Retro Console of the Month - April 2020

RETRO CONSOLE OF THE MONTH - APRIL 2020
NINTENDO WII
Hi guys,

I'm back at it again with another blog post, sorry for the delay, it's been hectic with coronavirus going on and uni being delayed, but I promise to be a bit more active. Starting with another retro console of the month, so let's dive into it!

This month's retro console is the Nintendo Wii! This console is one of the best of it's generation for the 7th generation. The Nintendo Wii was released in 2006 as a successor to the Gamecube and to compete with the PS3 and Xbox 360. This was one of the first consoles that introduced Motion Sensors to the controller. This made it easier for the player to move around with the console able to pick up the controller. The one downside to this console was the fact that the controller (or Wii remote) needed to be recallibrated every so often. The console was discontinued in 2013, to be followed by the Wii U

Geekette's Thoughts:
This console is one of my personal favourites as I grew up playing the Wii and having the black variant of the console. I still love to play the Wii to this day, as it still works. My favourite games on the Wii were Mario Kart Wii and Coconut Mall.

That's all for today, but stay tuned for future updates!
So until next time,

Peace Out,
Geekette

Retro Game of the Week - 02/03/2020

RETRO GAME OF THE WEEK - 02/03/2020
THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: OCARINA OF TIME
This week's retro game of the week is the one and only, Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time! Let's delve into this retro game of the week!

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was released on the Nintendo 64 in November 1998. The player takes the role of the iconic main character Link as he has to save the Princess Zelda and the land of Hyrule form a evil king called Ganondorf. Helping Link is a little fairy called Navi and an ocarina that plays different songs in order to progress through various gates.

This game follows four other Zelda games, The Legend of Zelda (NES), Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (NES), A Link to the Past (NES), and Link's Awakening (GBA). However, in the fictional chronological order of the game, Ocarina of Time is 4th out of the 18 Legend of Zelda games released.

Geekette's Thoughts: I have never played this game before (mainly due to not owing a N64), but I have always wanted to play it as I am a fan of the Zelda games. However, I am attempting to play the Zelda games in chronological order, starting with Skyward Sword.

That wraps up today's (late) Retro Game of the Week. Hope you enjoyed it! So until next time.

Peace Out,
Geekette

Star Wars: The Old Republic Gameplay

STAR WARS: THE OLD REPUBLIC GAMEPLAY
PART 2 - TROOPER STORY
Welcome back to the 2nd part of the trooper story of Star Wars: The Old Republic.

Check out the episode here:
https://youtu.be/jC5nfHuIlh8

So until next time,

Peace Out,
Geekette

Gamer Tag - A Q&A!

Gamer Tag - A Q&A!

This tag gives all you lovely readers a chance to get to know me, so without further ado, let's jump into things!

1) What is your all-time favourite video game?
My favourite video game of all time has got to be Star Wars Battlefront II on the PS2, as I have fond memories of playing this game with my younger sister. Either that or any of the Harry Potter games!2) What’s your current favourite video game?

My favourite current game has to be Luigi's Mansion 3, as I was excited for it when Nintendo announced the game at E3 last year. Also when I saw Polterpup and Professor E. Gadd in the game, I knew it was going to be good.3)What is your favourite video game genre?

My favourite game genre has to be RPGs as I love the story aspect behind them, followed closely by construction games. To be honest, I'd happily play any genre of game.4) How long have you been playing video games?

I have been into video games for as long as I remember, but I have been playing them more now I have grown up a bit and started to appreciate the art and tech aspects that go into them.5) What’s the first game you ever played?

The first game that I have ever played was Gran Turismo on the Playstation, albeit I wasn't very good at it. 6) What game have you clocked the most hours into?

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix on DS. I managed to complete that game in one day, which was impressive for me as it was the first game I had ever completed.7) What’s your longest gaming session?

My longest gaming session was probably a day of playing games and the odd couple of toilet breaks and food breaks.8) Who is your favourite game developer?

TT Games, I have always admired their work and I have grown up playing majority of the Lego games since Lego Star Wars came out on the PS2.9) Who’s your favourite hero character from a game?

My favourite hero has to be Luigi from Mario and Luigi's Mansion, especially when he's walking around humming the theme song. 10) Who is your favourite villain?

My favourite villain is probably Gnasty Gnorc from the Spyro games. Even though you don't see much of him or hear him speak, he is still one of those villains that everyone despises altogether and has the weirdest of looks for being in the land of dragons.11) Who is your most hated character of any game?

My most hated character has to be the little white dude that used to pop up in the Eyetoy games and try to give you "helpful" hints. We discovered that batting him of the screen use to get him quiet every so often.12) What gaming systems do you own?

I own a Playstation, PS2, PSP, PS Vita, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii, DS, 3DS, Nintendo Switch, Gameboy Advance, Mega Drive, Game Gear, and a gaming laptop (if that counts).13) What was your first game system?

My first system that I played was the original Playstation, but the first system I brought myself was the Xbox 360.14) What’s your favourite gaming system and why?

My favourite gaming system is the Nintendo DS. I always played this as a little kid, so I will always go back to playing it if I get bored, and besides it fits easily in a bag or pocket so I can take it to lectures if I get bored!15) Do you prefer to play guy characters or girl characters?

Normally I play as guy characters, unless I can customise a girl character. Usually, this is due to the girls never having as good traits as the guys.16) Do you follow walkthroughs, or do you play through on your own?

Normally I play on my own, unless I get extremely stuck. Then I play walkthroughs.17) Have you ever been to a gaming convention?

I have been to EGX (which was in London this year), as well as Play Expo back in 2018 (I hope to go back one day though) and a small convention called GEEK, which was held in Margate.18) What game are you most excited about coming out in the future?

I am pretty excited for the new Animal Crossing game coming out, as well as Watchdogs Legions, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon and Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga.19) What’s your best memory of a video game?

My best memory of a video game is the time I managed to beat an unbeatable (for me, my dad and uncle) level on my Harry Potter game. It was the Chamber of Secrets and I couldn't get past Aragog. So I left the game for a couple of years (nearly 10) and went back to it. I finally beat Aragog and chanted, "I beat the unbeatable level!", it made me so happy.20) What’s your worst memory of a video game?

Struggling to beat Aragog on the PS2, or when my dog accidentally sniffed my Xbox and switched the console off while I was mid-game playing Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens.21) Which video game character do you see yourself as, or if you had to be represented by a video game character, who would it be?

If I was represented by a video game character, I think I would be GLaDOS from the Portal games. I love her sarcasm and I think that fits me perfectly. It's a shame how their are not as many geeky females in games.

So that's it for this special Q&A and I hope you all enjoyed it! So until next time,

Peace Out,

Geekette

Game of the Week - 26/02/2020

GAME OF THE WEEK - 26/02/2020
SMASH BROS. ULTIMATED
This week's game of the week is Smash Bros. Ultimate for the Nintendo Switch. So let's a go (as Mario would say!)

Smash Bros. Ultimate was released for the Nintendo Switch in 2018. This game is a beat-'em up game which features a lot of Nintendo characters and different stages, such as Deflino Plaza, and my personal favourite, Saffron City.

There is a whole host of characters that are available that the players can play and also purchase as DLCs such as Banjo and Kazooie, but there are plenty of existing characters as well such as Mario (of course), Pac Man, Kirby and Link. This game is a good example of how DLCs are used to give players more variety in the games that they play.

Geekette's Thoughts: I love playing Smash Bros. Ultimate as it is a good party game that everyone can get involved in playing. Myself and my university friends have spent countless hours sat playing this game in the student bar or before classes have become. Before university, I had never played a Smash Bros. game before, as I have never really been that good at beat-'em up games.

That's all for today, so until next time.

Peace Out,
Geekette

History of Third Generation Consoles

HISTORY OF THIRD GENERATION CONSOLES
Today we are delving into the history of third generation consoles, with 3 major consoles that every gamer may be able to recognize. Let's jump into things!

The third generation of games consoles began on July 15th in 1985 with Nintendo releasing their first home system. This system was of course the Nintendo Entertainment System, or the Famicom if you were from Japan. The release of this console marked the beginning of Nintendo's games consoles journey releasing many more amazing consoles afterwards. When the console was released, the top selling game was Super Mario Bros. The console itself went onto sell 69.91 million units in its lifecycle.

The next third generation console that was released was the Sega Master System. This console was released worldwide in June 1987, succeeding the SG-1000, which was only released in Japan and New Zealand. The Master System had sold 10 - 13 million units worldwide, with the most popular game being Sonic the Hedgehog.

The last home console to be released with the third generation consoles was the Atari 7800. This console was released in July 1987 as a successor to the Atari 5200 and was originally supposed to have backwards compatibility with the console. However, it did have backwards compatibility with the Atari 2600 and was the first games console to have the ability to play older games. The most successful game for the Atari was Pole Position II and the console sold 3.77 million units which is surprisingly low for a console.

During this era, some well known games as well as Sonic and Super Mario Bros were released, such as Final Fantasy and Ninja Gaiden.

So that sums up today's History of..., stay tuned for next time!

So until then,

Peace Out,
Geekette

Retro Game of the Week - 24/02/2020

RETRO GAME OF THE WEEK - 24/02/2020
SILENT HILL
Welcome back to another blog post! This week we are delving into the Horror genre with the PS1 classic, Silent Hill.



Silent Hill was released for the PS1 on February 23rd 1999. Which means that it is 21 years old (shock faces here). The game was based around Harry Mason trying to find his daughter in the town of Silent Hill, but lurking within the fog are scary creatures waiting to attack you. While attempting to find his daughter, Harry also has to try and figure out the mystery around Silent Hill.

This game is your typical 3rd person shooter game with many horror aspects included. The game can utilize the feature of the dual-shock controller to alert the player if Harry's health is low by making it vibrate, as the game has no health bar or ammo bar present.

One very cool feature of the game is the rendering aspects that the game used. When the game was being developed, the developers noticed that the smoke was not rendering the way that they needed it to show the rest of the map. As a result, they decided to leave the smoke to be unrendered and allow the buildings to begin to show when the player gets closer to them.

Geekette's Thoughts: I recently started playing this game and it is amazing. I am not very good with horror films normally, but I thought I'd give this game a shot. The use of the smoke covering the enemies and the buildings makes the game much more eerie and spooky. I would rate this game 4/5 as it is an amazing game, but the lack of health bar and ammo bar makes the game slightly harder to control.

So that sums up today's retro game of the week. Stay tuned for more awesome updates coming your way!

So until next time,

Peace Out,
Geekette

Star Wars: The Old Republic Gameplay

STAR WARS: THE OLD REPUBLIC GAMEPLAY
PART ONE - THE BEGINNING
Hey all,

So I have been rather busy recently with stuff going on at university and work, but I have managed to squeeze a bit of time and do a bit of Star Wars: The Old Republic gameplay. Here it is and enjoy:

https://youtu.be/QDVkheXNC8s

So until next time,

Peace Out,
Geekette

Retro Console of the Month - December

RETRO CONSOLE OF THE MONTH - DECEMBER
NINTENDO PLAYSTATION
Today I am going to talk about a console that almost was, but never released to the public. In honor of the PlayStation's 25th Anniversary, I thought it would be appropriate to talk about the console that started it all, the Nintendo PlayStation.


Cast your mind back to 1988. Sweet Child O' Mine was released by Guns 'N' Roses, Beetlejuice was released in cinemas and VHS tapes were still being used everyday. Sony had signed a deal with Nintendo to develop a CD-ROM add on for the SNES to move them away from the use of cartridges. Both companies wanted to develop a new age for games consoles, and using CDs was going to put them on the up and up. But why did this console not come to be?

One of the reasons was money. There was a dispute between Sony and Nintendo on how much money each company would get. Sony wanted to keep all of the profits made from the CD licenses, but Nintendo disagreed with this.

Another reason (which is speculated) is that Sony wanted to work with 32-bit processors and create 3D games, but Nintendo were less impressed with this idea and wanted to stick with the 16-bit processors.

By 1992, everything had fallen apart between Sony and Nintendo. When showcasing the console in 1991, Sony were left in the dark about Nintendo collaborating with Philips (the DVD player company) to continue pursuing the SNES CD-ROM. Sony and Nintendo parted ways starting the rivalry between them. Sony went on to release the PlayStation in 1994, with Nintendo following in suit with the N64 in 1996.

What happened to the prototypes made? Well for all we know, 200 prototypes were made. One of them was found in 2015, and shown to be fully working. But they do go for £89,000! (About $100,099.99).

What do you think of this retro console? Would it have been a success if released or an utter failure like the Sega Dreamcast (shudders)? Leave your thoughts below!

So until next time,
Peace Out - Geekette

Game of the Week - 04/12/2019

GAME OF THE WEEK - 04/12/2019
LUIGI'S MANSION 3

Hey all and welcome back to another blog post! This week's game of the week is the new Luigi's Mansion game that was released on the Nintendo Switch on October 31. Let's dive right into it!

Luigi's Mansion is a game series developed by Nintendo that was originally going to be released by on the N64, but was delayed and eventually released on the GameCube in 2001. It spawned a sequel that was released on the 3DS in 2013. The general concept of this game is that Luigi wins something in a competition he never remembers entering (in the first game it was a mansion, in the latest release it is a holiday in a hotel), and Luigi being Luigi goes and accepts the prize.

The latest game follows Luigi, Mario, Peach, and the toads as they go on a holiday to a nice, luxurious hotel, or so they thought! I won't give to much away but the main game is about Luigi fighting some ghosts with the infamous Poltergust and help from a familiar face, Professor E. Gad.

I brought this game on day 1 release and haven' stopped playing it since. I love the concept of the game and the fact that they have so many familiar faces returning such as Professor E. Gad and of course, the Polterpup!

Have you played this game? What are your thoughts on the latest addition to the Luigi's mansion family? Leave a comment below!

So until next time,
Peace Out - Geekette

Retro Game of the Week - 03/12/2019

RETRO GAME OF THE WEEK - 03/12/2019
GRAN TURISMO
Hey all,

I'm back with a new post and it happens to be the time for Retro Game of the Week! This week's game is the PS1 classic, Gran Turismo.

I decided to review this game as it is one of my favorites and it happens to be the 25th Anniversary of the PlayStation being released!

Gran Turismo is a driving game that was released on the PlayStation in 1997, but it did take 5 years to complete! The game featured a simulation mode where the player had to qualify to complete in different events with their licenses and the categories. There is also an Arcade Mode where the player could select from a number of cars and tracks. My personal favorite choice is the New Dodge Viper.

I have fond memories of playing this game when I was younger and it was one of the very first games I had played (even though I was never very good at it!).

That concludes today's post on the Retro Game of the Week. I hope you enjoyed it and stay tuned for the next post!

So until next time,
Peace Out - Geekette

Retro Game of the Week - 14/10/2019

RETRO GAME OF THE WEEK - 14/10/2019
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG
This week's blog post kicks off with a blast from the past, Sonic the Hedgehog!

This loveable game was released in 1991 for the Sega Mega Drive (if you are from the U.K.) or as the console was known in the States, the Sega Genesis. The main character of this game is a blue hedgehog called Sonic, and you as the player have to run around the different levels collecting gold rings. Simple yes? There is also an antagonist called Doctor Robotnik who tries to stop Sonic at the end of every level.

The game itself was one of the most played games on the Mega Drive, receiving a lot of attention from critics who loved the game itself and it was also one of the best selling games for the Mega Drive.

Personally, I do find this game a little bit challenging as I cannot seem to get past the Green Hill Zone 1. Nevertheless, it does not stop me from trying every time I play this game and I love it.

Anyway, that's all from me today.
So until next time,
Peace Out - Geekette

Mario Kart Double Dash Gameplay!

MARIO KART DOUBLE DASH GAMEPLAY!
Hey all,

So I know I haven't done a Harry Potter gameplay video in a long time and I'll admit I'm stuck on one of the levels at the moment. So as soon as that's completed, it'll be uploaded. But in the meantime, enjoy myself failing horribly at Mario Kart (or so I thought!). Enjoy :)

https://youtu.be/J2UUX17mbz0

So until next time,
Peace Out - Geekette

Retro Game of the Week - 30/09/2019

RETRO GAME OF THE WEEK - 30/09/2019

SPACE INVADERS

Retro Game of the week is back! And this week we have a personal favourite of mine which is Space Invaders! So, let's delve into the history of this magnificent game.

Space Invaders was originally released as an arcade game produced by Midway in 1978. Since its original release, the game has been ported over to the Atari and then recreated many years later for consoles like the PS1. 

The aim of this game is very simple, it is to shoot down enemy ships and aliens. This game has been recreated so many times, and can even be played online using flash. This game has changed over time to keep up with the ever changing graphics and consoles. 

One of these sequels/changes is the Space Invaders game released in 1999 which was released on the PC, N64, and PS. This title had an impact via the changes as it had included 3D graphics, which no other arcade game had really done before. It also had some decisions made by designers that would upgrade the game such as putting a picture in the background and not having the defenses which were iconic for the game.

Nonetheless, Space Invaders still one of my favourite games to this day, as I have grown up playing it. I do like seeing all the different variations to the game, as it makes me think what other people have come up with in return with their own ideas.

So until next time,

Peace Out - Geekette

History of Second Generation Consoles

HISTORY OF SECOND GENERATION CONSOLES
After a mini hiatus, the Geekette is back with another blog post. Sorry for the delay guys, I've had a lot going on recently and not a lot of time to blog! But I am back for good now, so stay tuned for our regular updates! This weekend, we're kicking things off with the History of Second Generation Consoles.

The Second Generation of consoles sees some of the biggest consoles in Video Game history. This generation ranges from 1976 to 1982. There were a few notable systems released in this year, along with some handheld systems. The first of these systems is the Fairchild Channel F. This was released in November 1976 and was a first for video game consoles. This was the first console to introduce cartridge's as the game's storage and it also came with a pause button, which allowed the player to pause their game without losing their save.

Moving on from a little known games console to a more well known console is the Atari 2600 & Atari 5200. The Atari 2600 was released in 1977 and it came with 9 games designed and released in time for the Christmas Season. The Atari 2600 sold over 30 million units over its lifetime and was eventually discontinued in 1992, with the best selling game being Pac-Man. The Atari had an advantage over the other consoles, with Atari being the only company to have the rights to most arcade games. Atari decided to then release the 5200 in 1982, following the success of the 2600, but due to poor sales and lack of games, it was discontinued in 1984.

In 1977/1978, the Bally Astrocade was released by the videogame department of Midway in Bally. This console was mainly sold in computer stores and in 1981, it was sold to Astrovision, who renamed the console. It continued to be sold until 1983, when the video game crash happened.

In this generation, there are other consoles released within this generation such as the Magnavox Odyssey (released 1978), Intellivision (1980), and the Vectrex (1982).

Also in this generation came the introduction of handheld consoles. One of the handheld consoles released was by a small firm called Nintendo and it was called the Nintendo Game and Watch. The Game and Watch was first released in 1980 and comprised of 60 handheld systems, each with their own game on at release. One of these games was Donkey Kong and it featured DK himself, Mario, and Peach.

That's all for now, but stay tuned for next time where we will have more posts with our usual reviews and history posts.

So until next time,

Peace Out - Geekette

E3 - Bethesda Conference - My Thoughts

E3 - BETHESDA CONFERENCE - MY THOUGHTS
So, before today's conferences (or tonight's if, like me, you live in the UK and are watching the live streams), I decided to catch up on the conferences that I missed, starting off with the Bethesda Conference. This streamed at 2am on Monday morning, so I'm a day late watching it (oh well, I had work the next day).

Bethesda are a games company based in Maryland, USA. They are well known for games such as Elder Scrolls and DOOM. I saw a lot of things that interested me, so here are a list of things that I am excited for after watching their conference coverage.

1) Elder Scrolls: Blade on the Nintendo Switch
For those of you that don't know what Elder Scrolls: Blade is, it is a free-to-play game that is available on iOS and Android systems at the moment. The good thing is that if you have the mobile game, the data from that is easily transferable to the switch!

2) Elder Scrolls: Blade - Dragon quest expansion
This was also announced with the ability to play it from Monday. This was a free update that would run for an entire year. This just sounds amazing, and who doesn't love a good dragon story game quest?

3) Wolfenstein: Young Blood announcement
Wolfenstein is a first-person shooter game that is set during an alternative World War II with the Nazis and zombies. Wolfenstein: Young Blood is about BJ's (main character from the first game) daughters trying to find him in Paris. It is a multiplayer co-op game that looks brilliant, as I can play with friends.

Bethesda also announced some other new games, such as an expansion to Fallout 76, with the ability to play it for free for a certain length of time, and DOOM: Eternal.

That sums up my thoughts on Bethesda's conference. Stay tuned for my thoughts on the PC Gaming Show conference!

So until next time,
Peace Out - Geekette

E3 - Xbox Conference - My Thoughts

E3 - XBOX CONFERENCE - MY THOUGHTS
So this year, I decided to watch the live streams of E3 and I started with the Xbox Conference. This conference was pretty cool as I am a huge Xbox fan. Here are a few of my favourite parts from the livestream:

1) Project Scarlett announcement
Project Scarlett was predicted. Sort of. We had already heard the announcement of the PS5 by Sony, who unfortunately were not at E3 this year. Everyone thought that once the PS5 had been announced, Microsoft would be announcing something as well. And they were right.

Project Scarlett was said to be releasing in Christmas 2020 (I'll sit here and wait) and to have more power than the Xbox One X. It is also said to run of an SSD. Interesting much.

2) Halo Infinite
I am a huge Halo fan. So seeing the teaser for this game got me pretty excited. Halo Infinite is the title game that is going to be released with Project Scarlett in 2020. Halo Infinite takes on from Halo 5: Guardians and the game will also be released on PCs.

Hopefully, this game will be quite good, as I have always played and loved the Halo games.

3) Forza Horizon 4 - Lego Speed DLC
This DLC announcement was amazing. They brought onto the stage a Lego supercar of some form. The trailer for the DLC included the song, 'Everything is Awesome' from the Lego movie. The DLC allows you to have a master builder house and even a Lego Ferrari!

4) Lego Star Wars - The Skywalker Saga
I screamed when I saw that this game was being released. I have been a fan of the Lego games ever since I was little, with Lego Star Wars - The Videogame on PS2 being the first Lego game I remember playing.

This new game is based on all 9 of the Star Wars movies (in the Skywalker Saga - not including Rogue One or Solo). The cutscenes look promising, with no talking (although I do like the talking in the later Lego games) and Darth Vader trying to give Luke his own hand.

5) The Outer Worlds & Cyberpunk 2077
The Outer Worlds is a cool sci-fi looking game whose story is up to you. The main character is awaken from a deep cryposleep and discovers that huge mega corporations are out to destroy the alien lands that you are exploring. It is a mix of action, sci-fi and comedy,

The other game that caught my eye was Cyberpunk 2077. This game I have seen for ages and I have always liked the look of. It also has a sci-fi aspect to it. The main character is called V, a character that you alter, and they are a mercenary in the fictional Night City, California. 

To be honest, all of these games look amazing and I cannot wait to play them. Stay tuned for my take on the Bethesda Conference that happened afterwards.

So until next time,
Peace Out - Geekette

Why I love... The Nintendo DS

WHY I LOVE... THE NINTENDO DS
Another new segment, a day late (sorry blogger stopped working on my phone), and it's called Why I Love, with something that I love being different each time. This time we are starting with the Nintendo DS.

1) It was my first console
This is my very first console that I owned, and because it was a handheld, I took it everywhere with me. It was also the first console I brought and I still love it to this day.

2) The games
The games on the DS are amazing. They all have a place in my heart, like Mario Kart DS and Animal Crossing. Again, I fondly remember playing these games on my DS at the age of 7 (ish).

3) GameBoy backwards compatibility
This reason is a bit weird because it doesn't fit the persona of the DS. I never had a GameBoy (until the age of 16) because I was too young when they came out. However, GameStation (a video game store in the UK that was replaced by GAME) use to sell old GameBoy games for cheap, and since the DS could play them, I use to buy them.

4) PictoChat
This was gold when I was in primary school. Everyone use to join a group chat and send each other drawings and messages containing random things. Those were the days.

So those are the reasons why I love the Nintendo DS.

So until next time,
Peace Out - Geekette

What's in My Collection?... Harry Potter Games (2001-2019)

WHAT'S IN MY COLLECTION?... HARRY POTTER GAMES (2001-2019)
This week's blog post is a NEW segment called, What's in My Collection? Every week (or so), I will pick a series or console to cover a group of titles. This week we are starting with... Harry Potter! In my collection, I have a whopping 18 Harry Potter video games!



The first game released in this series was the Philosopher's Stone. It was released for the PC and PlayStation in 2001, followed by the PlayStation 2 in 2003. This game followed the player playing Harry as he ventured through Hogwarts following the events of the first game/book.

Geekette's Thoughts: Personally, I loved playing the PS2 version of the game, as the PS1 version creeped me out as a kid, although the Devil's Snare level was rather difficult.

This was followed by by Chamber of Secrets. It was released on the GameBoy, PS1, PS2, and PC in 2002. This game allows you to play as Harry during the events of the second film/book, with a Basilisk on the loose.

Geekette's Thoughts: I loved playing the Chamber of Secrets, as it was one of the first games I ever brought. Again, I did struggle with one level in particular and that was the Aragog boss level. I could never complete it, so I did end up leaving it for more than 10 years before attempting it again and beating the level.

The next game in my collection that was released was Quidditch World Cup. This game was released in 2003 and was a bit different from the others, as you are either playing as a Hogwarts Quidditch player or an international Quidditch player in various matches.

Geekette's Thoughts: I have yet to play this game, being honest. Mainly because I haven't got a working PS2 at the moment (due to sort that out). I do struggle with the Quidditch Levels on the other games, so this will be a challenge.

Moving on, we have my copy of Prisoner of Azkaban. This game was released on the PS2 in 2004, and it added a new feature. You could play as Harry, Ron or Hermione! Each of these characters each had their own unique spells to use.

Geekette's Thoughts: This is another one of my childhood games that I thoroughly enjoyed playing. It even had another feature that was super cool, an eye toy play feature!

Next, I have the Goblet of Fire on PS2 and GBA, which was released in 2005. It was different to all of the other games due to the fact that it didn't have the Hogwarts exploration unlike the other games.

Geekette's Thoughts: Again, this is another one of my early childhood games that I loved playing, although I have never completed the game itself. I will one day though.

Joining my other games, I have one of my personal favourite games in my collection and that is... Order of the Phoenix, released in 2007 for the Xbox 360! This is one of my favourites because it has a huge open world Hogwarts Castle that you can explore, which makes the game even more enjoyable.

Geekette's Thoughts: This is my favourite game in the series, as I said above, it has a huge exploration aspect to the game. I use to own the game on DS many years ago and I fondly remember playing this game at my Grandparents house.

Breaking the chain, the next game in my collection is Lego Harry Potter Years 1-4, which I owned on the Wii and Xbox 360. This game was awesome because I remember always playing the Lego games growing up. This game lets you play as any Harry Potter character from the first 4 films in Lego form.

Geekette's Thoughts: This game was another one of my favourites, as it combines two things I love together, Harry Potter and Lego. The game was enjoyable for all ages and keeps everyone entertained.

The last game in the main series I own is Deathly Hallows Part 2. This game is mainly a battle game, as you are mainly going around Hogwarts shooting Death Eaters. It was released in 2011 for the Xbox 360.

Geekette's Thoughts: I personally do not find this game as one of my favourites. This is because it is a bit too much like Call of Duty. Other than that, it did have a good plot to it and it does keep people playing again, and it was one of the first games I managed to complete.

Next, we have Lego Harry Potter Years 5-7. This game was released in 2011, and just like it's predecessor, Lego Harry Potter allowed you to play as any character from the fifth to the eight film.

Geekette's Thoughts: Again, I do love this game and I did manage to complete this on my Xbox 360. My favourite character was probably Umbridge, being perfectly honest.

Second to last is... Harry Potter for Kinect. This was an Xbox 360 exclusive game for the Xbox Kinect (similar to the PlayStation's EyeToy). In this game, you can either create your own character or play as Harry and play through the eight films utilizing the Kinect.

Geekette's Thoughts: This game was a fun game to play, but hard work. This is because it involved a lot of moving around and patience. I have been stuck on the 2nd Task of the 4th film challenge for a long time now.

Lastly, I do have the Lego Harry Potter Collection on the Xbox One. This game is amazing. It is basically a remastered version of the two Lego Harry Potter games that were released on the Xbox 360. This game was released in 2018.

Geekette's Thoughts: This game is amazing! I was waiting forever for Microsoft to announce the Lego Harry Potter games to be released for backwards compatibility, but they instead came out with this. This is my current game that I am playing and I love it to bits.

That wraps it up for today's blog post. I hope that you like this new segment and let me know what you think. Join us next time for our regular post about all things games.

So until next time,

Peace Out - Geekette

Retro Game of the Week - 26/03/2019

RETRO GAME OF THE WEEK - 26/03/2019
SCOOBY DOO MYSTERY MAYHEM!
This week's retro game of the week goes to a personal childhood favourite of mine, Scooby Doo Mystery Mayhem.

This game was released in the years of 2003/2004 for the Gameboy Advanced, PS2, GameCube, and Xbox. The aim of this game was to control Shaggy and Scooby through different levels, as they try to return ghosts, zombies, and other monsters to the Tome of Doom. Along the way they would put on various disguises to hide themselves, until they find the page they need.

Been a little kid and playing this game, some of the controls were extremely hard. For example, if you were trying to capture a ghost or other monster, you would have to press the buttons on the controller in a particular order. This was frustrating when I was younger, as I struggled immensely to complete this. My favourite part, however, was the ghost disguises Shaggy and Scooby wore in the first level, as for some reason, I found this the most entertaining.

That sums up this short, but sweet segment for my blog. Stay tuned for more exciting posts coming your way!

So until next time,
Peace Out - Geekette