General gaming

General gaming

The Best and Worst Video Game Compilations

Posted: 05 Apr 2012 02:31 PM PDT

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The Best and Worst Video Game Compilations

Playing some of your old favorites doesn't always make for a flawless experience.

By: Bob Mackey April 5, 2012

The HD collection wave is upon us. And while some would craft elaborate conspiracy theories relating the phasing out of backwards compatibility to our current onslaught of anthologies, the video game industry has always found ways for consumers to relive their misspent youth by purchasing games they played ages ago. Sometimes, these bundled collections do an excellent job of letting us bask in the warm, comforting rays of nostalgia, typically at a fraction of the originals' cost -- and with the bonus effect of preserving gaming history. But, when moving old games from one platform to another, problems can crop up, and often do; from technical flaws to poorly ported controls, any number of issues can make the re-released version of a game markedly inferior to the original. The following collections' attempts to bring older games to a new format made each of them notable in some way -- though not always for the right reasons.

  • Most Boneheaded Control Choice - Mega Man Anniversary Collection (GameCube, 2004)


    Mega Man Anniversary Collection Spot Art

    If the video game equivalent of Moses brought down two tablets from Mount Sinai, one of them would be inscribed with the immortal phrase "A jumps, B shoots." From time immemorial, this unspoken Commandment of controller layouts gave NES games a standard that just made sense -- and the few outliers ended up playing much more awkwardly than intended. Atomic Planet Entertainment decided to change this Mega Man standard for the little guy's 15th-ish anniversary by reversing one of the most reliable control setups known to man and beast alike. And with no way to flip the A and B inputs (outside of controller surgery), most folks ended up spending their cash on the superior PS2 and Xbox versions in lieu of trying to withstand the blasphemy forced on them by Atomic Planet.

  • Best Japanese RPG Bang for Your Buck - Arc the Lad Collection (PlayStation, 2001)

    Arc the Lad Collection Spot Art

Mass Effect 3 Ending Gets Expanded in Upcoming DLC

Posted: 05 Apr 2012 11:40 AM PDT

Mass Effect 3

Following an incredible backlash over the ending of Mass Effect 3, BioWare promised last month that it would address the complaints of those who were displeased with the way Commander Shepard's story came to an end. The way in which it plans to do that was briefly outlined today, although we won't be getting our hands on the solution for another few months.

Put simply, there were two sides that most people could fall on in this debate: Those who are upset with the ending and want a new one (or at least more content) and those who believe BioWare should be free to do what they want with their game's story (and therefore don't want a new ending). As intimated last month, BioWare is going for a middle ground between the two. It today announced plans to release a downloadable content pack called Mass Effect 3: Extended Cut. The goal of it is to provide additional closure for fans who are seeking it after pouring in dozens of hours across the Mass Effect games.

Why We Love Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

Posted: 05 Apr 2012 08:13 AM PDT

sotn

In case you couldn't tell, we here at 1UP like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Alright, so like might be a bit of an understatement. Over the past few weeks, we've waxed poetic regarding its unprecedented twist, and debated the shocking depth of its classic soundtrack. And honestly, we could write another dozen articles on the various facets of the game. Might seem like overkill to some, but hey, you only turn 15 once, right?

We wrangled up the 1UP editors to weigh in on exactly why we loved SotN 15 years ago, why we still love it, and why we'll probably be playing it in another 15 years. The fact that the four of us can all have very different, yet very valid reasons why we love SotN is a true testament to the game's undying quality.

Posted by Shri Krishna

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