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