Intensive Gaming Diary

The blog about videogames.

Category: Modern

Character Progression in Video Games

Posted on by Viljami

Character progression in video games was back in the 90s when games like Golden Axe II were released very much nonexistent. I played the first Golden Axe just a while ago. I almost suddenly started to realize how this game would feel like if there would be some sort of character progression in it. It is very sad that a game like Golden Axe that has very nice visual look and very fantastic character design along with a fun game play to not have something we have seen in so many modern games – a character progression.

Take Donkey Kong Bananza for example. The game isn’t overly obsessed with the development of the character but you get to update your skills with “bananas” that you collect while progressing in the main story. You get to update your hitting force and health level along with many other skills that you can update with the bananas that you collect. You get to choose very much how you will spend your hard earned skill points. This molds the experience and gives you some strategical point of view to the game.

We are today seeing this also in many sports games. In modern NBA games you have to keep developing your player to perform better. There really isn’t a such a solid goal in these basketball games but you can have achievements like winning a championship or getting awarded as the “most valuable player” and things like this. Basically you can play these NBA games almost forever or as long as you will. You kind of get hooked in developing your character and some people are also willing to buy stat upgrades with real money. You can of course have multiple and different types of main characters.

The origins of character progression are in my thinking something adopted from today so popular role playing games. The origins of RPGs then are from something called Dungeon & Dragons. Of course we cannot forget also how fantasy literature has shaped the scenery of today’s role playing games. The components of modern video games have everything to do with the creative power of those people that keep on creating and telling stories and describing different characters, missions and stories. We owe a lot to these foundations and there has been a long time that modern video games have been getting developed.

First we had some games that were organized as turn based games. In the middle of the 90s we saw something new as a very popular game called Diablo was released. The year was accurately 1996. Blizzard was the game house that finally brought us a video game that had along with role playing elements also elements of pure action. I have to bring up once again a spectacular game that inspired the creators of Diablo. This game was NHL 94 for Sega Mega Drive. Also it was a game that inspire many other game developers like the makers of Doom. NHL 94 was a very good game and it inspired also me at that time.

The question that still remains unanswered and might not be answered even after we go through these thoughts a bit more is that how come no one has ever utilized the characters of Golden Axe in such a long time? Maybe they don’t have the copyrights? Then what about Sega? Why haven’t they come up with a new Golden Axe game or spinoff?

The short answer to my question is that we have seen some Golden Axe games after the third game was released for Mega Drive back in 1990s. It just happens to be that they weren’t successful games either financially or content wise. And once again we have a question that needs to be answered and all I can say is that time will probably give us an answer of some kind. We will have to wait and see. There have been many games that have a character progression but I think we would need a new and decent Golden Axe game for modern gaming platforms.

Six More Switch 1 Games Now Added to The Collection!

Posted on by Viljami

While browsing the web I noticed some Switch 1 games. You must have already figured that Switch 2 is very much compatible with Switch 1 games. All of these games were on some sort of sale and I got them for a pretty neat price. Follow along as we go through every one of these games.

We can actually go just in the order that can be found in the featured image right here in this blog post. The first one of these Switch 1 games is Sega Mega Drive Classics. I have seen these collections all the time. I think the latest I have actually bought was the collection for PS3. I have seen these collections released for PS4, Xbox Series X and so on. What I do find interesting about them is that you can actually play them in the handheld mode and when you are travelling. Just wanted to play these classics on my Switch 2. I really enjoy Mega Drive games.

Pokemon Shining Pearl is a very new game for me. I don’t have, yet, so much experience in Pokemon video games. That’s excactly the reason for me to buy this game. I wanted something recent and also something that could get me introduced more to this franchise. I could have bought some earlier game in the series and I am not 100 percent sure about if this is a game that suits my interests after all.

The next game has its title in Finnish (“Nuuskamuikkunen”). The game is titled “Snufkin – Melody of Mooninvalley” in English. The translation has been made this way so that, obviously, smaller children could also enjoy playing this video game. Also Moomins are actually from Finland. They were created by Tove Jansson, but you can probably find some more information from your favorite search engine. I don’t know what to really expect from this game but I found it somewhat interesting. Also, it cost me just a bit under 30 euros. So, I just went and bought it.

Next up is Final Fantasy XII – The Zodiac Age, This game is very familiar to me. It is a very good role-playing-game that does seem to take forever to play through. I first experinced it on PS2 and later went on and bought it as a remaster for PS4. I wanted to give this game a try once more and to play it on my Switch 2. So, this one was now added to my collection of Switch 1 games.

Turok 3 – Shadow of Oblivion is a “Limited Run” release. This was the most expensive game in this group of Switch 1 games. Turok is a video game series that I have not studied a whole lot earlier. I do remember a friend of mine presenting how the first of these games looked on his PC back in the 1990s. It did look impressive in that particular environment and time. The game has everything to do with fighting dinosaurs. I do have  a Turok game also for Nintendo GameCube but I haven’t, yet, played it a whole lot.

The last game in this bunch is Chocobo GP. This game seemed to be a fun one. I definitely know what Chocobos are. I was introduced to them in Final Fantasy VII back in the 90s. Oh, I have so many memories. I am hoping to get to play this game also soon. Lets hope its a good one. I think this game had the cheapest price out of all these six Switch 1 games that I bought and just today picked from the post office.

That’s it! We went through every one these six Switch 1 games that I have just bought. It soon weekend again. Lets see if I get to play these games this weekend. I haven’t yet finished Donkey Kong Bananza, on my Switch 2, but I am working on it. I have played a bit over 15 hours of that game already. See you again, soon!

My Switch 2 Collection Is Already Starting to Grow

Posted on by Viljami

It has been two months since Nintendo released it newest video game console Switch 2. I have already a tiny collection of Switch 2 games. I have four games plus Mario Kart World that came bundeld with the console. I went for the bundle since it was more easily available although it cost some tens of euros more compared to the other option that didn’t include any games.

So, the games I have bought are Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster, Sonic X Shadow Generations, that were both available on the release of Switch two and Donkey Kong Bananza and Tony Hawks Pro Skater 3 + 4. The latter was a “code-in-a-box” release. There was no other way to purchase the game. I am usually not into these codes. I like physical releases way more.

Donkey Kong Bananza is currently, in my opinion, the best game that you can have for Nintendo Switch 2. I have already played it for about ten hours. I am really enjoying it. Sometimes I feel like I am getting stuck in some way but when I take a break and return to playing this game the matter gets quickly solved and I keep on progressing. I haven’t got stuck badly at least not yet. I am hoping to finish this game some day soon. Donkey Kong Bananza is also a fully physical release. So, there are no huge downloads when you start to play the game.

What about the other games in my Switch 2 collection? I have to mention that I have been playing some Switch 1 games also. I played Burnout Paradise and Oddworld Abe’s Oddysee New and Tasty and also Dragon Quest III HD-2D. I have to add also Diablo III.

When it comes to THPS 3 + 4 I can tell you that the game is very good. I have spent five hours playing this game. It is cool to feel the nostalgia again and experience something from the past. There are very few matters that have been changed. The gameplay still feels nice. I just haven’t really got deeper with this game atleast not yet.

I only played Sonic X Shadow Generations for a little time. It was available when Switch 2 got released. If I wouldn’t have bought the bundle, Switch 2 with Mario Kart World, this would have propably been my first game for the system. Bravely Default is the only game I have for Switch 2 that I have not yet had time to play at all.

As Switch 2 was getting released we were introduced something like “game key cards”. This means that when you buy a game you get a key card. It alloes you to install the software of the game. You do need the key card to play the game. We can propably have a debate on if this is sensible in any way or not. I don’t have actually anything to say about this. Atleast every game that I have bought seems to be currently working and I can play them.

We have seen many good games already getting released for Nintendo Switch 2. Some good games are still getting released very soon. There are some games, that I am waiting to get released for Nintendo Switch 1 that do actually work also on Switch 2. I am especially waiting to see Hades II, Metroid Prime 4, Terminator 2D No Fate and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Splintered Fate. There might also be some oter good games coming that I didn’t mention here. Oh yeah, I think Final Fantasy Tactics could be interesting, also.

Switch 2 is currently my favorite gaming system that I own. I have divided my attention lately mainly to my Switch 2, Xbox Series X and Raspberry Pi 5 with a Recalbox OS installed. I play many retro games on my Raspberry Pi 5. I haven’t played so much on my PS4, PS3 or Mega Drive Mini or my Retro Trio console that supports SNES, NES and Mega Drive cartridges and of course every controller that I have for these systems. So, I do have all my consoles connected to my 4K 55 inch television. I already took a peek at some 8K televisions on a random web shop. They cost a huge sum of money, like 2000 euros or something like that. There are also not so many devices available that could output a 8K picture. But it might be that I have to get a new TV in maybe two to three years. We will have to wait and see.