Recent gaming pick-ups

One of the advantages of living where I do is the relative close proximity of Games Galaxy. I have mentioned this emporium before but it bears repeating that this is one of the finest retro gaming shops I have ever visited. The owner and staff are friendly and knowledgeable, there is a ton of stock (seriously, their PC Engine range is just silly!) and it's not all retro-gaming either. The fact that this is on my doorstep, so to speak, is an added bonus. So much so that over the last couple of weekends, my good lady and I have ventured out to Consett and called in to the shop. Here's what I picked up.

First up is Outrun 2006: Coast 2 Coast for the PSP. Released in 2006, this is a corking arcade racer and worthy of continuing the illustrious Outrun series. Developed by the ever-dependable (and that is not meant as damning faint praise either, I meant that entirely as a compliment) Sumo Digital, this is a brilliant racer, with enough thrills and spills to draw you in, as well as enough content to keep you playing. That is something that cannot always be said about arcade titles. With Outrun 2006, you have 13 cars, 30 tracks and wireless play for up to 8 people. Whilst the latter is wasted on me, I have been enjoying the game immensely. As you can see, it looks lovely on the PSP’s screen and, alongside Ridge Racer, is for me the pinnacle of easy to pick up/hard to master racing games on the PSP.

Still looks brilliant 14 years on.

Still on the PSP, we have Field Commander, a turn-based tactical game by Altus. Released in 2006, this title features 30 missions with 36 different unit types and a built-in map editor. I remember playing this the first time I had a PSP and still had a save on the memory card. After a couple of hours with that, I did the decent thing and started from the beginning again, to truly appreciate the challenge. And challenging it certainly is. Fun too, and if you like this sort of title, you’ll soon find yourself engrossed in some of the more complex missions. It was a nice little find.

Next up is a PlayStation 2 launch title, Kessen. Meaning “Decisive Battle”, this is a real-time tactical game set in feudal Japan. Boasting an impressive (for its day) 100 plus characters on-screen at one time, several different troop types and multiple game views, this was heady stuff for console gaming in 2000. I’ve not had much of a chance to really get into this game yet but what I can say is that the best part so far is the soundtrack – it’s superb. The benefit of great music for the atmosphere of a title as “Japanese” as Kessen cannot be overstated. Upon release, there were criticisms that it veered away from historical accuracy, but to be honest, I don’t know enough about that period of Japan’s history. Having said that, having played this briefly, I’ve now got a couple of books on my Amazon wish-list to change that situation. Who said games can’t promote education? Whilst it looks simplistic now, it more than held its own back in the day and if you have a PS2 (or an emulator), look out for a copy. Incidentally, Games Galaxy also had Kessen 2 and 3 in stock, and part of me thinks it was a mistake not to pick those up as well. Oh well, just means another trip is on the cards…

The final couple of titles are old favourites, Broken Sword 2: The Smoking Mirror for the PlayStation and Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon for the PlayStation 2. If you have never played any of the Broken Sword series of (mostly) point and click adventure games then you’re missing a treat. Following the adventures of American tourist (and patent lawyer) George Stobbart and French journalist Nico Collard, you guide them on tales of mystery and daring do across several continents. Broken Sword 2 was the surprisingly good follow up to the first title, in itself a landmark title. I say surprisingly as usually most sequels fall a little flat, but in my opinion, BS2 is very much the equal of the first. The jokes are just as funny, the puzzles are still as infuriating (at times), and everything is still wrapped up in the loving warmth of the late Barrington Pheloung’s amazing music plus the brilliant vocal work of Rolf Saxon as George. 

Mayan gods this time instead of Knights Templar

Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon was a change for the series, moving into 3D territory for the first time and losing the point and clock control scheme. I originally playing this title on the X-Box but that’s since long gone and to be honest, I never fully completed it. Picking up this PS2 copy brought back some great, and not so great, memories and I shall get to the end this time! That is not to say it’s not a fun game to play, it really is good, but if you’re a fan of the original titles (or the two following sequels), then this might be a step too far for you.

Much more moodier and darker this time.

A decent haul from a cracking little shop. If you’re into videogaming in any way, you’d be hard pushed to not find something that catches your eye (and probably your bank card too) at Games Galaxy. I know for my next visit, I’ll be looking for the Kessen sequels and maybe a few more from my list of PSP games I want to add to an ever growing collection.