A Video Game Odyssey

A Video Game Odyssey

A Video Game Odyssey is a podcast that is light on spoilers, bias and nostalgia but heavy on being concise, clear and professional. Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AVGOdyssey Every other Wednesday, A Video Game Odyssey broadcasts short 7 to 10 minute retro reviews that scrutinise famed, forgotten or forgettable works of video games' past. Game length, genre, difficulty and critical reception are all handled in the first 30 seconds so that the rest of the time can be spent dissecting what each game tries to do differently, assessing a game's successes or shortcomings therein. Additionally, Coherent Rants, in which matters of the video game industry are considered within the framework of popular media as a whole, will be uploaded around once per month. Reviews adhere to one of two scoring systems. Reviews #1 to #16 are based on a 10-point scoring system, while reviews #17 and onwards use a named scoring system. Please listen to the "Quick Look at the Rating System" episode for more info and to hear the new scores for the original 16 reviews. The named score can either be a single or split score between: Abysmal - would not recommend to anyone Poor - would only lightly recommend to hardcore fans of the genre/series Average - would only recommend to hardcore fans of the genre/series Good - would recommend to general fans of the genre/series Great - would highly recommend to fans of the genre/series Excellent - would recommend to anyone interested in the game, genre or series Masterful - not perfect, but a game that consistently demonstrates such a high level of quality that I would urge anyone to at least give the game a chance regardless of genre/series. Inspirations for this podcast includes: Super Bunnyhop, Satchbag's Goods, Game Maker's Toolkit, Easy Allies and Edge Magazine UK. Logo by Grace Sandford (http://www.gracesandford.com)

  1. A Quick Look At The New Rating System (from a Numbered to  a Named Review Rating System)

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    A Quick Look At The New Rating System (from a Numbered to a Named Review Rating System)

    In this episode I take a brief look at how and why I have chosen to do away with the 10-point review score in favour of a label-based review score. Enjoy! Below is a list of my review history thus far, in chronological order, complete with their original score out of 10 and their newly updated score. -- Tomba, was a 7/10, now a good quality game -- Resident Evil 4, was a 9/10, now an excellent/masterful quality game -- Comix Zone, was a 5/10, now an average quality game -- Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, was 4/10, now a poor/average quality game -- Alien Soldier, was an 8/10, now a great quality game -- Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, was a 6/10, now an average/good quality game -- Klonoa, was a 7/10, now a good quality game -- Grim Fandango, was an 8/10, now a great quality game -- Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King, was an 8/10, now a great/excellent quality game -- Ufouria: The Saga, was an 8/10, now a good/great quality game -- New Super Mario Bros. 2, was a 6/10, now an average/good quality game -- Half-Life 2, was a 10/10, now a masterful quality game -- Metroid Prime, was a 9/10, now an excellent quality game -- Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, was a 7/10, now a good/great quality game -- Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, was a 6/10, now an average/good quality game -- Pokemon Red, Blue and Yellow Versions, was a 7/10, now a good/great quality game Thank you very much for listening! Please let me know what you think of the new review system!

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  2. Review #14: Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (2004 / Gamecube, later Wii / Wii U)

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    Review #14: Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (2004 / Gamecube, later Wii / Wii U)

    This is a review of the single-player game. The multiplayer aspect is completely separate to the main game, is offline-only and of a generally poor quality. Those wanting a multiplayer first-person shooter should look elsewhere. Metroid Prime 2 is a first-person action-adventure game that rewards precise observations, combing the environment and revisiting old areas with new abilities. The game follows a simple repeating formula of (a) enter a new area, (b) come across out of access areas, (c) find a way forward, (d) be confronted by a boss encounter, (e) unlock a new weapon or ability, (f) use new ability to enter either a new area or allow access to new regions of existing areas. The Metroid franchise influenced many games including many of the post-1997 Castlevania games, Guacamelee, Tomba as well as others. Music was sourced by: “Odyssey” and “Blipstream” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Additionally, in-game music was used during interludes. “ VS. Emperor ing 2”, “Submerged Temple”, “Light Temple”, “The Ing”, “Luminoth Sotyr Amos Account” and “Underwater Frigate Reactor Core” were sourced from the Metroid Prime 2 OST. I am not the rights holder for the OST music. If either you or someone you know is the rights holder and would like to contact me regarding my choice of music then please do get in touch. A Video Game Odyssey is also available on SoundCloud, Twitter and YouTube.

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  3. Review #13: Metroid Prime (2002 / Gamecube, later Wii / Wii U)

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    Review #13: Metroid Prime (2002 / Gamecube, later Wii / Wii U)

    Developer: Retro Studios // Publisher: Nintendo // Status: Very Well-Known // Genre: First-Person Adventure // Players: 1 // Difficulty: Average - adjustable // Length: 12 - 16 hours. Metroid Prime is a first-person action-adventure game that rewards precise observations, combing the environment and revisiting old areas with new abilities. The game follows a simple repeating formula of (a) enter a new area, (b) come across out of access areas, (c) find a way forward, (d) be confronted by a boss encounter, (e) unlock a new weapon or ability, (f) use new ability to enter either a new area or allow access to new regions of existing areas. The Metroid franchise influenced many games including many of the post-1997 Castlevania games, Guacamelee, Tomba as well as others. Music was sourced by: “Odyssey” and “Blipstream” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Additionally, in-game music was used during interludes. “Metroid Prime - Main Menu”, “Tallon Overworld”, “Magmoor Caverns”, “Ridley’s Battle” and “Underwater Frigate Reactor Core” were sourced from the Metroid Prime OST. I am not the rights holder for the OST music. If either you or someone you know is the rights holder and would like to contact me regarding my choice of music then please do get in touch.

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  4. Review #11: New Super Mario Bros. 2 (2012 / 3DS)

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    Review #11: New Super Mario Bros. 2 (2012 / 3DS)

    Developer / Publisher: Nintendo // Status: Very Well-Known // Genre: Platformer // Players: 1 // Difficulty: Average // Length: 6 - 10 hours. it is very easy to be cynical about New Super Mario Bros. 2. Not only does t borrow heavily from the Mario Bros. archive in terms of music, art assets, levels, themes and map layout but the new gimmick of turning everything into gold, and subsequently asking the player to feverishly collect coins, feels more than a little telling of a developer wanting to chain in with their biggest franchise. This scepticism stems further as just one year prior Mario made his debut on new hardware in Super Mario £D Land, a game that takes far more chances with the Mario formula all while perfectly integrating the unique features of the 3DS. With that in mind, what does this game have to offer? Music was sourced by: “Odyssey” and “Blipstream” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Additionally, in-game music was used during interludes. “Title Screen”, “Underwater”, “Desert Overworld” and “Athletic” were sourced from the New Super Mario Bros. 2 OST. I am not the rights holder for the OST music. If either you or someone you know is the rights holder and would like to contact me regarding my choice of music then please do get in touch. A Video Game Odyssey is also available on SoundCloud, Twitter and YouTube.

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  5. Review #10: Ufouria: The Saga (1993 / NES)

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    Review #10: Ufouria: The Saga (1993 / NES)

    Ufouria: The Saga is an adventure-platformer developed and published by Sunsoft and released late in the NES’s life cycle. The game takes heavy inspiration from Metroid, Super Mario Bros. 2 and early Mega Man games. What separates Ufouria from other NES platformers is the emphasis on exploration and the utilisation of four characters, wherein certain regions cannot be fully investigated until the player has acquired either the correct character or power-up. This means that, like many of the adventures games of the time, (now often referred to as “Metroidvania” games) a large amount of back-tracking is required. However, like the best adventure games, Ufouria curbs repetition through intelligent map design, whereby shortcuts occur naturally and a steady stream of rewards are available for those curious enough to wander off the beaten path. Music was sourced by: “Odyssey” and “Blipstream” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Additionally, in-game music was used during interludes. “Hehe’s Adventure”, “Hebe in the Sky”, “Hebe Underground”, “Hebe in the Cold Area”, “Decisive Battle”, and “Continue” were sourced from the Ufouria OST. I am not the rights holder for the OST music. If either you or someone you know is the rights holder and would like to contact me regarding my choice of music then please do get in touch. A Video Game Odyssey is also available on SoundCloud, Twitter and YouTube.

    ٨ من الدقائق

حول

A Video Game Odyssey is a podcast that is light on spoilers, bias and nostalgia but heavy on being concise, clear and professional. Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AVGOdyssey Every other Wednesday, A Video Game Odyssey broadcasts short 7 to 10 minute retro reviews that scrutinise famed, forgotten or forgettable works of video games' past. Game length, genre, difficulty and critical reception are all handled in the first 30 seconds so that the rest of the time can be spent dissecting what each game tries to do differently, assessing a game's successes or shortcomings therein. Additionally, Coherent Rants, in which matters of the video game industry are considered within the framework of popular media as a whole, will be uploaded around once per month. Reviews adhere to one of two scoring systems. Reviews #1 to #16 are based on a 10-point scoring system, while reviews #17 and onwards use a named scoring system. Please listen to the "Quick Look at the Rating System" episode for more info and to hear the new scores for the original 16 reviews. The named score can either be a single or split score between: Abysmal - would not recommend to anyone Poor - would only lightly recommend to hardcore fans of the genre/series Average - would only recommend to hardcore fans of the genre/series Good - would recommend to general fans of the genre/series Great - would highly recommend to fans of the genre/series Excellent - would recommend to anyone interested in the game, genre or series Masterful - not perfect, but a game that consistently demonstrates such a high level of quality that I would urge anyone to at least give the game a chance regardless of genre/series. Inspirations for this podcast includes: Super Bunnyhop, Satchbag's Goods, Game Maker's Toolkit, Easy Allies and Edge Magazine UK. Logo by Grace Sandford (http://www.gracesandford.com)