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Thread: The Collection Chamber - My new retro gaming blog

  1. #16
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    Hello, it's me again with some updates.

    The share setting for the newer games has now been fixed so you should no longer need my direct permission to download them. I've also re-compiled and re-uploaded Blade Runner as it was brought to my attention that the download was faulty.

    I'm getting a bit behind with my target of one review a day as I'm gearing up for a massive job coming my way - you may see some slowdown in the following weeks I'll be back with a vengeance once it's done so I won't be gone forever, just slowing down for a bit...

    As for the games they are:

    Traps n' Treasures (1993 AMIGA) A beautiful looking platform game for the Amiga, and one of the rarest for the system. It's also pretty good, with good controls, large detailed levels and a fun if minor adventure element that remind me a little of the Dizzy games.

    Ignition (1997 DOS) A fun racing game that had a cult following in Europe and Russia. I found it a bit too finicky with its controls and couldn't get anywhere with it, but there's a large fanbase for it.

    Sea Legends (1996 DOS) Basically a modernised rip-off of Pirates! but with more of a story element and better graphics. The sea battle sections are very well done for the time. It mixes Strategy with adventuring and basic combat elements. Enjoyable is you have the patience to get involved.

    ABA Games (2002-2004 Windows) A collection of 5 freeware schmups created by Kenta Cho. A7Xpg, Noiz2sa, Parsec47, Torus Trooper and Tumiki Fighter. For freeware games, they are of exceptionally high quality with Tumiki Fighter being expanding upon to become the cult Wii game Blast Works. Each of them are very fun with some excellent music to accompany them.

    3 Skulls of the Toltecs (1996 ScummVM) A cartoon point & click adventure with a Wild West setting. It is ther first part of the Fennimore Fillmore trilogy that consisted of Wanted: A Wild Western Adventure (aka The Westerner) adn Fennimore Fillmore's Revenge. This is the best and funniest of the three that almost comes close to being of LucasArts quality.

    Johnny Mnemonic (1995 Windows 3.1) One for you Jinx2131. I bought this game on the cheap a few years back, but never attempted to play it until now. I remember being a little excited for it before the movie came out but as soon as I saw how awful it was, I lost interest in the game. The game is little more than Dragon's Lair whose only redeeming features are the impressive for the time technical aspects and entertainingly cheesy acting.

    I've also reviewed the movie 12 Angry Men. It may not be completely unheard of, but I saw the stage play earlier in the week and got a hankering to watch it again. You'll see some slowdown in the number of posts in the coming weeks, but I'll see if I can squeeze some in between the imminent (and heavy) workload.

    Enjoy

    Biff

    http://collectionchamber.blogspot.co.uk/

  2. #17
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    Hi guys,

    I'm back with some more reviews and games. The work load's lessened but I don't know if I'll be able to manage a review every day from now on, but I'll certainly try my best.

    The uploads are:

    The Neverhood (1996, ScummVM) An absolute hidden gem. The puzzles can be a bit tedious and obtuse, but it has a winning charm from the creators of Earthworm Jim that's gathered more admirers with each passing year. A successfully Kickstarted spiritual sequel is due to be released later this year.

    Skullmonkeys (1998, PlayStation) The direct sequel to The Neverhood was unusually a PlayStation exclusive 2D platform game. The claymation style returns and the humour is again fantastically weird, but it can get overly difficult at times.

    Boombots (1999, PlayStation) While not really a sequel to The Neverhood and Skullmonkeys, this disappointing fighting game does feature those game's protagonist, Klayman. It plays a little bit like a two player Power Stone, but without the variety and gameplay that makes that game stand out. The animated cutscenes are good though.

    Klayman: Gun Hockey (1999, PlayStation) For some reason The Neverhood series was incredibly popular in Japan, so much so that the original adventure game also had a PlayStation release over there. This Japanese only PlayStation game was a budget title with no input from the creators of the first three games. It's a simple air-hockey game that has a little enjoyment, but its ultimately only for the curious and completionists.

    Tequila & Boom Boom (1995 DOS) I had only recently heard about this overlooked cartoon point & click adventure. From what I can gather from the limited information online, it was only released in Italy, yet an English translation with full speech does exist. The graphics look like they game straight from a Don Bluth movie (though it's not Disney quality). A great find from someone who had thought he'd seen everything.

    In light of the return of the X-Files, a show I was obsessed with back in the day, I've decided to revisit the show I loved so much. Unless I get abducted by aliens (read: work), I'll be giving my thoughts on several episodes each week until the very end of season 9. I seem to be enjoying them in a very different way with my adult mind so take a look.

    I hope you enjoy the updates. I thank you for the support - I recently surpassed 250 visits per day which you fantastic people certainly played a big part in. Let's see if we can double it

    Biff

    http://collectionchamber.blogspot.co.uk/

  3. #18
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    Hello!

    I have a couple of updates for all of you lovely people. I've been having trouble with the upload feature on 4Shared for the last few days. I think it was a problem their end as it all seems good now. Anyway, I have one less game than planned this week.

    SimPark (1996 Windows 3.1) An enjoyable educational title masquerading as a simple management strategy game. It is perhaps a bit too simple for some, but creating a beautiful park is fun and rewarding.

    SimAnt (1991 Windows 3.1) The classic RTS game where you raise your ant colony to overtake an entire house. There are a lot of ports to this game (DOS, SNES) which are interesting. I was going to include them all but time constraints lead to the decision to only include the Windows 3.1 version, which is the best in my opinion.

    Race Mania (1995 DOS) A top-down racing game which promotes a lot of questionable tactics. It's slogan is "Fair Play Strictly Prohibited" but I still seem to end up last place. It was originally shareware, but this is the full version.

    I also have the second part of my X-Files retrospective up where I review the episodes Jersey Devil, Shadows, Ghost in the Machine and Ice.

    That's it for now. Enjoy

    Biff

    http://collectionchamber.blogspot.co.uk/

  4. #19
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    It's been a while since I've updated but here's my latest batch of reviews.

    Pyrotechnica (1995 DOS) Published by Psygnosis, this blatantly ripped off the 360 degree action that Descent became famous for. It's more of an arcade affair with the main goal being a high score but the controls really let it down. The minimalistic graphics remind a little of SEGA's Rez.

    Jurassic Park Collection: Volume 1 (1993-1995 Various) I've pulled together a collection 13 games based on the first movie to celebrate the release of Jurassic World. The quality varies but there's little porting going on. The standouts are the DOS and SNES games by Ocean and SEGA's Arcade and Mega CD games. The latter was even a point & click adventure that I never knew existed!

    Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis (2003 Windows) Perhaps my favourite game based on the franchise. A tycoon strategy game in the same vein as Theme Park or Rollercoaster/Zoo Tycoon. You can lose hours into it.

    Jurassic Park Collection: Volume 2 (1997-2001 Various) A collection of eight games based on the two sequels. SEGA again created an excellent light gun arcade game for The Lost World but the others are at best above average. The three GameBoy Advance games released to coincide with the 3rd movie try to do something different and have a charm that far surpassed the stinker of a movie. Thank goodness Jurassic World turned out to be pretty decent.

    Part 3 of my X-Files marathon is also up bringing back fond memories of the first episode I ever saw.

    On a side note away from gaming, a film I had a (very small) role in creating was released in the UK this week to limited screens. It turned out to be comedy legend Rik Mayall's last UK feature film and one of his few serious roles. It's currently been extended in Nottingham so if you're from there you can buy tickets from the distributor Film Volt. I don't know if or when it's going wider but a TV deal is in the works.
    A few links...
    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2332735/ (Imdb page)
    http://www.filmvolt.com/#!one-by-one-/c198d (Film Volt's site where you can also buy tickets)
    http://www.starburstmagazine.com/review ... one-by-one (Starburst Magazine's review)

    If you're lucky enough to see it I'd love to hear your thoughts.

    Biff

    http://collectionchamber.blogspot.co.uk/

  5. #20
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    Hello! Here's my update for this past week.

    Chewy: ESC from F5 (1995 DOS) Another great cartoon adventure, which reminds me of Day of the Tentacle quite a bit. Puzzles are fairly easy, but it's still entertaining getting through them.

    Ripley's Believe it or Not! The Riddle of Master Lu (1995 DOS) We're still in my favourite genre - adventure games. This is an Indiana Jones style adventure based on the real-life founder of the renowned museum. Funnily, considering the title and the real-world inspiration, this is less plausible than any of Indy's adventures.

    RoboCop Vs The Terminator Collection (1998-2003 Various) I've collected over 50 games based on both franchises. I wanted to do a Terminator collection to celebrate the new movie, but just like Genisys (sic) most of them are disappointing. The RoboCop games are much better with the first two arcade games and RoboCop 3 on DOS being the best.

    I've also been taking a look back at what I've done before, taking new knowledge and updating the downloads - some of them with extra content. Check the full list here:
    http://collectionchamber.blogspot.co...7/updates.html

    To round things off, there's the fourth entry of my X-Files retrospective. The next four all have spritual themes dealing with religion, resurrection, reincarnation and the afterlife.

    Until next time, I hope you have fun!

    Biff

    http://collectionchamber.blogspot.co.uk/

  6. #21
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    Hi guys. I've got more cool stuff from The Collection Chamber!

    I've improved the site itself a little by including genre links at the top of the page. It's made me realise that I need to spread the genres out a bit more - the RPG list is looking particularly threadbare! If you've got any suggestions for any old RPGs to include I'd love to hear them.

    The Terminator Collection (1991-1996 - DOS) All 5 FPS games from the Bethesda Softworks series of games. They hold up very well today for the most part. I found SkyNET to be particularly good fun.

    Albion (1996 - DOS) The first PC RPG on the site! It's aged pretty badly, particularly the first-person segments, but the story is very engrossing making the whole thing worth it.

    Labyrinth (1986 - Commodore64 & 1987 - NES) LucasArt's legacy of graphic adventures began here. Partly written by Douglas Addams of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy fame, it takes a unique direction in adapting the movie. It's very good too! The Japanese only NES game not so much. It's a top-down action game that poorly combines elements from early Zelda and Pocky & Rocky. It tends to confuse trolling the player for challenge.

    Got some more individual game updates too. Again, they're mostly aesthetic changes but a couple have been reduced in size by compressing the CD audio. I've also added the odd manual and Amiga version. See the full list here.
    http://collectionchamber.blogspot.co.../updates2.html

    I've also given my views on the next four X-Files episodes which involve alien, werewolves, faith healers and killer insects. Next week will be the last of the first season!

    That's it for this week! Enjoy!

    Biff

    http://collectionchamber.blogspot.co.uk/
    Last edited by Biffman101; 16th-July-2015 at 21:18.

  7. #22
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    Hello! Biff here with this week's uploads.

    I have another intensive period in my day job so I'll again be reducing my output for a short while But it's not all bad news! I've found some exciting breakthroughs in DOSBox - namely getting Windows 95 and 98 working in it - so it's opened up a load of new possibilities for when I come back. I've even managed to get Discworld Noir fully working on it!!! The only downside is that it is very hard-drive intensive (about 3Gb for DWN). It relies on HDD images to work so there's a fair amount of blank space eating up the Mega bytes (it compresses well though). It's not up on the site yet as I'm getting rid of a few kinks for ease of use and making it a bit prettier but it should be soon.

    Anyway I've been enlarging the RPG section so here's what's new:

    Elder Scrolls: Arena (1994 DOS) The first of the classic franchise. It's very clunky and unappealing in my opinion and it's too big for its own good. It's interesting to see the beginnings of the series, but beyond that I didn't find much to enjoy.

    Menzoberranzan (1994 DOS) Another first person RPG, this time created by DreamForge Intertainment and SSI. They both have a history of developing RPGs based on the Dungeons and Dragons rule set so it's no surprise that this fares better than Arena. It's easier, prettier (with one glaring exception) and has a greater story. It has some minor inventory puzzles as well, which makes it more than your usual dungeon crawler.

    Live-A-Live (1994 SNES) A Japanese only RPG from SquareSoft back in the days when they could do no wrong. It's been superbly translated into English by the fan translation group Aeon Genesis. There are seven drastically different scenarios to play through in any order before they all come together for one last hurrah. It may look superficial to begin with - it does feature a caveman, a cowboy and a sentient robot after all - but it's surprisingly poignant.

    I've also compressed the CD audio for Fury3 and Ignition to make their file sizes much smaller, but I'll wait until there's more to say before I make an entire entry about them.

    I'm behind on the X-Files retrospective, which I hope to get up later today before the work chaos begins. If not, you'll know why.

    I'd also like to mention that the DVD for a film project I worked on called Soldiers of the Damned on is now available to pre-order on Amazon UK (delivery worldwide). If Nazi zombies traipsing around a haunted Russian forest interests you, then take a look - the link's on my webpage.

    I've got to go to a meeting now so I'll leave it there.

    Biff

    http://collectionchamber.blogspot.co.uk/

  8. #23
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    Hello
    Amongst the swathes of work I've got going on, I've managed to compile the PC version of Discworld Noir as promised. Check out the link to the post below:

    http://collectionchamber.blogspot.co.../updates3.html

    I've got about a week or so of work remaining, so I should be back to the regular posts then.

    Biff

  9. #24
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    Hi guys,

    I'm back from a period of heavy work, only to go head first into another week of time consuming jobs that pays the bills.

    I've delayed my X-Files post again to focus on more games. I've added three more Disney Animated Storybooks, as well as updating the older ones.

    The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Mulan & Toy Story
    http://collectionchamber.blogspot.co...torybooks.html

    Updated 101 Dalmatians, The Lion King & Pocahontas
    http://collectionchamber.blogspot.co...torybooks.html

    I'm gonna do my best to get some more up - I'll let you know when I do

    Biff

    http://collectionchamber.blogspot.co.uk/

  10. #25
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    I'm Back!

    After a month-long hiatus with an unexpectedly increasing workload, I can now relax a bit and continue what I love - gaming. I tried my best to get some posts in during this time but only managed a couple. Those fine folks at GOG.com also managed to gazump me on some games I intended to include and even a few that were already there. As such, the download links for these games have now been replaced with link to their online store.

    New to the site are:

    Hexplore (1998 Windows) a fun, if simplistic isometric RPG. I may not satisfy those who want a bit more meat while their dungeoning and dragoning but I enjoyed it quite a bit.

    Orion Burger (1996 DOS) another entry in my go-to genre of choice: the cartoon adventure. Made by the same team as The Riddle of Master Lu, it has was released in limited numbers due to the company's financial troubles. The presentation, production value and game as a whole is perhaps a little too ambitious for their resources and bank balance but I found the good points far outweigh the bad.

    Azrael's Tear (1996 DOS) Here's one game that I can't quite put my finger on. I remember the positive review from PC Format at the time of its release and thinking this would be a game I'd love. Everything from the superb (for 1996) graphics, the story and the promise of Myst-like puzzle design really appealed to me. And it still does. What completely breaks the game, and frustrates me to no end, is the counter-intuitive control scheme that's midway between an FPS and a point and click adventure. It doesn't know which it wants to be and excels at neither.

    Ecstatica (1994 DOS) Another game where I find issue with the control scheme, but this time I found myself truly enjoying the game overall. It is an early example of a survival horror that uses a unique method of 3D graphics. It's telling that no other game series has used this style (at least to my knowledge) but I found it added to the darkly humourous tone.

    With the release of Windows 10, I also tested a few on my updated machine. Most games do seem to work thankfully, with only a couple running natively showing any negative issues. Check out my findings here:
    http://collectionchamber.blogspot.co.../updates4.html

    I also managed to complete my season 1 X-Files retrospecive and also reviewed one of the most stunning animated movies I've ever seen: The Secret of Kells.

    I can't see any work-related obstacles coming my way in the near future so I should be updating more regularly. Let me know what you guys think and happy gaming!

    Biff

    http://collectionchamber.blogspot.co.uk/

  11. #26
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    I'm making up for lost time with a number of games added to The Collection Chamber.

    Duckman: Legend of the Fall (1997 Windows 95) A hugely funny but short adventure based on the forgotten gem of a TV show. It's very easy. So easy that i child could complete it (though the the sordid adult humour means they probably still should). I found it funnier than almost any other game I've played.

    Silent Hill: The Arcade (2014 Windows) An almost perfect fan port of the 2007 arcade exclusive game that I had only recently heard about. I doesn't come close to making up for the cancellation of Silent Hills, but at least it's miles better than Resident Evil's first light gun effort (but that's not hard).

    Ceremony of Innocence (1997 Windows 95) A visual novel that adds puzzles. It's a beautiful story based on the Griffin and Sabine trilogy, with some great art and intriguing puzzle design. The professional voice acting starring some big names elevates the text no-end.

    Blue Ice (1995 DOS) This overly abstract puzzle game homes the distinction of never been fully completed. Out side of the main story there are deliberately hard side puzzles that were originally supposed to be part of a competition. This was canned and the documents for these sections lost. Even the designer himself has little idea! This gives it a somewhat mythological feeling as you play it.

    Ecstatica 2 (1996 DOS) The sequel to last week's ellipsoid entry. It doesn't vary much on what went before but it expands on it. A lot of the strangeness is also toned tone, which basically removed what I like best about it. As is it it's still pretty good, but much more difficult.

    Lastly I initially planned to review a movie that's been on my mind for some time. Instead I wrote a rather long piece attempting to explain what it all means. The movie is Holy Motors - a post-modern French film featuring Eva Mendes and Kylie Minogue as well as a bafflingly random plotline that that takes some time to piece together. I think I cracked most of it, but I could've equally been 100% wrong. If you've seen it, I'd love to hear your interpretation.

    Until next week...

    http://collectionchamber.blogspot.co.uk/

  12. #27
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    Hello!

    Biff here with some more games I think you'll like.

    Skies of Arcadia: Legends (2003 GameCube) One of SEGA's best games happens to be one few talk about now. First released on the DreamCast, this GameCube version adds slightly better graphics, improved loading times and more piratey goodness. A fun lighthearted J-RPG, which is becoming a rare combination.

    The Kite (2012, Windows) A short freeware point-and-click adventure that tells the tragic story of an impoverished Ukrainian family with an abusive patriarch. It's not bright or happy, but it leaves you thinking like any good drama should.

    Powerslave AKA Exhumed (1996 DOS / PlayStation) A classic FPS game whose console counterpart was drastically different. I'd even go so far to say that the PC version is actually the inferior one. Here it's simply a high quality Doom clone with some good graphics and an interesting Egyptian setting. The PSX version goes further by adding platform segments and Metroid Prime-like progression. I enjoyed it far more than I was expecting to.

    Blinky's Scary Games (1990-1991 Amiga) A compilation of Blinky's Scary School and its sequel Titanic Blinky. The former holds the distinction of being the first proper game I ever completed, but it's not exactly hard. It's a 2D platformer with Dizzy style inventory puzzles. The sequel removes some of the adventure elements and adds a pop-gun, which takes away some of the charm. Both are short and easy, but still surprisingly enjoyable.

    Time Gate: Knight's Chase (1995 DOS) What was once to be the 4th Alone in the Dark then became the 1st in a planned trilogy of historic action adventures. Playing the game, it's easy to see why the next two weren't made. I found what little story it had to be incoherent and the puzzles and action unsuited to the archaic controls. It looks good, despite the 4-year-old engine which was only slightly modified. I liked exploring the atmospheric locations and it looked good, but the promise of this was let down by everything else.

    The movie review for this week is the little known 1975 film A Boy and his Dog based on the Harlan Ellison short story. It's a post-apocalyptic tale that's perhaps the only movie that features a talking dog that I actually like. It was also the inspiration for George Miller's Mad Max (specifically the second one) and Cormac McCarthy's The Road along with many other movies. You may even notice some references when you play through Fallout 3!

    Thanks for taking a look. I'll be back next week for some more games and reviews.

    Biff

    http://collectionchamber.blogspot.co.uk/

  13. #28
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    I've realised I have two weeks worth of updates to tell you about, so without further ado here they are.

    Woodruff and the Schnibble of Azimuth (1994 ScummVM) - A really weird cartoon adventure from Dynamix. It shares the same artist as the Gobliiins games, but plays more like a traditional story-based point n clicker. That's not to say that aren't any of those crazy-hard puzzles. I like this game far more than their earlier trilogy.

    Brain Dead 13 (1995 DOS) - It's October now so I'm featuring some horror games as befitting of the season- not much different to what I would normally post but whatever. Brain Dead 13 is from the Dragon's Lair school of thought. I've always loved the way these games look but despised how they play. This is no different, sticking rigidly to the formula.

    Zombi (1986-1990 DOS, Amiga) - This was Ubisoft's first ever game and it's surprising how much effort the upstart developers put into it. It's an adventure game with some minor action elements and perma-death but it's still very playable after 30 years.

    The Dark Eye (1995 Windows 3.1) - This awesome CD-Rom takes the stories of Edgar Allen Poe and places them in an adventure/media CD hybrid. It's not hard to play through it, but it's the exceptional storytelling that's the main draw. It remains one of the few games that can actually creep me out.

    Sweet Home (1989 NES) - Capcom's first foray into horror wasn't with Resident Evil but this game based on the obscure Japanese horror movie of the same name. It was considered too violent and gory for the western market but thanks to a fan translation all English speakers can now enjoy it. You can definitely see the influence it had on the father of survival horror from item management to animations of doors opening. It's also a damn fine game in its own right.

    The Devil Inside (2000 Windows) - A crazy action game from the mind of one of the creators of Alone in the Dark. You are a demon hunter with an actual demon inside, but your every move is filmed for a COPS/Running Man style reality show. It has it's problems but they're not so bad as to deny some fun gaming.

    No movie reviews I'm afraid - time got the better of me . Until next time...

    http://collectionchamber.blogspot.co.uk/

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