TastyRetroGaming

God of War Ragnarok

My oh my, what an utterly incredible game this is. Having played every entry including the two PSP titles, this has been a hell of journey to follow and witness what has unfolded from the original back in 2005.

With the sort of soft reboot in 2018 moving from the Pantheon of Greek Gods, to the Norse saga of these two titles, I didn’t know what to expect, I mean honestly they are both nothing short of phenomenal. This is mainly due to the directing style, the story line, the voice acting and the motion capture. I mean to be fair everything about these games are pretty much 10/10 in all aspects. But the character work and writing is where it truly shines. We follow Kratos from being the angry Spartan boy of the old games to that of a man who just wants to be a good dad and move on from his past mistakes.

The dynamic between Kratos and Atreus is just top. Not from just the excellent cutscenes between them, but from the joint combat and puzzle solving that you do. I mean I don’t wanna be too spoiler heavy here but I will probably spoil some stuff so if you haven’t finished or completed it yet I can only apologise. At the heart of this concluding game of the Norse Saga is Kratos finally becoming the God he should’ve been with people actually revering him and Atreus moving on from being the Loki of the Ragnarok prophecy to being his person. Having a good few missions where you control Atreus, in fact the entire Asgard and Jotunheim story unfold through his eyes, his combat his highly different from Kratos, quick strikes, archery and smacking the bad guys on the head with his sturdy bow. Unlike the crushing, heavy blows with precise striking and combos of Kratos. Having the blades of Chaos, the Leviathan axe and the new Draupnir spear, which quickly became my favourite weapon.

Every realm looks, breathe and feels different. They all feel so alive in the way the need to be, Vanaheim having thick forests and foliage. Midgard submerged in Snow, Svartalfheim covered in rocky landscapes. They all feel huge and that there is more past the small snippets you are privileged to explore. Each area is made for you to want to explore with some areas blocked until after the main story is concluded. Every corner seems to be a mini boss of sorts, which isn’t a bad thing. With the highlights of this for me being the dragon hunts in Vanaheim, and if you find the right relic you can even unlock a few extra secret bosses. You can go searching for Nornir chests, legendary chest, artefacts from other far away lands. Release the spying Odin Ravens, favours from the dead or other characters you meet along the way. One nagging problem I did have though and honestly it’s about the only one, was the lack of fast travel. You can travel between the many gates, but only from another gate. It’d have made life so much easier if you could just ping over to the right gate you’d want without having to traverse all the way back.

I was going for the platinum on this one, having 100% the last game, I had every intention of doing the same again. I still might, having got to the last two final Hurdles though. The two super bosses of the Game the new Valkyrie queen Gna and the big bad berserker boss King Hrolf. I am at level 9 meaning I have maxed armour, weapons, shield and upgraded hilts. They can both eat shit. Honestly only thing that ruined the game somewhat. Having a mixture of not having the time just battle the same boss for hours straight hoping I get lucky enough to win and wanting to play the PS5 upgrade of the Witcher 3 I decided to move on for now. But seriously fuck those guys, the are unnecessarily hard, considering how the rest of the game isn’t that bad even the 12 berserkers you have to fight to unlock King Hrolf are pretty standard as you keep on top of improving your strength,defence and vitality.

Each weapon has it’s own skill trees that add new function or added combo strikes to your arsenal. The same works for the companion trees of Atreus and Freya. I’d argue the best part of this is each new move or skill has it’s own 3 tiered system, so once you’ve used it enough to hit the gold level you can use experience points to add a sub feature to it, so it can say stun more or even cause slightly more damage. So through the endless slaughter it’s worthwhile swapping between the three weapons and hitting all the different combos just so you can fuck shit up just that little bit more.

I can’t do a review without pointing out how fucking amazing the game looks. Graphically it’s nothing short of immense. In fact all the pictures in this review are basically just stills from parts of the realms that just show off how good everywhere looks. The siege on Asgrard at the end of the story really exemplifies this. Having Surtr and Jormungandr in the background fighting with Thor. Whilst all the realms are bearing down on Odin in a unified attack. Speaking of Jormungandr, one of my favourite parts of these games is the way Atreus on his journey inadvertently created him, using the giants souls in Jotunheim and the fight he had with Thor at the end which sent him back in time to the 2018 game. There is many there other small details like this dotted around, and hidden in dialogue. Something the Santa Monica writing team truly excelled at.

I could probably make this review twice if not thrice as long, with what I could talk about, but ultimately it boils down to just playing it yourself. Which I’d imagine pretty much everyone who wants to has by now. This game talk me to around 45 hours to do everything bar those dickbag final bosses. Having the returning trials of Muspelheim as well, which ain’t that bad really, just a bit repetitive in the way you unlock the final six challenges. A couple bigger side quests and the small favours, finding all the hidden lore and buried treasure. There is a lot to do, not as much as other games of the same style. I’d argue this game though is more concise and in wanting you to be able to do everything without it becoming a bore or slog.

This game now firmly sits in my top 3 games, just under the Witcher 3 and just above Death Stranding. So you bet the announcement of DS2 rustled the ever loving shit out of my jimmies. In all the games I have played over the years not many reach the rich detail and story driven excellence this one hits. All encompassed in the best looking game I’ve seen off the PS5 so far, and intertwined in the rich lore of Norse mythology. Even though DLC for this probably won’t happen there is so much that can be done, and the same can be said for if they choose to continue the story. However if they choose not too. This is definitely the right end for Kratos’s story. Having made him so much more then one dimensional character of the original trilogy, and this is largely due to the performance of Christopher Judge and that can’t be understated enough.

This game gets a definitive 10/10, Real Fuckin’ Tasty.

It looks phenomenal, the combat is fast, fluid and brutal when necessary. The plot and overall story is brilliant, the writing and directing of the game is top tier. Honestly just play the game, you won’t regret it. I also realise all my pictures are just screenshots of nice views, i’m not sorry for this. I wish for you all to experience how immense it looks.

Released November 9th 2022, Sony Playstation 5

Ghost of Tsushima

Well where to begin with this one. Having already dome a 100% on the PS4 version I thought it’d be well worth my time to enjoy the upgraded version. Along with the DLC in Iki Island, for a bit of extra stealthy samurai action. So here’s the review on Ghost of Tsushima Directors Cut PS5.

Both parts of Tsushima Island, that you get to fully explore.

Honestly this game even at a few years old looks incredible, not necessarily up there with the likes of Horizon Forbidden West of the newly released God of War Ragnarok. I think the main thing that allows it still stand out is the art direction and over all design. The game just looks amazing especially with the tall grass with the blowing of the wind. The nice feature of how to track where you need to head to, swiping the touch pad and the passing wind guiding you where to go. It even comes in an artist option of black and white if you so desire and the blood staying red to add in the brutal nature and setting of the game.

You get given gifts at the various ghost shrines.

The combat in this game is great fun. The particular highlight for me though comes from the stand-off. Fully upgrading that along with the armour perk to allow to add one more in the chain. Quickly dispatching 5 enemies in one go, with a one hit kill, hitting the strike button before your foe gets a hit in. The upgrades in this game don’t really make too much of a difference until you’ve upgraded your sword, picked a style of armour you want to go with and have upgraded the four different stances. As these allow for added combo strikes, new parrying options to keep all the different types of enemies at bay. Archery is pretty fun and serves one of the four main side quest chains you can do. Which gets more fun with fire arrows and the great long bow exploding ones.

With the main plot being Jin leaving behind the teachings of the samurai for a more stealthy and dishonourable road. The stealth in this game whilst fun, and you gain throw-able weapons and chain assassinations. I do feel this is one aspect that lacked some depth, whilst fun and always a good time trying to take out a mongol stronghold without being caught. It could definitely used a bit more to aid in tactical options, maybe a dedicated skill tree for it. As for the most part it just makes you slightly more silent and allows you to see and hear enemies from further away.

The game is bleak, I mean, turbo bleak everyone in it basically dies or has some close to them die. With most of the side missions you tracking someone down who ends up being dead or someone you put down for being a piece of shit. I mean spoiler, in my defence the game has been out for years not, but even your first horse dies, and that scene fucking hurts to watch. Like the developers and director knew full well what they were doing when they chose to add that cutscene in. You can’t forget the missions of a disease that’s killed off a small holding, or the warrior monks who have all been killed, and Norio’s brother who instead of killing the decide to just fucking de-limb him completely. The story of the invading Mongolian army and the change within Jin itself is great, and his clash of ideals with his uncle. But fuck me it’s not happy, it makes for a great backdrop and setting though. Everywhere is on fire and littered with blood or corpses and rogue samurai patrol the land looking to hurt you at any point. Not to mention the pin cushion peasants filled with arrows for practice. Don’t let this bleakness detract you from playing this game if you haven’t already though, a small price for an incredible story and fun game.

Weapon upgrades using the resources you pick up on your travels.

The world design is great, with a shit ton of side activities to do, fox dens, where you follow a fox to the shrine. With the best bit being at the end where you get to pet them and they get super happy. Bamboo strikes to increase your focus metre. Hot springs to increase your health. Haiku’s for new head gear. Shinto Shrines for new charms, Mongolian outposts and the bigger town areas you have to liberate. Farmsteads which unlocks a new set of armour. The tales that give you new armours, special moves or even the longbow, where you get to do the coolest part of the games with boss duels. You also have new sword skins, ronin duels I might be missing something, but the point I’m trying to get at everything is worth your time. Everything helps to build you into the unstoppable machine that you are. With most open world games especially when aiming for a platinum trophy it can feel a slog having to find very collectible and there’s always that one that you can’t find, or you have to do a side mission first that doesn’t unlock until you’ve done this. Here though I honestly wanted to do everything, In both play through’s, I felt fairly empty once I did finish it though. I clocked in around 50 hours to do everything, so it’s not a short experience nor the longest. I long for the day soon when I can complete the Witcher 3 on death march difficulty again in glorious 4k. This is truly one of the best PS exclusives and is well worth your time if you haven’t played it yet. The story DLC is a much of muchness in that it’s good fun for the extra hours, and some nice back story for Jin, but ultimately just gives you more time to enjoy being the Ghost.

Slaughtering a camp leader auto fills your ghost bar where you can one shot kill enemies for aperiod of time inducing fear as well.

I’d give this game 10/10, real fuckin’ Tasty.

A great story told through great voice acting and motion capture all neatly packed into one of the nicest looking and designed worlds of last generation. All complimented with great combat, fun if slightly lacking stealth mechanics and super tailored side activities which make for trundling along the bleak land that little bit more palatable.

Released August 20th 2021, Sony Playstation 5.

Yu-Gi-Oh TCG

A blog within a blog. I have decided to broaden my horizons as well as for a new tasty avenue for you my beloved readers to follow. As I have pondered for a while to get back into card collecting. And as i’m currently trying to play GOW Ragnarok and Pokemon Scarlet back to back. I have no idea when my next review will be ready. On top of that I have work and doing a uni degree, I feel the only way to make my life easier is to not only continue with this mini side hustle I already have, but to infact add to it. As that’ll make my life so much easier. I’m starting to think I may be the root cause of a lot of my problems, but that’s for another day, I digress, back to the matter at hand.

Many years ago I was very into Magic the Gathering and I collected Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh cards when I was just a wee lad. I like to dabble in the Dragon Ball Super card game as well. However that’s a ball ache to get ahold of by me unless I want to spunk £60+ on a booster box every time a new wave comes out. Which every once in a while isn’t too bad but you then suffer from getting 34 of the same shit card, and having no idea what to then do with the multiple copies.

As someone who loves the Pokemon game series I can safely say i’m not really a fan of the card game, i’m not sure why. I do find the super rares namely the legendary Pokemon cards tend to be really nice, but the standard cards don’t do it for me. Whereas I have always being a fan the design for the Yu-Gi-Oh cards. I have always appreciated the good game adaptions of them as well. Which is why I was so bitterly dissapointed in that shit show of the Falsebound Kingdom on the Gamecube. Have ever mentioned how much I hate that game.

So alas I decided to get back into Yu-Gi-Oh having never collected it that much, I thought it was time to basically buy myself all the cool cards I wanted as a child. So to begin with I got the new Slifer and Obelisk starter decks. It’s a pity they don’t do a winged dragon of Ra one, cause i’d sure as shit be the coolest kid in my neighbourhood with all three of them bad boys. (Who am I kidding i’ve got all three upstairs already, I just wanted the new variations of them.) Most of my cards are turds, except for my beloved Red eyes black dragon and darkness dragon. Which when going through my old collection thankfully turned out to not be fakes. Unlike many of what I thought were my good cards, my friends of yester year did me dirty there. As that’d have ruined my week for sure.

One card I never had though was Blues White Dragon, the real cool kid card. So naturally I went a bought myself one, and I will be getting myself some more of those fuckers I tell ya. I bulk bought a tin off ebay to bolster my fledgling collection out as well. That was a punt, from what I can tell they are all legit but strangely an ommited fact on the listings was that a third of the collection being Korean prints. However me being the man of culture that I am, have accepted them for what they are, and what they are I don’t fucking know cause I can’t read Korean. But they belong to me now and will sit comfortable collecting dust somewhere very soon.

Ultimately I don’t know what i’m doing and from what I can tell every card is a new form of summoning from what it used to be. I just thought we were supposed to believe in the heart of the cards so we can pull Exodia out of thin air and fuck everyone up. I will come to grasp the new rules one day. As I will update my collection on this page. How often i’ll post on here who knows, I certainly dont and it’s my blog. What I can say for sure is though, I will be looking out for a duel disk as if i’m out and about without one how will anyone know i’m ready to duel. Just a shame they cost far more then I was expecting, so it can go down on my list for now, along with the hundreds of games I have yet to acquire.

So look forward my tasty brethren, for new chapters of the gospel of tasty are to be written and added to the holy scripture of TRG. I am here for the ride and I sincerely hope you will enjoy it with me.

Tekken Dark Resurrection

It’s been a while since I did quick take post as it is a while since my last PSP post also. So why not go for one of my recent pick ups of Tekken. I don’t really play fighting games outside of Mortal Kombat. Most of the fighting games I play or did tend to go back to old soul calibur or the Naruto ninja storm games.

For a cheap pick up, I was pleasantly surprised by it. Being the PSP version of 5 which was initially on ps2 then got an upgrade for ps3. It came with a lot of features, varying game modes. Standard 1 v 1, story and arcade. Then the sub modes within arcade. Some of these unlock as you progress in story mode or rising in ranks via arcade mode.

My pre existing history with Tekken was with tag tournament on the PS2 which I spent most of the time bouncing round on a sword as Yoshimitsu getting my ass whipped and not really understanding why.

I won’t lie I don’t really understand the under lying story so what’s going on is kinda behind me. The 9 stage story mode also doesn’t help. Next to nothing is explained you just fight people for a smidge of reason. Then it ends with a fight against Jinpachi who’s just an angry fiery lad who takes a little more punishment to beat.

The fighting itself is pretty standard, but is fluid enough to make it fun and getting the timings down for combos isn’t too bad. Definitely a practice makes perfect type of game. The more you’d play the better you’d become, fairly standard stuff really.

The game does look good, each character are detailed and individual enough to stand out and a roster of 32 playable characters. There is more then enough variety to go around. The stages are all distinctive I particularly enjoy the one where penguins are hobbling around as you brawl.

You get gold for every victory, and for a perfect win a high amount. A few times I had a random multiplier pop up as, dunno why but it did so you can also get that. With that gold you can buy a shit load of character customisation items which adds a nice bit of a personal touch to your favourite characters.

I can’t vouch for the local play or online play as that’s not a option for me. But I’d imagine I’d lose 100% as I’m pretty shite at the game. It is fairly fun in quick burst and is far from tasking. If you like fighting games even know you’d find a lot to keep you busy and love. However for the most part I’d imagine you’d best still stick with a full console game or the console version of this one.

I’d give this game a good and Tasty 6/10, a solid and enjoyable fighting game with enough variety to keep it fun but only in quick bursts. And missing the polish and usually more variety of a full fleecier console game. Especially in the story mode.

Released on Sony PSP, September 15th 2006.

Pokemon Legends Arceus

As a standard protocol by now, you should expect a Pokemon game review from me at any point old or new. This stems from my general love for the series and having stuck with it for every gen except Black and White 2, namely cause for some reason I never got round to buying that Gen. Well now, it’s just a slightly expensive hard to find gen to get a hold of. One day I will add it to my glorious collection of Pokemon games. This may contain those fabled videos I have long endureD to give to you my loyal readers. But then again it may not cause I still haven’t really looked into it and unsure why it went wrong last time. As my free time is fleeting and highly precious, I always endeavour to give it to you in these reviews and mini updates of my not so grand collection. The next major review will most definitely be God of War Ragnarök which my jimmies are fully rustling just in anticipation for.

This game was a welcome addition for me, not really sure what to expect. Colour me surprised, when I get it on launch day and load it up and it’s a complete deviation form the standard Pokemon game. Well not a complete deviation. Having gone one step further with the open world aspects that had been introduced in Sword and Shield. Pokemon was finally taking the first steps into what could be perceived as a full open world game. With Scarlet and Violet only a few weeks away now as well I can only imagine how much further along we have come.

The map design on this game, is a nice addition to, even allowing for quick travel points in the mini regions.

Choosing this time to overhaul the mechanics of the game and try for a bigger more open world feeling, the graphics try to reflect this. Looking better than before however still missing the fidelity they could achieve. Even on the Switch’s hardware. The world feels varied but it’s just not full when it comes to details, trees and grass seem far and between. You can tell that there is clearly a style shift being attempted and for that you can’t knock it. It could like with BD/SP have put a smidge more effort into it though.

One of the flute summed Pokémon you can use traverse the land easier.

I was initially a bit disappointed with the announcement of the new mainline series, due to how much I enjoyed how this was divided into mini open world areas with there own biome related Pokemon. This gives the Land of Hisui a bigger feel to it, a general sense of grandeur, which is usually missing in these games. I was hoping for some DLC where new areas with new Pokemon would be introduced, maybe even area specific legendaries. As I enjoyed having to complete the Pokédex entries by capturing a certain amount of the same mon, and doing different mini objectives in the process. Actually gave a reason to go out and be catch happy.

Adding to this was the new crafting ability which I hope returns in S/V as I do enjoy a good crafting mechanic. Having the ability to craft your own Pokeballs and potions fucking slaps. Only this time hopefully it makes increases your bag capacity less tedious too add a new slot, it’s easy enough. Just go to the guy that does it and pay. Right, simple enough? It is but the little fucker wants you to re-mortgage your house every time you do expand your inventory. Absolutely no idea why they made it so fucking expensive.

The new inventory interface and the thieving fucker you use to expand your carry space.

With all the different areas, obviously comes with a variety of Pokemon that are freely wondering the plains, and this can change on day or night allowing for some time sensitive catches. Which can be aided in the different type of pokeball you use/craft. Having to sneak up on them, lure them in with berries, use heavy or lighter balls. And the piece de resistance, you have full control and the throwing of the Pokeball to catch and summon forth your own party. It’s a small addition but it really adds to the aesthetic of the entire franchise and immersion of the game. It’s kinda mental how many iterations of the series it’s taken to get to this point. This on land is a lot of fun. However on the open waters, that is some bullshit right there trying to catch a water type. It’s doable but highly annoying.

A water battle, and a wild alpha Pokémon. Who is a roaming mini boss, that you can attack and comes with better stats/move set.

My favourite new mechanic though has got to be the move swapping. Having your standard 4 moves you can use in battle but you have the ability to cycle through remembered moves. Meaning you finally have more freedom with set ups. Giving more reason to have multiple of the same Pokemon. Even going as far as having move styles, strong and agile. This either increases damage or speed at the cost of an extra move PP. Battling seems a bit harder this time round, with a higher damage output, you seem to be dealing bigger damage as well as receiving it. This is not to say it’s not balanced it does seem pretty even. There isn’t many trainer battles either, which might seem a off put, but I preferred it. Along with needing to catch hundreds of Pokemon it gave you the need to battle loads of them, using different types or specific moves. The filling up of the pokedex is probably the best new entry to he entire sereis.

The new move swap mechanic in action, I really hope this makes a return.

This side entry also forgoes the typical gym battles as well, normally I’d probably be a bit miffed at this but honestly I like what they did this time round. With the building of the mystique of the Pokemon. Having almost deity like big boy Pokemon (the Nobles) run each area which you have to quell it’s anger. These Alpha Pokemon. These are dotted around the land as well as being the areas boss. So you have do all these mini task on route to them and then you face them in literal combat. You have dodge their attacks whilst pelting the ever loving shit out of them with balls made up of their favourite food. Once stunned you can choose to throw in one of your chosen Pokemon to aid in battle temporarily.

This game also makes you slightly more God like, allowing for you to choose if the Pokemon once it’s hit the requirements if they have the right to evolve. You can even bypass trade only evolutions which I fucking adore. You just have to get the right item, In this case the linking cord for the Pokemon give it then again play God. Choose to leave it as a haunter for existence or allow for it to bloom into the mighty Gengar.

Speaking of Gods, Dialga and Palkia haven’t looked better.

Another deviation in the right way, is there is somewhat of an actual story. As normally the story revolves around team rocket or the like trying to summon a legendary and you have to stop their nefarious plans all the while battling out the gym challenge of the particular continent. Having woken in a rift and spoken to Arceus (God) you get teleported back in time with no previous memories and then help set up the Sinnoh region which is home to the Diamond/Pearl/Platinum generation. Helping different clans, by being a sort of ranger/trainer. Helping the integration of Pokemon into society and building up your base of operations. You use your trusty Arc phone that you still have. As well as investigating the time-rift distortions that pop up as you traverse the land.

The two leaders of the pearl and diamond clan, as well as the guy who is the last nobles keeper. With the giant Avalugg serving as the last of the five nobles you quell.

Honestly this Is one of the best Pokemon games to date, It’s super fun and is trying to progress the series in all the right ways. I certify this a high 9/10, some Pure Tasty Gaming.

The only reason I haven’t rated it higher is that there is only 242 different Pokemon in this game. Which albeit a good selection it really could’ve done with being padded out more. The fact it finally has side quests as well. They aren’t much past fetch quests or the odd mini game. It just lacks in variety. Having said this though I hope these new aspects especially the new move swapping and crafting systems remain, and are further explored. I tend to feel most games milk you for DLC as it should normally just be content in the finished product. However this game was ripe for DLC and would’ve only served to improve a great game. Finally with BD/SP as well, this series seems to be taking cues from the newer Zelda game entries and are putting it to good use but are still in need of finding their own footing. They finally seem to be wanting to improve on the old formula and progress the series forward. I can only hope this progression continues.

Released, January 28th 2022 Nintendo Switch

Newest haul

In the spirit of trying to keep this an active blog, not only on reviews but also my ever growing collection.

I paid way under the price for all of these which makes me far happier than it should! I managed to get a new Pokémon game in Stadium on the N64 which you already will know that will be reviewed. As will Legends Arceus fairly soon . Had that one in the bag for a while I just need the finishing touches to it. Hopefully just in time for Scarlet and Violet. As all Pokémon games are gifts from God, I dare anyone to say otherwise. I’ve been playing them since gold and silver and I tell you here and now I’ll be playing them until I die. Fuck all of those that dare to criticise the unstoppable machine that is Pokémon.

I would say it’s beautiful but it’s kinda in a bit of a scummy condition. I’d have also prefers it in a box with the transfer pak, but beggars can’t be choosers sometimes.

I’ll be honest I didn’t even know you could get San Andreas on ps3 until I found and googled it to make sure it was real. That was a particularly nice find. And getting the complete edition of GTA 4 is always nice as I feel it’s often over looked by 5. Where, sure 5 had the better story. But I’d argue overall 4 is the better game. Strip back gta online and had they pumped up 5 with more single player dlc it could’ve been better but I think 4 is king when it comes to the series still.

So hopefully in amidst all of my work life and now the degree I stupidly decided to do at the same time, I will be bringing you all many new reviews, and general updates on my collection.

So as always stay tasty my flavoursome brethren. As I continue to bring the taste to this ever growing series of TRG, by adding new chapters to the gospel of the tasty.

StarWing

Having finally got me SNES, I sat down and played one of the only two games I have currently, Starwing or Star Fox for everyone else outside of the PAL region. The game that back in 1993, gave rise to the Starfox franchise and character himself, the bane of many a smash player.

This won’t be a long review, not much need. Also I was aiming to use videos on this one, as I think they are currently in the wrong format this blog site is having fucking non of it. One day I will be granted the powers to enlighten the world with my video prowess, but until then you are stuck with my shitty screenshot pics, enjoy.

This game is a 3D rail shooter game, dotted in various 3D environments with the levels varying depending on the level route you initially pick. I would like to say I’m getting better at it slowly, but truthfully I fucking suck at it. Luckily it’s not too tasking, and doesn’t wane on my mental state, so dying repeatedly isn’t an issue.

Each level, you are accompained by three computer controlled companions. They don’t really make a difference to be honest. Just every now and then you’ll just get one of them pop up on the screen and ask for help. Every level is littered with different types of enemies, robots, spaceships and blocky creatures. Which each level ends with a big blocky space boy to defeat. Playing this game makes me appreciate the level and enemy design of No More Heroes 3 that little bit more. Clearly Suda 51 took great pride in styling it to represent the games of old.

A nice space battle, riddled with them pesky asteroids that only target you.

The graphics on this are obviously blocky as fuck, but with the moving linear environment and only a slight lag delay it’s oddly pleasing to the eye. For the time and hardware it must’ve looked great when it initially came out. Like how Skyrim in 2011 was the Bee’s knees. It does come with some nice features though, bits fall of bosses, buildings collapse enemies, fall over causing a slight inconveince. The controls are receptive enough, with the shoulder triggers are used for rolling, the colour buttons control your laser, bomb, boost and brakes.

Honestly this game overall, is pretty fun. Obviously it lacks the bells and whistles of the games of today. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing though. This has a simple premise and a high replay value. You can just put it on and pound through an entire route or like me get to the third level and die miserably. Either way it’s fun, it has a nice aesthetic and arguably without this game and it’s ilk we wouldn’t have many games that we do today.

I’d certify this game a solid, Tasty 6/10. No way am I docking it a point due to the amount I die.

Released 5th June 1993.

P.S i prefer this to the Starwing cover, so have the non PAL one.

Happy SNES day, to me.

I finally have managed to get a fully working Super Nintendo entertainment system which first launched way back when in the 90s in Japan, well before I was even born. Having never played a SNES, the absolute horror I know the closest I ever have were the arcade compilations you get or the more specific ones like the old street fighter and that. I have been trying to get one for some time and honestly what I paid for this was nothing short of an absolute steal.

An eBay seller who actually made sure it was safely transported. You can tell from the reams of bubble wrap. Further proof miracles do happen.

Now considering I have a SNES inspired mascot, good ol’ Snesly I thought it only apt to cross off one of my big and missing collectable items I had yet to own. This sits firmly with the Dreamcast for me. Which hopefully won’t be too far off down the line either. Really amping up my collection, and adding to the utterly heinous back catalogue of games I already possess.

Now it’s not the best condition, nor does it have the original power or av leads. Slightly age stained and the two games it came with don’t have the box or even manuals. Nonetheless I’m beyond thrilled with it.

Having played a few levels of Starwing, I can safely say I’m fucking awful at the game. However the graphics are so blocky and wholesome I don’t mind being terrible at it. As it’s just so fun to play, and as there isn’t a save function having to pick the correct route to blast through the 5-6 stages to complete make for a high replay-ability, something games of today tend to overlook. The closest you seem to get are messed up pay to win, or dogshit loot box online shooters which mostly miss the point now.

Now I have a working SNES, I will be very much on the look out for some of the old JRPG classics such as Chrono trigger, Final Fantasy 3 and a Link to the past. Which oddly brings me more excitement then a lot of nowadays releases. Just goes to show you can’t beat the classics.

A Post holiday, … Post?

Fear not my fellow followers I have not abandoned this quest nor you. Merely I have been on holiday. Now with that blissful week already well in the past, I must move forward.

With that said I have some new acquisitions on the way to me, on the not so distant horizon. More on that will follow in due course once they have landed in my possession.

I have, however managed to pick up a few new games to add the ever growing collection.

Naturally the two Ready 2 Rumble games I ordered from eBay turned up smashed to fuck. As that’s ultimately what we all look for in a game when you buy from a randomer on the internet. The two Ratchet and Clank games are because they just rule and I have every intention of going through Gladiator very soon.

Having finally sorted out my gaming room and nearing the point of having everything I need to do more in depth reviews. And yes it does finally include the power of … VIDEOS! I have finally harnessed the future for you all .

Look hopefully to the bright, glowing future as I myself am. As I will be revamping my site at some point soon also, as I feel it’s time to look slightly more professional.

So behold what will be tastyretrogaming V2 , with a better site, better reviews and actual retro games. Rejoice in the name of all that is tasty, you sexy fuckers.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3

I have finally got around to what will be a picture heavy review on this top tier game. Having spread myself rather thin like the final scrapes of butter on soggy toast, and being bogged down with two long games. Hopefully now i’ll be able to try and hit a more regular pace once more.

We’ll start things off with a grand landscape, one of the many you can admire in this game.

This is the sort of game you want to end a trilogy on. I tend to find games lose something in the sequels, even if they look fancier, play better and tell the story as it should be. This rings true to films as well unless you are the Lord of the Rings trilogy in which case all three films are perfect. Now don’t get me wrong this game doesn’t do everything perfectly but in my opinion it ain’t far off. Currently I’d argue this is the best game I have played from this year and second on my list for what I’ve played all year, with the top still firmly being Death Stranding.

To think this game for a Switch exclusive looks utterly fantastic. It just goes to show how impressive the Switch hardware truly is. Monolift Soft really have managed to squeeze all they can out of the engine for this title, just compare it to XC 2 to see the vast improvements. I can only imagine how it’d look fully utilizing a next gen or high end PC architecture. This games’ world and the series for the matter really do sit at the top for design, and the grandeur of size. I find not many games can equal the aesthetic and designs of each area to the scale or individuality of this series. With this title once again updating the style of characters to even more of an anime style then the first on the Wii. I find myself always impressed at the draw distance and rendering of the far away vistas, especially at the hidden spots which are made for an in-game photo so you can revel in the impressiveness of it all. I have also enjoyed the size of everything in this game and 3 really ups its big boy status with certain enemies. Especially the unique monsters and some of the giant Ferronis Hulks you come across. It really adds a nice scope of enormity to the world of Aionios as everything loops round gradually in the ever increasing road before you.

I would highly recommend playing XC Definitive edition, 2 and even Torna before 3. As far as the story goes it sits on its own and you can easily follow the main gist of it all. However certain aspects, characters and elusions, especially towards the end will not make much sense to you. As this mostly wraps up the story which started with 1. I’d argue it wraps most of the story up very neatly something’s are left a bit loose, iI’m not entirely sure if that’s done on purpose mind. This game like it’s predecessors are no short journey by any means, especially if you wish to unlock all the maps, find everything, do all side quest and kill all the unique monsters that roam around freely. You’ll be looking well into the 100 hour mark, probably closer to 150 realistically. If you are into long JRPGs then this game won’t even feel like a slog to you. Everything is worth doing, everywhere is worth exploring and increasing the Colonies trust levels up benefit the entire party. You had better enjoy cutscenes though, as this game fucking loves them. A good handful are very long, I personally don’t mind. It comes off very anime heavy, even to the point if they decided to it would work as a CG anime series on it’s own merit.

The Cadensia region, easily the most impressive looking region.

The Combat in this game is a lot more fluid then two, as even 20 hours in for 2 with the never ending tutorials I still was coming to terms with how the system was supposed to work properly. Here it’s pretty straight forward with all the changes coming from the different hero classes that every member in the party can unlock and use, with a ranking from S – D with S being the best suited roles. You can increase stats by standard levelling up, the returning and much improved gem crafting and accessories. I find though even with all the class swapping that your characters could easily stay as their first class and you wouldn’t struggle all game. I find the encounters overall more fun and less time consuming then before as well, which is a testament to the improvements. A downside to this is that you are easily able to stay over-levelled, especially with the extra XP boost you hoard and can use at camp spots. Even though there is a metric shit tonne of enemies which many are shared through titles, though some didn’t make the cut this time. With each areas variations of them keep the fighting fresh each time, and the variety sprawled out over the land never bore.

The developers have made everything for you as a player to be easily accessible, the main menu holds all the options you need. All the character pages, are made to easily access all the upgrades/skill points etc. There’s a fast travel point every two metres it seems so you can always quick travel close to the target of your quest. Something that I feel all item heavy games should do now as well, all items or auto picked up as you pass them with out the need to stop and watch a short animation, or never forget Skyrim’s absolute dog shit mining.

Two things here especially stand out and that is the voice acting and soundtrack. Firstly the soundtrack fucking rips, it is a fine tuned accompaniment to the game. With non sounding better then the Consul battle theme, my sweet Jesus when that hit’s, perfection. Now secondly the voice acting in the English dub is mostly on point, some character’s voices sound out of place for character designs but still hold up in talent alone. One however stands above the rest and that be Riku’s. Riku is the best Nopon to date in my book. This is largely due to the astounding voice actor choice, it fits the character like a gym bro’s grey three sizes too small and skin tight sweat shirt. A major downside is the after combat dialogue being very limited an spammy, you’ll constantly here the same few lines over and over. It’s nothing short of a pure annoyance.

The final boss of the game, which I shit you not is like 6 stages long. It just doesn’t end.

One of the things that misses the mark a lot, is the villains in this game. There are a lot of consuls that appear to hinder your efforts throughout the journey. Some without going into spoilers are good, but many of them seem to come off as story fodder, they don’t do much and then you beat them. It just makes for the over arching story seem a little weaker for it as they are supposed to be this group of big bad, but they end up being a group of little whiny bitches mostly. I mean their Moebius forms at least always look cool. Not as good as the interlink forms of the main characters though. This is probably the highlight of the combat mechanics, and is only made better by the chain attacks which are used to deal heavy damage output and some sneaky EXP boost at the same time.

A nice still from one of the final scenes in the game.

Having clocked in just under 60 hours to complete the main story, it doesn’t feel a drag. The story and differing environments with the constant character building propels the game, always making you want to keep playing to see how it all pans out. With this 60 hours I explored a fair whack, and completed a lot of side quests. However the end game restarts before the final boss which allows for you to mop up anything you’ve missed. As I managed to miss a few heroes off, and I didn’t manage to do many of the ascension quests which allow your subclasses to boosted up to level 20. All of these add to the style you want to play along with customising your party, with new moves.

I’m sure I’ve missed off some stuff, but I feel some of it will be too spoiler laden and I don’t wanna be that guy even if the game has been out a while now. As if you have been waiting and wanting to see what the conclusion holds I don’t wish to take that away from you. This is definitely a game you need to experience for yourself. It’s endless hours of fun combat all based in highly designed landscapes, all intrinsically linked around a top notch story. Topped off with great voice acting and cutscenes that propel the story onwards.

I’d certify this game a very solid 10/10, Real fuckin’ Tasty.

Released 29th July 2022