Mex's gaming diary

I've got a huge backlog of games I want to finish.

I've finally decided that I'll start queuing them, because the way I jump from game to game, I'll never get anything done! (Much like in life... You learn so much from games! )

I imagine this thread will be a kind of gaming diary where I'll post my impressions of every game I play. Well, maybe have one or two ongoing ones, a man needs variety too. My girlfriend doesn't agree with that particular point of view, but I'm sure you, my friends, will relate

And no sense finishing games that begin to suck. For instance I didn't like Half Life's jump to alienworldys, but I trudged on. I'll avoid that now.

First up is Ikaruga.I have an import version that a friend brought from Japan. After that, I'll go for Baldur's Gate, the Dig, and Unreal 2003. Check back later!

Ikaruga is awesome, but hard. Good luck man, I still haven''t made it all the way through!

I just sent Ikaruga back today to GameFly. I looked down and realized I wasn''t a 10 year old on heroin, so I probably couldn''t finish it.

I think you need to use my motto:

Somebody''s gotta play all these games, cause they don''t sure aren''t gonna play themselves.

When you looked down Pyro and realized you weren''t a 10 year old, what exactly were you looking at?

you''ve inspired me. When I get back from this trip I''m going to finish ZELDA: Wind Waker.

Damn Rupees!!

I am just getting to vice city, how''s that for a back log :).

Right! Well, the thread has been moved to the appropiate forum, I guess.

The problem with Ikaruga is that you do require the reflexes of a 10 year old on crack. Fortunately, I''m one of the few genetically engineered warriors that some aliens are training, in order to recruit me and make me go fight the ... Ah... Yes. I mean, I''m good at shooters.

However, Ikaruga is a very elegant, but different kind of shooter. Just the fact that there are no powerups throws me off. And even if I''ve got the reflexes, my brain gets confused when switching colors to absorb enemy hits.

It may also have to do with the fact that I always want to inflict maximum damage(When you''re white, you do 2x damage to black enemies, and viceversa), and I automatically concentrate on using the correct color for the task, but forget to... Eh, you know, avoid enemy fire by switching colors.

The game is not merciless, tho. the more you play it, the more bonuses and help it gives you. After three or so hours, it gives you two extra credits for continues. It should be more than enough for me to finish all 5 stages. Maybe not today, but I''m getting closer.

The only reason I''ve not finished it is Stage 4. It''s basically a whole ""Boss stage"", with a giant space station-robot attacking you in many different ways. It will bring any gamer to his knees the first time. It will make you beg for mercy.

The deal is the station is in the center, firing about 4 or 6 steady lines of white shots in a clockwise fashion, and another set of cannons firing black shots, counterclockwise. So you have to switch very often. Then there are some ""shields"" floating around the station, which move around the screen, and can destroy you. Then come the small circular ships, which when destroyed, will leave behind shots of your current color, floating towards you. You can usually absorb these, but since you have to switch colors to avoid the shots fired from the station''s cannons...

And that''s just the first part.

In short, it''s hell. I can reach Stage 4 without losing a ship, but after a while I''m overwhelmed. I usually lose all 5 continues.

Anyway... I see I have 2 more continues... I''ll finish this game, soon

My life doesn''t need that.

I think it''s safe to say, having read Mex''s impressions, that if some boy scout approached me with a free copy of Ikaruga I''d mace him down and run away screaming lest the evil touch me and penetrate my soul.