Games that Gamefan said were Great!

I remember one in particular, Hermie Hopperhead. I remember Gamefan saying this game was one of the best platformers they've ever played and it was only available in Japan. Many years later I happen to find a copy cheap i think it was on NCSX, I finally get around to playing it and it's an ok platformer. Maybe cuz it's old and it didn't age well or maybe i was playing Sonic Rush today... I dunno

Anyway anyone else remember some game that Gamefan praised but when you played it, it wasn't as cracked up as they said it was?

Battle Monsters!

Crash Bandicoot and NiGHTS, both in the same issue.

Uh every Treasure game ever made.

Skeleton Warriors

Ugh, here we go. And for the record, Hermie Hopperhead was pretty good, at least back in the day. Of course nowhere near the world-stopper Halvy would have you believe, but still quite enjoyable.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Yoshi

Crash Bandicoot and NiGHTS, both in the same issue.

---

Both are brilliant. And I don't use that word often. Buy some taste.

Jag launch titles like Cybermorph. Mischief Makers is another one although many seem to agree with GF on that one.

Mischief Makers is a miracle. How dare you.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Compass

Both are brilliant. And I don't use that word often. Buy some taste.

---

You don't use that word correctly either. Grow a dick.

This thread is going to become "how fucking backwards is Compass" in T-2 posts.

Floating Runner- A really dull platform game in which its only novelty is the fact that it was one of the first few pre-Mario 64 3D platformers.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jeremy

Battle Monsters!

---

I was going to say the same thing. I had actually bought that game, but luckily it was on the cheap.

There was also that game (on 3DO) featuring Kirk Cameron. They were raving about how great it was and it later came out on the Playstation. I rented it and quickly became bored. I can't remember the name of that game, but it's probably my brain blocking out a moment of trauma?

What did Toshinden get iN GF? That is another one that comes to mind.

Crash Bandicoot was a great game. NiGHTS was average. Cybermorph was below average, but it was fun to play "Star Fox without the rails" in the pre-PSX days.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gamevet

I was going to say the same thing. I had actually bought that game, but luckily it was on the cheap.

There was also that game (on 3DO) featuring Kirk Cameron. They were raving about how great it was and it later came out on the Playstation. I rented it and quickly became bored. I can't remember the name of that game, but it's probably my brain blocking out a moment of trauma?

---

the horde?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by RoleTroll

Crash Bandicoot was a great game. NiGHTS was average. Cybermorph was below average, but it was fun to play "Star Fox without the rails" in the pre-PSX days.

---

Cybermorph > NiGHTS.

Toshinden was crap, it's true. Yet I loved that game when it came out, and I don't regret buying it. It was beautiful and playable for fighting noobs.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Compass

Mischief Makers is a miracle. How dare you.

---

I wanted to love the game but it's tedious as hell. I agree with you that NiGHTS is brilliant. That's a game that should be universally praised but isn't.

I enjoyed Crash Bandicoot but those 100/100 scores were ridiculous. At first I thought Sony was paying them off but I later realized they wouldn't have to. Halverson is just that insane when it comes to platformers.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Yoshi

Cybermorph > NiGHTS.

---

I knew some people who really loved Cybermorph. I watched my roommate play it for countless hours on end. I hear the sequel was much improved.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by NeoZeedeater

I wanted to love the game but it's tedious as hell. I agree with you that NiGHTS is brilliant. That's a game that should be universally praised but isn't.

I enjoyed Crash Bandicoot but those 100/100 scores were ridiculous. At first I thought Sony was paying them off but I later realized they wouldn't have to. Halverson is just that insane when it comes to platformers.

---

But he happened to be right with Crash. And Tomb Raider before somebody brings it up.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by NeoZeedeater

I enjoyed Crash Bandicoot but those 100/100 scores were ridiculous. At first I thought Sony was paying them off but I later realized they wouldn't have to. Halverson is just that insane when it comes to platformers.

---

I never enjoyed Mario 64. But Crash really seemed to take the Mario games into the 3D realm.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by RoleTroll

I never enjoyed Mario 64. But Crash really seemed to take the Mario games into the 3D realm.

---

:wtf:

RoleTroll makes a play for Compass' most backwards throne.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Compass

But he happened to be right with Crash. And Tomb Raider before somebody brings it up.

---

Crash was average. Tomb Raider was great.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by frostwolf ex

the horde?

---

yup. i thought it was a decent game "at the time" myself.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Yoshi

:wtf:

RoleTroll makes a play for Compass' most backwards throne.

Crash was average. Tomb Raider was great.

---

Go back and play some platformers from that era. Crash was so polished, so fun, so challenging (getting 100%s), so far from average, it blew everything else away.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Compass

But he happened to be right with Crash. And Tomb Raider before somebody brings it up.

---

WTF?!?! TR was more brilliant in its time than both Crash and Nights put together.

The first game that came to mind for me was Shadow of the Beast for the Genesis. They billed it as the next Ghouls and Ghosts. :wtf:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Yoshi

:wtf:

RoleTroll makes a play for Compass' most backwards throne.

Crash was average. Tomb Raider was great.

---

Tomb Raider has always and will always suck

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Yoshi

:wtf:



Crash was average. Tomb Raider was great.

---

i have to disagree, the exploring was good, but combat flat out stunk and the control felt unresponsive.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Compass

Go back and play some platformers from that era. Crash was so polished, so fun, so challenging (getting 100%s), so far from average, it blew everything else away.

---

It came out within days of Mario 64, which was superior in every way.

Quote:

---

Games Gamefan thought were great... but really weren't

---

That's a big list.

Here are a few in mind:

Toshinden - Nick Rox thought this was the best fighter ever (although, he did change his mind later).
Syphon Filter - They recommended this one over Metal Gear Solid.
Skull Monkeys - Average platformer with good production value.
Tail of the Sun - This game was cool... for an hour. After that it was boring as hell.
Virtual Boy - Not a game but they thought this was the second coming of video games.

Skullmonkeys is another that comes to mind. Although, I can't remember if they praised it that much.
*EDIT: damn nash, beat me to it*

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Glass Joe

The first game that came to mind for me was Shadow of the Beast for the Genesis. They billed it as the next Ghouls and Ghosts. :wtf:

---

Shadow of the Beast was utter trash. Speaking of "the next GNG," remember that POS called Stormlord? Delayed forever, then they released it and it was worthless.

At the time, I liked Crash Bandicoot about 500% more than Mario 64.

It still holds true, though they're both shit now.

I liked Shadow of the Beast, though the Genesis version was far from the best.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by RoleTroll

Shadow of the Beast was utter trash. Speaking of "the next GNG," remember that POS called Stormlord? Delayed forever, then they released it and it was worthless.

---

I don't remember mags saying Stormlord would be good though. The controversy was over the naked fairies.

As for Tomb Raider, being a huge fan of Prince Persia and Euro/Amiga-style action adventures I thought it was an excellent first attempt in bringing that type of game to 3d.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by NeoZeedeater

As for Tomb Raider, being a huge fan of Prince Persia and Euro/Amiga-style action adventures I thought it was an excellent first attempt in bringing that type of game to 3d.

---

I'm about to take this off-topic (probably for the better). What other games would you recommend in the "Euro/Amiga-style action adventures" category?

I can't remember a time when I bought something on recommendation from Gamefan and was disappointed, at least at the time. People have mentioned Tail of the Sun, but I loved that game. Mischief Makers too.

What else...Broken Helix, Overblood, Strider 2, Einhander, Front Mission 3, Treasures of the Deep, Tomba, Skullmonkeys... All good stuff.

I do remember a lot of things that looked kind of suspect. Boom Bots and Mort the Chicken spring to mind for the later period.Gamefan was really all about hyperbole though, so it was never really surprising.

And Crash, Nights, and Mario 64 were all mind-blowing at the time, you heartless bastards.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Yoshi

I'm about to take this off-topic (probably for the better). What other games would you recommend in the "Euro/Amiga-style action adventures" category?

---

Out of this World and Flashback mostly which you probably already know about. Heart of Darkness(Playstation/PC) was made by some of the same people as those. I haven't played much of it yet but it seems pretty good. Blackthorne was cool too. It's not Euro but it's the same kind of game.

There's another old one called Myth(no relation to the Bungie or Magnetic Scrolls game of the same name) that came out on various computers. I vaguely remember it but it was good at the time although I suspect it has aged. It was also ported to NES and turned into a Conan game.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Compass

Ugh, here we go.

---

Quote:

---

Both are brilliant.

---

Nights, anyway.

Quote:

---

Mischief Makers is a miracle.

---

This man is correct.

Sonic CD, Japanese soundtrack. As it turns out, the changes didn't make the slightest bit of difference one way or another, and in fact some were for the best.

Skullmonkeys was brilliant. Just to be clear on that point.

James

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Compass

Both are brilliant. And I don't use that word often. Buy some taste.

---

Crash was a damn fun game but NiGHTS was is and always will be poop on a stick.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by James

Sonic CD, Japanese soundtrack. As it turns out, the changes didn't make the slightest bit of difference one way or another, and in fact some were for the best.

---

Yeah i've heard both and I like them both. Couldn't care less which one they picked

VOOT (Virtual On) got 100s I believe. What the fuck at that one. Those games are so fucking overrated. Lock and shoot, lock and shoot. ZZZZZzzzzz

VOOT is a great game. Just for saying what you did, I'm going to take your mom out to a nice seafood dinner and then never call her again.

I remember GF going ape shit over Cannon Spike, which was an average game.

VOOT is a fucking rad game if you have the twin sticks.

Maybe not, 300/300 but definitely 270/300.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by NeoZeedeater

Heart of Darkness(Playstation/PC) was made by some of the same people as those. I haven't played much of it yet but it seems pretty good.

---

i beat it and liked it, the 3d thing was tacked on, but overall it was a great game if you were ok with the slightly slow responding control(whihc was part of that style of game's charm). i thought nosferatu was pretty good in that vein too, the combat engine was pretty good, i loved the attack animations.

edit:oh and voot did rock, but as i recall, anthony chau was a really competitive player, so he was like a vitrua fighter expert in that regard, they were playing a different game than casual players.

I thought Canon Spike was good fun.

Heart of Darkness was awesome minus the excruciatingly lame characters and story told through the out-of-place CGI cut-scenes. I still like Out of this World the best out of all those types of games though.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Yoshi

It came out within days of Mario 64, which was superior in every way.

---

Two totally different experiences, neither of which was trying to be the other, both of which ruled in their own way.

Glass Joe, I was saying Tomb Raider deserved its praise. For the first game anyway.

I'll agree with the Cannon Spike hate. What the fuck was with that thing? It could have been badass. Awesome concept though. It was slighty less than average at best.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by diffusionx

VOOT is a fucking rad game if you have the twin sticks.

---

QFT. VOOT was fucking awesome with the twin sticks. If you played it with anything other then the twin sticks you didn't really play VOOT.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by EvilMog

I'll agree with the Cannon Spike hate. What the fuck was with that thing? It could have been badass. Awesome concept though. It was slighty less than average at best.

---

It was also a budget title. I thought it was fun for the price.

I remember the huge Silpheed (Sega CD) previews and then the insane reviews. I bought Silpheed based on those previews and the "3D" graphics but the game was just space invaders with full motion video backgrounds. Rinky dink enemies and bosses, terrible music and simplistic gameplay that was never intense. Thunderforce 4, Space Megaforce, MUSHA..etc.. were all a thousand times better.

In their Donkey Kong Country review, they said something to the effect of "With graphics like these, do we even need new consoles?" Even at that time I was like "wtf?"

I bought Cannon Spike because of their hype. It was average.

They hyped the Jag console itself. The Jag sucked.

You'll notice none of the games I recommended are coming up in this thread. That's because I always pick winners nobody ever remembers my reviews.

Fucking Weaponlord.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by shidoshi

You'll notice none of the games I recommended are coming up in this thread. That's because I always pick winners nobody ever remembers my reviews.

---

Aw. Hey, I bought Tenchi in Love because of your review! And Lain too, I think.

AnimeFan changed my life in that I wouldn't have watched them at the time otherwise

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by diffusionx

VOOT is a fucking rad game if you have the twin sticks.

Maybe not, 300/300 but definitely 270/300.

---

Yup yup, VOOT is one of the best DC games, too bad Marz sucks so much ass.

I rented Last Action Hero because a gaming magazine said it was a good movie game. The entire game was comprised of two actions (jump, and punch) and I put it down before the end of the first level and swore off game journalism from that day forward. I think this may have been the start of my serial killing, but there was too much going on at that time in my life to pin point any one thing.

I bought a number of games due to Gamefan's influence. I am still kicking myself about almost all of them. The amount of saving up from chores, odd jobs, etc it took to pay for the Seiken Densetsu 3 cart could never, ever be worth it. Even if it was better than Secret of Mana, which it really wasn't.

Gunners Heaven was a fun game, and I'm glad I bought it. But I can't be that glad, when Dave Halverson's review of Welcome House caused me to waste $50 on that pile. One of the worst "games" I've ever played. Ugh. I still own it, too. Not sure who I could pawn it off on.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Johnny Undaunted

Floating Runner- A really dull platform game in which its only novelty is the fact that it was one of the first few pre-Mario 64 3D platformers.

---

I liked that game. It was pretty bland, but I had fun with it. Wouldn't mind having a copy.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by James

Skullmonkeys was brilliant. Just to be clear on that point.

---

Agreed.

Gamefan exposed me to Toukon Retsuden, the Firepro series, and Treasure's work. I did fall victim to Tail of the Sun though. Luckily I only paid 50 cents for it.

I remember seeing Loaded a lot in gamefan.. and playing through it co-op and not really feeling it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jeremy

I did fall victim to Tail of the Sun though. Luckily I only paid 50 cents for it.

---

I would buy it from you for two times what you paid. Maybe even three times.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Salsashark

I can't remember a time when I bought something on recommendation from Gamefan and was disappointed, at least at the time. People have mentioned Tail of the Sun, but I loved that game. Mischief Makers too.

What else...Broken Helix, Overblood, Strider 2, Einhander, Front Mission 3, Treasures of the Deep, Tomba, Skullmonkeys... All good stuff.

I do remember a lot of things that looked kind of suspect. Boom Bots and Mort the Chicken spring to mind for the later period.Gamefan was really all about hyperbole though, so it was never really surprising.

And Crash, Nights, and Mario 64 were all mind-blowing at the time, you heartless bastards.

---

Exactly. So they hyped some questionable games on occasion. But how many of you rubes were dragged out of your gaming dark ages thanks to Gamefan.

Metalhead and Motocross Championship (32X)! Toshinden! Battle Heat and Team Innocent (PC-FX)! Space Griffon VF-9!

Yeah, that was a bad issue, aside from the Alien Soldier love.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Compass

Exactly. So they hyped some questionable games on occasion. But how many of you rubes were dragged out of your gaming dark ages thanks to Gamefan.

---

What were the gaming dark ages?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by sedition

I remember seeing Loaded a lot in gamefan.. and playing through it co-op and not really feeling it.

---

I thought Loaded was good, but Loaded 2 wasn't.

I just remembered... I bought a fucking 32x because Gamefan hyped the shit out of that machine. I still have it and I have some ok games best one being Virtua Fighter.

Nash, I think he was just trying to ask how many people had their passion for gaming revived in some way due to the mag. I'll throw my hand up, as it exposed me to import games in a way I hadn't seen before. Unlike EGM, who gave maybe 1/4 a page to a game, Gamefan dedicated 1-2 pages for each game, and made great use of that space.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jeremy

Nash, I think he was just trying to ask how many people had their passion for gaming revived in some way due to the mag. I'll throw my hand up, as it exposed me to import games in a way I hadn't seen before. Unlike EGM, who gave maybe 1/4 a page to a game, Gamefan dedicated 1-2 pages for each game, and made great use of that space.

---

I loved that about Gamefan how it really gave great space toward games and exposed games I would never have heard of, but were some of the ones they did expose really that great. I got a copy of Gunner's Heaven, thought it was pretty good being the fact it was ripping off Gunstar Heroes.

As far as imports go, EGM was great for bulk information from '91 to '95. If you wanted a great deal of info and pictures, that era of EGM was the place to be. I'm thinking specifically of issues 64 and 65.

Gamefan, however, was far more passionate, in-depth, and niche about what they covered.

I was into Gamefan when I was just getting into Imports with the DC and stuff. At that time they had lots of coverage on imports, so I was constantly Oooing and Ahhhing over their stuff.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Nash

What were the gaming dark ages?

---

Gamepro!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by sedition

I remember seeing Loaded a lot in gamefan.. and playing through it co-op and not really feeling it.

---

I said something to that effect and people told me I was crazy. I thought the game sucked and was nothing but repetetive.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by raystorm

Rinky dink enemies and bosses, terrible music and simplistic gameplay that was never intense.

---

I thought it was great. Found one version on napster years ago that I thought was gonna be some tracks from the PS2 rev. Unfortunately that wasn't the case and the only thing the series had going for it was lost.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Yoshi

What did Toshinden get iN GF? That is another one that comes to mind.

---

They did the usual GF bullshit with that game. Upon its release they proclaimed Toshinden to be the greatest fighting game ever made, then just a few issues later they did a complete 180 and said it was unplayable crap.

Nick Rox did that every issue. First he said Chrono Trigger was the most mind-blowing RPG ever, then like two issues later said it's total shit with no gameplay.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Nash

Skull Monkeys - Average platformer with good production value.

---

I love Skullmonkeys. I was fucking around with it just the other night.

That is what happens when you get stupid fanboys to write just because they like games. Fanboys are by definition whores - companies give them free games and access to Miyamoto and Kojima and shit and they go nuts. But then they come to their senses and show themselves to be fools. But it doesn't matter because they're whores.

Almost every writer in every game mag and website today is a fanboy.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by shidoshi

nobody ever remembers my reviews.

---

There, there. I remember your Real Bout: Fatal Fury review, and how much you loved "Blue Mary Blues."

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by diffusionx

Almost every writer in every game mag and website today is a fanboy.

---

True- I'll probably never find myself using the words "Videogame" and "Journalism" in the same sentence unless they're diametrically contradicting one another.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by diffusionx

Almost every writer in every game mag and website today is a fanboy.

---

Honestly, this applies to most journalists, regardless of field.

I also got suckered into importing Silpheed for Sega CD.

Shenmue is another one.

Nightmare Creatures is one I bought on Gamefans reccomendation.

Also, they put Fighting Force on the fucking cover. To be fair, it was a preview, but almost everything in the preview was false. And they didn't publish a review in time to stop me from buying it.

I didn't think Tobal 2 was as good as they made it look. It was pretty good, but not $100 good.

Does Stretch Panic count? I know it was GameGo, but still.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by diffusionx

That is what happens when you get stupid fanboys to write just because they like games. Fanboys are by definition whores - companies give them free games and access to Miyamoto and Kojima and shit and they go nuts.

---

Not saying that you're wrong in the idea of your statement, but for the most part, most of us at GameFan never got free games.

And, actually, I just remembered a terrible example on my part - Samurai Shodown IV. I gave it 98/100... yikes. Ridiculous. Maybe part of it was convincing myself that it rocked after having paid $300 for my copy.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JefmcC

Shenmue is another one.

---

They were one of the few magazines that didn't gush over it.


When Bug came out for Saturn, it looked like the greatest platformer in the history of life. They billed it as an epoch defining game like Mario 64. (which, I realize hadn't come out at that point. The praise was similiar.) Utter, trash.

I also remember ECM losing his mind when EGM and other magazines didn't jizz all over Strider 2. He devoted columns in two issues to address the lack of 'real gamers' in the industry. I liked Strider 2, but it wasn't that good. EGM had a point: unlimited continues kills the game. You CAN play the game and limit yourself to a set number of continues, but why bother?

ECM went on some rant about how gamers who weren't as good as him or his staff were idiots who'd just "bat the start button" to continue. And I'm thinking, dude, if the game allows me to continue, why wouldn't I? Why would I play a game, get a continue screen, and say, 'Hey, I should preserve the difficultly of this game I just bought, even though it demolished me in two seconds and I don't know even know how. I'll decline your offer, kind Playstation.' Then I'll read a book.

I'm sure there are more. I'll have a more complete list later.




Off-topic: I used to like Crash waaaaay more than Mario 64 when it first came out. While I still like the former, I acknowledge the latter's place in history.

And you can't hate on Tomb Raider for what it's become. Take away the hype and it was damn fine game.

I bought Strider 2 on GF's recommendation.

HATED IT!

But I dont hold that against them (really! The only game purchase I hold against any magazine is Stretch Panic).

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by shidoshi

And, actually, I just remembered a terrible example on my part - Samurai Shodown IV. I gave it 98/100... yikes. Ridiculous. Maybe part of it was convincing myself that it rocked after having paid $300 for my copy.

---

As long as SamSho II is a 173/100, 98/100 for SamSho IV makes sense.

Brisco, I forgot about them hyping up Bug! so much. That was another game I bought in part due to the stuff in GF. I enjoyed it, but it was a very lifeless platformer. The second one exposed how bad it was.

I hated Bug!. Fuckers. That was $50 I didn't have to piss away back then either.

Quote:

---

QFT. VOOT was fucking awesome with the twin sticks. If you played it with anything other then the twin sticks you didn't really play VOOT.

---

It really wasn't that bad with the Dreamcast controller. You could still rotate decently with it as long as you only slightly moved the analog sticks instead of going full-out, and that's the only real problem I had with the controller.

Not that a huge clicky controller is a bad thing.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by diffusionx

That is what happens when you get stupid fanboys to write just because they like games. Fanboys are by definition whores - companies give them free games and access to Miyamoto and Kojima and shit and they go nuts. But then they come to their senses and show themselves to be fools. But it doesn't matter because they're whores.

Almost every writer in every game mag and website today is a fanboy.

---

Agreed.

I also didn't think Astal was all that.



On another topic, all the anime I ever liked was from Shidoshis reccomendation. (Lain especially).

I know this will sound elitist but why weren't you guys smart enough to see through the hype on some of this shit? I never for a moment considered buying Bug! because it looked and sounded like utter crap. I recognized Gamefan was made up of humans who might have different tastes from me, or might just get overly enthusiastic where it wasn't warranted now and then. As such, I didn't immediately run out and buy every single game they proclaimed amazing. If I had, I'd have been broke and pissed. And maybe at this point, bitter and angry... like the whiny trolls on this board. I think I see where they're coming from now. But why blame Gamefan/GameGo! and repeatedly take it out on all of us, when you guys were just naive and gullible? Take some responsibility.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Compass

I know this will sound elitist but why weren't you guys smart enough to see through the hype on some of this shit? I never for a moment considered buying Bug! because it looked and sounded like utter crap. I recognized Gamefan was made up of humans who might have different tastes from me, or might just get overly enthusiastic where it wasn't warranted now and then. As such, I didn't immediately run out and buy every single game they proclaimed amazing. If I had, I'd have been broke and pissed. And maybe at this point, bitter and angry... like the whiny trolls on this board. I think I see where they're coming from now. But why blame Gamefan/GameGo! and repeatedly take it out on all of us, when you guys were just naive and gullible? Take some responsibility.

---

I wasn't even in high school when the Bug review came out. Of course I was naive.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Compass

I know this will sound elitist but why weren't you guys smart enough to see through the hype on some of this shit? I never for a moment considered buying Bug! because it looked and sounded like utter crap. I recognized Gamefan was made up of humans who might have different tastes from me, or might just get overly enthusiastic where it wasn't warranted now and then. As such, I didn't immediately run out and buy every single game they proclaimed amazing. If I had, I'd have been broke and pissed. And maybe at this point, bitter and angry... like the whiny trolls on this board. I think I see where they're coming from now. But why blame Gamefan/GameGo! and repeatedly take it out on all of us, when you guys were just naive and gullible? Take some responsibility.

---

The vast majority of GameFan's recommendations were good. A few weren't. Neither of these facts has anything to do with f-chan hate now. Japanese games are nowhere near as good as they were a decade ago, and western games are about 10x better than they were at that time. People who have f-chan blinders on are really the only ones that don't see this. What was the best Japanese game last year? The westernized RE4 by far. Even the Japanese developers are figuring it out.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Brisco Bold

You CAN play the game and limit yourself to a set number of continues, but why bother?

---

I'd rather a game have unlimited continues for the people who just want to play the game and not "challenge" themselves, than have the game not have unlimited continues and ruin the game for the casual fan just because I can't stop myself from abusing the continue system.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Yoshi

As long as SamSho II is a 173/100, 98/100 for SamSho IV makes sense.

---

Heh, exactly.

With Bug! well, we were coming off SNES and Genesis. The last years of those two systems were filled with endless streams of interchangeable platformers, so anything that seemed fresh and new was welcome. GameFan (among others) was like "omg this game is so awesome". So people spent $50, and it was a lot harder for a guy like me to get $50 then than it is now, on it, and it sucked. And then maybe GF said the game sucked in a later issue (like when EGM does its "games we rated really high but actually blow" article every so often. Thanks a lot guys). We didnt have the wealth of info we have now, I didnt have a Blockbuster near me, etc. It was just a different time, you put your trust in one or two mags and thats how it went. I bought a lot of ***** Next-Gen games and never was let down.

That has nothing do with not liking whatever games today though - those games are more often than not stagnant trash heaps, while other genres and developers are doing far more interesting things.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Compass

But why blame Gamefan/GameGo! and repeatedly take it out on all of us, when you guys were just naive and gullible? Take some responsibility.

---

It's either that or the fact that once upon a time one dumb fucker bought two games that he didn't even knew the name of and asked for info here.. it's all Josh's fault really.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Yoshi

What was the best Japanese game last year? The westernized RE4 by far. Even the Japanese developers are figuring it out.

---

What's westernized about it? The camera angle?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by shidoshi

You'll notice none of the games I recommended are coming up in this thread. That's because I always pick winners nobody ever remembers my reviews.

---

you worked at gamefan? :bs:

I kid I kid, Like Salsashark said I gave Tenchi a chance cause of your review and you always had good reviews of the Neo Geo Fighting games

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by diffusionx

The only game purchase I hold against any magazine is Stretch Panic).

---

I would really like to read that review.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Yoshi

The vast majority of GameFan's recommendations were good. A few weren't. Neither of these facts has anything to do with f-chan hate now. Japanese games are nowhere near as good as they were a decade ago, and western games are about 10x better than they were at that time. People who have f-chan blinders on are really the only ones that don't see this.

---

Western games were damn good a decade ago too(1996 had Quake, Daggerfall, Duke Nukem 3D, Terra Nova, Tomb Raider, Pandora Directive, etc.). It's just that most of them were on PC.

I agree with your statement of Western games being better in general the past few years. I just don't think it has been a major difference when taking both console and PC gaming into consideration. I think the Japanese had a better year overall than the West in 2005 unlike 2002-2004. Pretty much every year has great stuff from both sides. It fluctuates a lot.

Yeah, I should have specified console games, as GameFan didn't deal in PC either.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Daitokuji

Anyway anyone else remember some game that Gamefan praised but when you played it, it wasn't as cracked up as they said it was?

---

Snatcher. :td:

Too many to name...

- Astal was intensely boring
- Hermie Hopperhead was too (mostly)
- so was Mischief Makers
- and Loaded
- I never understood NiGHTS
- Rabbit for Saturn. WTF was that crap.

Best games picked up purely on GameFan reccomendations:
- Gunners Heaven = pretty awesome
- Adventure of Little Ralph, some obscure Japanese action/platformer not well known outside of "JapJac" type circles. Fun stuff. Took me a long time to find a copy too.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Yoshi

Yeah, I should have specified console games, as GameFan didn't deal in PC either.

---

They did cover some PC gaming for an issue or two. I was hoping they would continue.

Little Ralph has always intrigued me. I wondered if it was really good or just liked by the Japanophile crowd for its obscurity. When I finally got Hermie Hopperhead last year I thought it was just okay.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Core Boy

Snatcher. :td:

---

:eek: You guys tie him up. I'll get the torches.

Snatcher is horrible though.

Yoshi, that sounds kinky.