The Seasoned Gamer

Metal Slug

Originally released in 1996 in the arcades on Neo Geo MVS, Super Vehicle-001: Metal Slug, or just Metal Slug, is one of the most iconic run and gun shooters of its time. The game has since been ported to nearly a dozen systems including but not limited to the Sega Saturn, Sony PlayStation, and PC. The game has spawned several sequels and spinoffs over the last two decades. A mix of platformer and shoot ’em up genres, Metal Slug provides timeless gameplay and is consistently fun throughout the series. Here is a complete playthrough, broken up by missions, of the original title captured from my homemade Neo Geo MVS supergun. Enjoy.

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Wacky Wednesdays: Katamari Damacy

When The King of All Cosmos goes out for a night of debauchery and in the process accidentally destroys all of the stars in the sky, you can imagine people would get a little pissed off. Fortunately, he has an obedient Prince to take on the task of rolling up a bunch of new celestial objects to fill the void.

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Exploring the Sega 32X – Metal Head

Originally slated to be a release game for the 32X, Metal Head was pushed back three months and instead released in February 1995. Unfortunately, the extra time wasn’t enough to polish the game’s rough edges and we are left with this unfinished product masquerading as the real deal.

Don’t get me wrong, there is a little bit of fun to be had here. But the glaring flaws are too frequent to ignore. Let’s step back and look at the big picture.

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Last Desperate Stand: Dreams

Last Desperate Stand chronicles the life of a man living in a post apocalyptic world. The story of H.M. Wells is told through a series of journal entries set in the universe of 7 Days to Die. Click here to start from the beginning.

I had a hard time sleeping, that night in the ghost town. Found myself actually missing the hum of the electric Shamway sign. When I first arrived there I had debated knocking the damn thing down, but after a few nights I realized how much it actually helped me sleep. The mechanical buzzing is comforting in some way, something I just can’t put my finger on. I think it reminds me of falling asleep with the T.V. on. Closest I’ll probably ever get to having that again.

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Finalizing Fantasy

We revisit and reminisce on the games of our past in Tried and True.

See this silly shit? We want this from video games. We want to feel like we’re on the beach as the waves roll in. Don’t worry about why we’re wearing jeans on the beach. We just want to feel like we’re there.

Terrible magazine cover aside, there’s a certain something that draws us to games. We want to be immersed, we want to be in the game. It makes sense, then, that Virtual Reality is steamrolling into the mainstream, and it’s here to stay. Perhaps that unidentifiable secret that has kept us absorbed in the world of video games for many decades is – (get ready, it’s buzzword time!) presence. Continue reading Finalizing Fantasy

Last Desperate Stand: Ghost Town

The morning after Kevin became infected I was up at dawn. Continue reading Last Desperate Stand: Ghost Town

Wacky Wednesdays – Decap Attack

Got a penchant for the more eccentric games of the world? Wacky Wednesdays focuses on the curious, the bizarre, and the charmingly absurd. As usual with The Seasoned Gamer, nothing is off limits. Not every game will be good, but sometimes finding a game that is completely odd can be just as awesome. Welcome to The World of Weird.

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Days of Old – Knights of the Old Republic

$_3 This was it. This was the escape hatch for my entire childhood: An RCA Colortrak Woodgrain Console television, circa 1990 (model shown). Many colors were tracked on its screen. The bright green of the Ninja Turtles as they ass-kicked Rocksteady and Bebop into oblivion. The electric blue of Sonic the Hedgehog, shooting through loops at lightning speed. The red blood and gore of Mortal Kombat after entering the blood code. The muted and rustic palette of that infamous, zombie-infested mansion. The dreamy gray of Liberty City.

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Last Desperate Stand: The Stranger

2015-07-19_00004 — I went north along the decaying road in the direction of the stranger’s campfire. That was my first mistake.

I don’t know what I was thinking. I was never really a team player and the last time I tried to be a part of one, they all ended up dead. In fact, I always felt like a partner was more liable to get me killed than to get my back. Sure it’s stereotypical, a grumpy old codger who don’t trust no one but himself. But, if the shoe fits… Continue reading Last Desperate Stand: The Stranger

The Backlog Chronicles – I’m Batman

As we steadily make our way through a mountain of unplayed video games, we will record the escapades in detail through The Backlog Chronicles.

I am the motherfucking Batman. Silent, but brutal. Humble, yet majestic. Have a gander at this magnificent bastard:

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