GRcade Retro Club Weekender 2.0 - Every Friday to Monday!

Hoping to post my incomplete Pokemon collection up later after finding the boxes for Gold, Silver and Leaf Green at my mums in the past few weeks.

jawaX wrote:

Roaring into the Weekender... it's Burnout!

Burnout 2 was the first game that I bought for my Xbox, back in 2003. What a game! I almost exclusively focused on the Crash Junctions with that fix of pressing the pedal down, causing carnage and seeing the damage value rack up being so addictive. The game was just so slickly made, with great graphics and solid play.

I never played the third game, Takedown, so much; the graphics wee sharper but the Crash gameplay just didn't quite feel as good - for me, the additional "matrix"-styled movement just took something away from the visceral carnage. I'm conscious that many folk prefer this version, though. As for Revenge... I've still not tried it!

Those long hours spent playing Crash Junctions on Burnout 2 - battling my pal in continually trying to cause just a little more crash damage - will always be a standout memory of my OG Xbox days.

Wow Jawa, you've come into this Weekender in a blaze of burning rubber and car parts! I love these graphics too man, they are seriously slick!

I've never played a burnout game before but I've heard they're loads of fun, have you ever been tempted to fire up the old Xbox and give it a play again? It's great hearing about your memories as well, it's these nostalgic moments which makes gaming so special!

It's funny you featured some original Xbox racing games, I may have ordered a couple of particularly spicy numbers for the system myself, they should be here next week, in time for the next Weekender!

---

Corazon de Leon wrote:Hoping to post my incomplete Pokemon collection up later after finding the boxes for Gold, Silver and Leaf Green at my mums in the past few weeks.

Oh please do Cora, I can never get enough Pokémon!

Yeah! It's nowhere near complete - missing a few games I lost(Crystal, Emerald, Platinum) and a few I never got round to buying (Black, White 2, Ultra Sun, Ultra Moon, Sword) but it's not a bad wee lot! Got a good wedge of home console spin-offs as well - both stadiums, both GC spin-offs, Snap/New Snap, Puzzle League...

The Doom Spoon wrote:...I've never played a burnout game before but I've heard they're loads of fun, have you ever been tempted to fire up the old Xbox and give it a play again?...

Thanks, Doom! They're definitely worth a play and I'd recommend Burnout 2 for your GameCube collection. I did have my OG Xbox setup for a long time but I had to pack it away due to space challenges a couple of years back. I might try and find space again over the winter, though!

The Doom Spoon wrote:...It's funny you featured some original Xbox racing games, I may have ordered a couple of particularly spicy numbers for the system myself, they should be here next week, in time for the next Weekender!...

Ah! I'm intrigued by this and am looking forward to seeing what you've picked up, dude!

You can get the first two Burnouts for absolute buttons on the Cube and Takedown for the OG XBox or PS2. Absolutely fantastic trilogy of games. Revenge is very good, then Paradise is...a step down.

Corazon de Leon wrote:You can get the first two Burnouts for absolute buttons on the Cube and Takedown for the OG XBox or PS2. Absolutely fantastic trilogy of games. Revenge is very good, then Paradise is...a step down.

Yeah, I would like to get the first Burnout on Xbox just to see how the series started out, Cora. I have always shied away from Paradise but maybe I'll try it one day.

I have Revenge for both the OG and 360 Xboxes and it'll be interesting to give 'em both a runout and compare.

It's not complete, but it covers most of the bases - my Metal Gear Solid collection!

Metal Gear Solid (PS1) / Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes (GC)


Twin Snakes was my second MGS game and is actually the only version of MGS I have played - while I own the PS1 game, I've never played it! While people may argue the game is made too easy by making use of the MGS2 engine and game mechanics, and the cutscenes are turned ridiculous by Snake's superhero-like flips, I think Twin Snakes is a very worthy remake if only to hear Psycho Mantis talking about Super Mario Sunishine and The Legend of Zelda!

Metal Gear Solid: 2 Sons of Liberty (PS2) / Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (PS2) / Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence (PS2)


MGS3 was my first MGS game and is a great introduction to the series, standing alone well enough as a prequel but still tying in heavily to the overall series. For my money it's also the best game in the series, and one of the best games ever made. Subsistence is interesting for adding a freely controllable camera, but with the original game designed so well around its fixed camera angles I'm genuinely unsure which I prefer. Both are different, and valid, experiences of the game!

MGS2 is the most artistically accomplished game in the series with its post-modern plot, frequent fourth wall dismantling and the player insert main character of Raiden replacing Snake. I've only played it through once, in the run up to MGS4's release, and it's definitely worthy of me revisiting it someday soon!

Metal Gear Solid HD Collection (PS3) / Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3) / Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes (PS3)


Not pictured - the giant box from Zavvi that the HD Collection came in. I still wear the t-shirt it came with to this day!

MGS4 was the game I bought my PS3 for, the first home console I bought with my own money. I first played it through on a 14" CRT, unable to even make out how much ammo I had remaining for my gun - and it was worth every penny! It was also MGS4 where I most got into Metal Gear Online with probably the best iteration of the multiplayer.

Ground Zeroes is the prequel to MGSV proper and by my reckoning the best part of MGSV. While MGSV slightly refines the gameplay (impressive, considering how well refined it already is in Ground Zeroes), GZ has a better realised and more focused sandbox upon which the game is set. It's a short experience, but one of the best! I also posted some pretty high speedrunning times on the online leaderboards...

Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes (PS4) / Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (PS4)


Of course I re-bought Ground Zeroes on PS4 (unfortunately with a very stubborn pre-owned sticker ruining the box!) in the lead up to The Phantom Pain's release. The story of MGSV is well-told, in many respects an incredible game but also suffering greatly from being unfinished. Funnily enough, it's also the only MGS game that I haven't finished! I do intend to fix that one day.

Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops (PSP) / Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus (PSP) / Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (PSP)


Portable Ops (and its expansion Portable Ops Plus) are good handheld spin-offs with some notable mechanics, but Peace Walker should be considered right up there in the mainline series. MGS5 in all but name, Peace Walker is an incredible achievement on PSP hardware, a brilliant game in its own right, and set the direction for a mission based structure that MGSV would later follow. It's arguably one of the best MGS games!

OrangeRKN wrote:...my Metal Gear Solid collection!...

"Snaaaaaaaaaake!"

Terrific stuff, Orange, and I particularly enjoyed reading your thoughts behind each game. It's great to see that you have Zeroes for both PS3 and PS4; like you say, it is a tremendous sandbox environment that really allows for repeated play.

I'm not a Metal Gear buff although I have dabbled in a few of the games; Solid on PS1, Solid on GBC, 4 on PS3, Zeroes on PS4 and V on PS4. Like your MGS 4 version, I have the card slip cover and I also have the later "Metal Gear 25th Anniversary" edition of the game; there are no differences in-game but the cover looks dang cool.


I recall that, after MGS, a special "VR missions pack" was released for the PS1 and it gained, by most accounts, a good reception. May be worth looking at as you're a Metal Gear fan.

Nice post, OR - it has inspired me to consider doing this kind of "complete series" post for a future Weekender.

OrangeRKN wrote:It's not complete, but it covers most of the bases - my Metal Gear Solid collection!

Metal Gear Solid (PS1) / Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes (GC)

Twin Snakes was my second MGS game and is actually the only version of MGS I have played - while I own the PS1 game, I've never played it! While people may argue the game is made too easy by making use of the MGS2 engine and game mechanics, and the cutscenes are turned ridiculous by Snake's superhero-like flips, I think Twin Snakes is a very worthy remake if only to hear Psycho Mantis talking about Super Mario Sunishine and The Legend of Zelda!

Metal Gear Solid: 2 Sons of Liberty (PS2) / Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (PS2) / Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence (PS2)

MGS3 was my first MGS game and is a great introduction to the series, standing alone well enough as a prequel but still tying in heavily to the overall series. For my money it's also the best game in the series, and one of the best games ever made. Subsistence is interesting for adding a freely controllable camera, but with the original game designed so well around its fixed camera angles I'm genuinely unsure which I prefer. Both are different, and valid, experiences of the game!

MGS2 is the most artistically accomplished game in the series with its post-modern plot, frequent fourth wall dismantling and the player insert main character of Raiden replacing Snake. I've only played it through once, in the run up to MGS4's release, and it's definitely worthy of me revisiting it someday soon!

Metal Gear Solid HD Collection (PS3) / Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3) / Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes (PS3)

Not pictured - the giant box from Zavvi that the HD Collection came in. I still wear the t-shirt it came with to this day!

MGS4 was the game I bought my PS3 for, the first home console I bought with my own money. I first played it through on a 14" CRT, unable to even make out how much ammo I had remaining for my gun - and it was worth every penny! It was also MGS4 where I most got into Metal Gear Online with probably the best iteration of the multiplayer.

Ground Zeroes is the prequel to MGSV proper and by my reckoning the best part of MGSV. While MGSV slightly refines the gameplay (impressive, considering how well refined it already is in Ground Zeroes), GZ has a better realised and more focused sandbox upon which the game is set. It's a short experience, but one of the best! I also posted some pretty high speedrunning times on the online leaderboards...

Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes (PS4) / Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (PS4)

Of course I re-bought Ground Zeroes on PS4 (unfortunately with a very stubborn pre-owned sticker ruining the box!) in the lead up to The Phantom Pain's release. The story of MGSV is well-told, in many respects an incredible game but also suffering greatly from being unfinished. Funnily enough, it's also the only MGS game that I haven't finished! I do intend to fix that one day.

Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops (PSP) / Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus (PSP) / Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (PSP)

Portable Ops (and its expansion Portable Ops Plus) are good handheld spin-offs with some notable mechanics, but Peace Walker should be considered right up there in the mainline series. MGS5 in all but name, Peace Walker is an incredible achievement on PSP hardware, a brilliant game in its own right, and set the direction for a mission based structure that MGSV would later follow. It's arguably one of the best MGS games!

Thats a nice collection OR... I know I have some bits and bobs of it myself there was also a VR missions metal gear game on PS1 and the PSP was a real Metal Gear fest as you had all the following metal gear titles on it

Metal Gear Acid (2004)
Metal Gear Acid 2 (2005)
Metal Gear Solid: Digital Graphic Novel (2006)
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops (2006)
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus (2007)
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (2010)

I know I have some of the PSP ones but I cant remember exactly which, I am sure I have one of the Acid games and Peace Walker , I also know I have the Digital Graphic Novel as I remember thinking what the heck is this when I saw it cheap in Game.

I am just sorting out some Videos showing some of my Loose SNES cart collection, a lot of which are childhood ones but some of which I got for the whole 150 SNES game review series.

jawaX wrote:Like your MGS 4 version, I have the card slip cover and I also have the later "Metal Gear 25th Anniversary" edition of the game; there are no differences in-game but the cover looks dang cool.

Nice post, OR - it has inspired me to consider doing this kind of "complete series" post for a future Weekender.

Thanks jawa! You already showed of your Fallout and Bioshock collections to be fair - interested in seeing what else you have!

I do recall now seeing that 25th Anniversary edition, I'll probably pick it up if I ever see it. I do actually have a platinum copy of MGS4 on PS3 which I didn't include (read: I forgot!) but I tend to not like platinum boxes so much.

kerr9000 wrote:Thats a nice collection OR... I know I have some bits and bobs of it myself there was also a VR missions metal gear game on PS1 and the PSP was a real Metal Gear fest as you had all the following metal gear titles on it

Metal Gear Acid (2004)
Metal Gear Acid 2 (2005)
Metal Gear Solid: Digital Graphic Novel (2006)
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops (2006)
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus (2007)
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (2010)

Yeah, I posted somewhere recently about wishing I had both Acid games - I've always held off picking them up despite seeing them all over and now I don't see them anymore!

I do want to play the PS1 MGS and the VR missions, as well as the Substance release of MGS2. There is always too much to play

Ok this is my Submission for this weeks Weekender some videos of some of my SNES loose cart collection.

Part 1



Part 2



Part 3

Do you have your games on display/on shelves Kerr or do you keep them boxed up? You must have loads!

OrangeRKN wrote:Do you have your games on display/on shelves Kerr or do you keep them boxed up? You must have loads!

Some are on shelves but mostly boxed up. I have a cupboard with a glass front that's absolutely full of PS1 games

kerr9000 wrote:

OrangeRKN wrote:Do you have your games on display/on shelves Kerr or do you keep them boxed up? You must have loads!

Some are on shelves but mostly boxed up. I have a cupboard with a glass front that's absolutely full of PS1 games

Space sure does become an issue when you start collecting games; and even more so for consoles! I only have my more recent consoles setup (PS5/PS4/Switch/Wii U/360/Wii)... everything older is in cupboards or the loft. It'd be so good to - Cheeky Devlin style! - have a whole room available to setup gaming gear :-).

Did you paint that Kirby/Van Gogh SNES yourself? It's amazing

Dowbocop wrote:Did you paint that Kirby/Van Gogh SNES yourself? It's amazing

Yep I painted it myself it was very very badly stained on top so thought sod it, it's one of only 3 consoles I've ever painted

Drumstick wrote:Here's my first entry for the week.

Up first, touching on one of last week's themes, the best darn rasslin' game there ever was.

No Mercy CIB! So many incredible memories of this game, so many legendary local multiplayer moments. So many triple threat ladder matches where the ladder was tipped over just as someone was taking the final step the grab the briefcase.

The cover features The Rock, presumably smelling whatever it was he was always cookin'.

The story mode in this game is absolutely brilliant. All the different weight classes are represented and mostly follow events that had recently taken place in the WWF within the year prior to release. You are also able to take different paths so that each experience chasing each belt is different.

This is the original version of the game with the blood intact. Sadly it also means that it has the save game glitch, but my original copy from back in the day was also an original pressing and it never glitched once. Even after I saved up $500,000 to buy the Ho from the Smackdown Mall.

Way behind on this but damn I loved No Mercy. We had to get ours replaced as it continually glitched, but what a game

jawaX wrote:

Roaring into the Weekender... it's Burnout!

Burnout 2 was the first game that I bought for my Xbox, back in 2003. What a game! I almost exclusively focused on the Crash Junctions with that fix of pressing the pedal down, causing carnage and seeing the damage value rack up being so addictive. The game was just so slickly made, with great graphics and solid play.

I never played the third game, Takedown, so much; the graphics wee sharper but the Crash gameplay just didn't quite feel as good - for me, the additional "matrix"-styled movement just took something away from the visceral carnage. I'm conscious that many folk prefer this version, though. As for Revenge... I've still not tried it!

Those long hours spent playing Crash Junctions on Burnout 2 - battling my pal in continually trying to cause just a little more crash damage - will always be a standout memory of my OG Xbox days.

Played Burnout 2 on a friend's console I think and loved it. Just got the recent Burnout on Switch and it's just not doing anything for me really

Hypes wrote:Played Burnout 2 on a friend's console I think and loved it. Just got the recent Burnout on Switch and it's just not doing anything for me really

I haven't tried Paradise but it seems to draw varied opinion; some GRcadians wax lyrical about the races whilst others bemoan the need to spend time driving around to get to the races. The openworld aspect is certainly different to the previous games in the series.

On Switch, Need for Speed Hot Pursuit is a good arcade-style racer. It's obvs a little basic being a 2010 original release but it looks good and runs well on the system.

Seeing as it's Gamescom week, I thought it'd would be a good opportunity to throw this into the mix:



I must've spent a good couple hours pouring over the show's dedicated retro exhibit; from consoles, controllers and magazines to series specific merchandise, there's truly an embarrassment of riches here. The retro goodness spans about 9 minutes of the video, so enjoy.