The game has some serious challenge even on the easier settings at times and players will find themselves with plenty of solid graphics and interesting locales in which to battle. I loved one battle from cable cars and another in a small village was quite thrilling. Enemies are varied from Commanders who can call in support to the standard soldiers and super soldiers who require some up close combat to bring down faster.

The game has a sense of humor as there are rest areas where players can take a break and play levels form the old Wolfenstein 3D with all of its pixelated graphics form the days before 3D cards which shows just how far games have progressed.

The game uses the same weapons from The New Order with the addition of a pipe which is a real universal go to in the game. The pipe can be used as a single piece to club enemies and be used as a pry bar for vents and grates as well as to slide across wires.

When it is used in two parts, the pipe is a great weapon to impale and beat down enemies and is also a valuable climbing tool which will come in handy throughout the game.

Like The New Order, Old Blood does not offer a multiplay feature but it does offer great graphics, a challenge, and plenty of action.

The game has a short run time as I was able to finish it in five hours, but considering the $19.99 price and the fact that the campaign portion of the last few Call of Duty games is roughly the same length you more than get your money’s worth.

Playing on the PC version I did experience two technical issues where the game locked up, but they were minor and did not hinder my completion of the game.

As the game built to a satisfying finale, I was reminded of just how much fun the series is and how we will hopefully see more games in the series in the near future.

For now, Wolfenstein: The Old Blood is a fun game that will keep fans of the series and action games in general happy.

http://sknr.net/2015/05/12/wolfenstein-the-old-blood/