Black Friday Indie Bundle Giveaway
With Steam’s Black Friday discounts in full swing, we’ve scoured the sale and bundled together five brilliant games into one nice bundle and we’re giving them away to one lucky winner!
We’re giving away a Steam code for all of the following five indie games:
- Hollow Knight
- Stardew Valley
- Little Nightmares
- Binding of Isaac
- Guacamelee! 2
To enter, fill out the form below and make sure you read the terms and conditions. We’ve have to be a little stricter in claiming the prizes this time!
Terms & Conditions
Since this is a Black Friday promotion, we have to be a little stricter on the terms with this giveaway. The competition closes at 23.59 GMT on Monday 29th November 2021. We will draw a winner from Tuesday 30th at 9 AM and notify the lucky person.
They’ll have 3 hours to respond, we need to send a friend request over Steam in order for you to get your prizes. If there’s no response within that time, we’ll have to redraw the winner. Please make sure you are contactable during this window.
If the winner owns any of the games above, they can nominate another person to receive the game or if they have no one they can gift it too, we will draw another winner.
Unfortunately, due to the nature of the competition the bundle above is set in stone, we are unable to offer other games or cash as an alternative to the games listed above.
VGamingLate: Halo Combat Evolved
Created by Bungie, and stuck in development hell for nearly 7 years, Halo: Combat Evolved released to critical acclaim as an Xbox launch title in 2001 (for us Europeans, it released in 2002, but that’s by the by), and set a number of standards that are seen in console shooters to this very day. Even now, the Xbox launch title, and the numerous sequels it has spawned, sits as one of the highest rated franchises on Metacritic. Apparently Halo is one of those games that you have to play before you die.
I say apparently because up until a few months ago, I’ve never so much as held the box in my hands, let alone played a single minute of it. You see, in the 20 years since the Master Chief made his debut on Microsoft’s first home console, I’ve been busy making excuses not to play the darn thing. It’s not because I don’t have any interest in first-person shooters – quite the opposite – I’m old enough to have played the original Doom when it was released on the PC in the 90s, and I thoroughly enjoyed Unreal Tournament in the early 2000s, and heck, I’ve put more hours into Bungie’s current space epic, Destiny 2, than I care to count. I actually chalk up not playing Halo to being a teenager and not having the money to risk on a new, unknown player in the market, and putting all my faith in the more established Sega and the Dreamcast. Yep, I completely bet on the wrong horse with that one. But times change, and now I’m a fully fledged ‘adult’ I was able to chuck £20 on an original Xbox and a few games that came with it at a carboot sale, and it was time to see what I was missing out on after all of those years.
Playtime: 1-3 hours
Getting started was an adventure in itself, as the game didn’t want to be played at all, and I had to make sure the disc was absolutely spotless before it even loaded up. I don’t know if that was a feature of the original Xbox but it annoyed me to the point of almost giving up before I’d even chosen my difficulty level. But I persisted and got the game working, and… well I don’t know if you have played Halo recently, but the opening cutscene definitely hasn’t aged well. Characters look like blocky polygons akin to the Canadians from South Park with their mouths either open, or shut. I know, it’s a harsh critique considering this was the very beginning of the 128-bit era, but first impressions count and I couldn’t initially see what all the fuss was about.
At any rate, the opening cutscene was to set up the story, where alien bugs known as The Covenant have attacked a spaceship called “Pillar of Autumn”. The Pillar is about to collapse so the dear Captain decides to wake Master Chief (that’s me), up from his slumber in order for him to save Cortana, an AI system that holds all of Earth’s defence secrets, while he gets the marines safely to a nearby planet.
To begin with, the janky graphics and wooden lines such as “Here, take my pistol, I never have it loaded so you’re going to have to find ammo”, reminded me of the late 1990s B-movie Starship Troopers. I half expected a cut away to a small child shouting “I’m doing my part”, but alas it didn’t happen.By the time all of the cutscenes and obligatory control walkthrough is complete, you’re given the reigns to start shooting stuff and this is where my skepticism quickly fell away. The combat was instantly fluid and the movement was perfectly balanced and silky smooth. Aiming was a delight and the triggers on the controller felt satisfying to press whether shooting or lobbing grenades at the bugs. It goes to show thatfirst impressions aren’t everything and I was already enjoying myself, just a few minutes in.
As the spaceship started exploding around me (Spoiler Alert… LOL), I ended up on a thin, ring shaped planet that looks suspiciously like a Halo. Knowing this little fact was like taking my first step towards being initiated into the Freemasons – I had learned a secret only a select few know.
When landing on the vast open environment, things really start to kick into gear. My mission isn’t to destroy anything that moves, but rather look for survivors, and by this point I’m surprised that Halo: Combat Evolved isn’t the game I thought it would be. After such a hammy opening I thought we’d be in for a mindless shooter, set in a ridiculous backdrop that took itself far too seriously, but it’s rather the opposite. Halo really doesn’t care if it appears ridiculous, nor does it stick to conventional norms of shooting bugs, as the name suggests, this is an evolved form of combat. Instead it’s a huge open world that lets you approach the game in any order you like, although it does prefer if you follow the in-game markers.
Playtime: 4-6 hours
I’ve been exploring the Halo for a few hours now and my expectations are in tatters. I’ve been sauntering around a giant open world, enjoying the sights and trying to save as many survivors from the earlier ship wreckage as possible. I found a buggy which was cool to drive, even if the controls were a little fiddly.
I did find myself getting angry at the people around me during my teenage years for not putting an Xbox controller in my hands and getting me to play this game. I can feel myself writing harshly worded MySpace messages and I’m taking out a squadron of bugs. Speaking of which, the enemies faced in the opening levels are limited to either scurrying evil Ewoks that can be stepped on, or overdramatic locusts that, when shot, sound like a child who has stubbed their toe on a cushion. They may have been limited in design but they were a delight to listen to, and then blast in the face with your weapon of choice.
Speaking of weapons, oh boy was I impressed with the variety on offer. The rifle was the standard weapon and did its job just fine, but picking up one of the many Covenant guns was where the fun started. The sniper felt like a beast to control and the reload felt like it had heft to it. The variety of grenades and powerups completed the package nicely, but my favourite had to be the gun with the spikes that had homing and delayed explosive qualities (you know the one), as I’d fire at a few unwitting enemies as I was running for cover, and the confusion before inevitable explosion was highly amusing.
As the story progressed, a simple search and rescue turned into something more nefarious. Bungie had built a lore around the Halo planet and it became clear that it was the gatekeeper to something more horrific, and it was up to the Chief and Cortana to put an end to it. As the story unravelled into a battle to save the galaxy, which is a simplification of what happened, as you seasoned professionals will understand, I found myself absolutely enthralled with the story from the moment I arrived on the Halo ring, until the final moment I escaped from it.
The more Halo took shape, the more it became clear that it had a depth that only a few established series, like Legend of Zelda or Star Wars, had displayed at the time. It had that epic feel which was accompanied by a blistering soundtrack, most of which I’ve since heard from like reveal trailers and various video game concerts etc. I’m sure if I’d have played the game first rather than hearing the opening bars to the intro a thousand times prior, it would have aroused some more powerful emotions, but listening to it in context was still rather fitting.
While the story could be wrapped up in one game, playing through the title felt like this was always meant to be a series, no matter what the sales figures or finance lackeys told the developers. Yes, I have the benefit of hindsight and we all know how the game panned out, but the world building introduced was thought through from the off and part of that lore made me want to learn more.
Conclusion
My first interaction with the Master Chief might have come twenty years after most people’s, but I now get the hype. The controls for this first person shooter are impeccable and something that other developers are still trying to imitate today. The world building and lore behind the game lifts Halo above the mindless shooters that litter every console, and the fact it never takes itself too seriously means we have a down to Earth game… Ironically set in space. While Halo Combat Evolved is not perfect – visually it is certainly a relic of its time and the vehicle controls are a bit guff – I can absolutely see why people hold the game in as high regard as it is, heck I went straight onto eBay and purchased the sequel as the credits were still rolling.
Our Nintendo Switch Online: Expansion Pack Wish Lists
In the latest Nintendo Direct, the Big N announced that there will be an ‘Expansion Pack’ to the Nintendo Switch Online services, which will introduce a plethora of N64 and Mega Drive games to the service. While we know about the first wave of games launching at the end of October, it left us wondering what the future could hold. Joe, Ian & Drew got together to draft up their wish list of classic games they’d like to see on the Switch.
Nintendo 64
Here’s the first two waves of games we’ll see as part of the NSO Expansion Pack.
| Phase One (October 2021) | Phase Two (TBC) |
| Super Mario 64 | Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask |
| Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time | Mario Golf |
| Mario Kart 64 | Pokemon Snap |
| Lylat Wars | F-Zero X |
| Yoshi’s Story | Kirby 64 |
| Sin and Punishment | Paper Mario |
| WinBack | Banjo-Kazooie |
| Mario Tennis | |
| Dr. Mario 64 |
Here are our suggestions:
Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon
If you know the history of our site, you’ll know that Konami’s 3rd person adventure-game-slash-sitcom, Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon, was at the top of both Ian & Joe’s lists. No one, not even Drew, could convince them otherwise. We reckon that more people need to experience the story of Goemon trying to save Mt Fuji, which has been teleported into space, at least once in their lives. The bonkers plot, well written characters and a sequence based on the 1970s movies where two men in mech suits battle it out over a town, has everything you could want from a late 1990s video game and we only hope that this will happen and reignite Konami’s passion to making more games in the series.
Superman 64
The NSO is full of good games, but what if Nintendo decided to put one of the worst games ever made onto the service? That honour should undoubtedly belong to Superman 64, with graphics that barely work, controls that don’t work, and a level of fogging so bad that not even the Man of Steel’s vision let’s you see more than 3 feet in front of you. Not only would it bring back some rage inducing memories, but the younger generation can see how we used to cope without game patches.
Pokémon Stadium
Pokémon Stadium was incredible when it was released in 1999 – it let players battle pokémon in 3D and play minigames such as ‘Magikarp Jump’ and ‘Clefairy Says’, but the main selling point was the ability to play Pokémon Red, Blue & Yellow on the TV from your N64 and to bring your party to battle in the stadium. A lot has to happen for Pokémon Stadium to be a viable option, primarily the release of the original Game Boy games and some sort of magic to connect the two games but we think it would be a popular choice if it all came together.
Tetrisphere
Drew was oddly vocal about Tetrisphere. It was an exclusive game to the N64 and as the name suggests, you play a game of Tetris, but instead of arranging falling blocks into lines, you have to match 3 blocks on a sphere in order to get to its core. It’s a frustrating puzzler that had Drew tearing his hair out as a kid, but one he’s keen to repeat.
All Games By Rare
Ok, so this one is a bit of a cheat but we all picked at least one Rare game in our lists and rather than argue about who is better, we decided to go all in. And when you see the quality of titles it’s easy to see why we wanted to get on with it. During the N64 era, Rareware churned out some of the best games of the generation, and although they are now owned by Microsoft, the appearance of Banjo Kazooie has given us hope that we’ll see the likes of Blast Corps, Conker’s Bad Fur Day, Perfect Dark, Jet Force Gemini, DK64 and of course, the granddaddy of console shooters, GoldenEye some day. Just imagine playing an online deathmatch of 007, slaps only, no Oddjob and you can see why we’re excited to see if Rare will once again play a big part in Nintendo’s plans.
Mega Drive
Next up we have Sega’s machine, the one that does what Nintendon’t. The announcement of the console making its way onto Nintendo’s handheld-hybrid was a pleasant surprise to us as it brings some more brilliant 16-Bit nostalgia to the table. Arguably, we’re more excited to play Mega Drive (Genesis for you North Americans), than Nintendo’s own console as this list was a lot harder to put together as there are so many games to choose from. Honourable mentions go to the Mega Collection series (especially Alien Storm and Super Hang On), Earthworm Jim & James Pond.
The first wave of confirmed games for the Nintendo Switch Online – Expansion Pack Sega Mega Drive are:
| Castlevania: Bloodlines | Contra: Hard Corps |
| Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine | Ecco the Dolphin |
| Golden Axe | Gunstar Heroes |
| Ristar | Shining Force |
| Sonic the Hedgehog 2 | Streets of Rage 2 |
| MUSHA | Phantasy Star 4 |
| Shinobi 3 | Strider |
And now for our picks:
Sonic 3 & Knuckles
It will come as no surprise to regular readers that the Blue Blur would be at the top of this list in some form or fashion, and while we love Sonic 1 & 2, they’ve been done to death. What would be lovely is seeing Sonic 3, and the add-on Sonic & Knuckles being added to the collection. Not only for something different, but because both of the games together are some of the best 16-Bit platforming you’ll experience. Due to *rumoured* issues with the soundtrack between Sega and the estate of Michael Jackson, Sega doesn’t seem to tout Sonic’s third outing as much as the previous games and it’s often missing from various collections. We know an enhanced version is coming out next year as part of the Sonic Origins collection, but that also includes Sonic 2, so why can’t we play the original now?
Castle of Illusion / World of Illusion
The Illusion games from Sega and Disney jumped out at us for a number of reasons, chiefly they were some of the best designed 2D scrollers on the system. Unlike the brutally difficult movie tie-ins like Aladdin and Lion King, both of the Illusion games gave a tough but manageable approach. World of Illusion was slightly on the easy side but with two players playing as Mickey and Donald, there is a lot of replayability nearly 30 years later.
ToeJam & Earl
ToeJam & Earl is a favourite of ours at VGamingNews, the mad-cap collectathon has you and a friend running around a map looking to rebuild your ship so that ToeJam and Biiig Earl can return home to the planet Funkotron. Its bright coloured aliens and utterly stupid mechanics perfectly sum up the 90s. If it came to NSO with online play, we’d be very happy indeed.
Kid Chameleon
The mask swapping mechanic in Kid Chameleon was out of this world back in the 1990s and was frankly way ahead of its time. Each mask would change Casey into a different creature or character and give specific power ups to help progress through the levels. As kids, both Drew and Joe struggled to get to the end of the massive 100+ levels; now they’re older, they are itching to finish what they started.
Strike Collection
Desert Strike, Jungle Strike and Urban Strike were the top tier shoot ‘em ups on the Mega Drive, so we couldn’t pick just one. You play as a lone helicopter pilot where the sole mission is to kill the bad guy at any cost. Each one of the Strike games were well received and even though EA tried to continue the series into the PlayStation and N64 era, they didn’t capture the audience in the same way. With other Shmups getting a new lease of life on the Switch, we think it’s about time a new audience is introduced to some classic shooters.
These are our picks and obviously not confirmed in any capacity, but what games would you like to see? Let us know below!
Metroid – The Top Ten Coolest Power-Ups
Like seemingly all sci-fi franchises with an armoured protagonist, Metroid is littered with some truly awesome upgrades to our heroines power suit and weaponry, and has a myriad of gadgets that makes every single entry unique and fun to play. We’ve run through the entire franchise back-catalogue and chosen the top ten coolest power-ups that not only make Samus a certified badass, but also highlight how the little-by-little upgrade style came to spawn an entire genre that is still much beloved today.
10. Spider Ball (Metroid II: Return of Samus)
Introduced to the franchise from the second installment and a regular feature since, the Spider Ball is an upgrade that significantly opens up the world of Metroid and doubles down on the exploration element of the genre. Originally allowing Samus to cling to any surface in Return of Samus things needed to be toned down a little to keep things manageable for the FPS installments, but it doesn’t dampen how cool it is to magnetise Samus to Spider Ball Tracks, defy gravity and allow players to explore the world of Metroid in all three dimensions.
9. Light / Dark Beams (Metroid Prime 2: Echoes)
The Light and Dark Beams form central elements to Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, and the game would be entirely different without their introduction. Allowing Samus to fight off the Ing horde using polarising energies is a simple but very cool idea, and the portals between the Light and Dark worlds of planet Aether might be a little old-hat but it’s implemented perfectly. The Luminoth weapons bring a real duality to the world of Echoes that underpins the entire experience and makes Prime 2 a much loved sequel that stands the test of time.
8. Charge Beam (Super Metroid)
The Charge Beam isn’t the flashiest of power-ups but its inclusion in every game since Super Metroid has set it up as a franchise staple with an impressive breadth of use. Offering Samus the ability to inflict some higher damage on an infinite-ammo basis, the Charge Beam really comes into its own from Metroid Prime onwards where the tractor beam function and introduction of specific effects for each beam weapon adds a lot of character to the weaponry. A significant weapon in the much maligned Other M, the Charge Beam deserves more love than it gets, we think.
7. Grapple Beam (Super Metroid)
Another entry that is all about adding depth to the exploration element of the series, the Grapple Beam is dripping with coolness. While the implementation in its debut (Super Metroid) is incredibly clunky and often infuriating, it cannot be denied how much scope the Grapple Beam added for designers to block areas off for later discovery. For anyone aged 30 or older it also conjures up Indiana Jones vibes that are just too strong to ignore, and swinging over great cravasses in the Prime series gives the enclosed areas a sense of grandeur and scale that would otherwise be missing from the games entirely.
6. X-Ray Scope / Visor (Super Metroid)
In a series riddled with secrets, being able to pierce the veil and highlight hidden passages, items and destructible walls is an invaluable asset. The introduction of the X-Ray Scope in Super Metroid is a game changer, encouraging players to backtrack over previously ‘completed’ areas with a fine tooth comb and discover countless secrets that they’d unknowingly trekked over hundreds of times. The X-Ray Visor in Metroid Prime deserves a special shout out too; adding the ability to track invisible enemies is awesome, and seeing the bones in Samus’ arm through the cannon adds a layer of realism that continues to be incredibly cool even 20 years later.
5. Command Visor (Metroid Prime 3: Corruption)
While the Command Visor only makes a single appearance in the series, it’s undoubtedly one of the cooler entries in the franchise, and one that feels entirely overdue. Samus’ gunship has long been a silent ‘character’ in the franchise, and it was about time that it took a more active role in the gameplay when the Command Visor was brought in for Corruption. Let’s keep this one simple – being able to summon your ship to rain missiles down on enemies is quite simply badass and something that should be expanded upon in future. (We’re predicting a Jarvis-type AI assistant within the next few releases to give another character for Samus to interact with. It would offer Nintendo the opportunity to ‘redeem’ Samus’ character after the fan backlash from her depiction Other M.)
4. Missile Launcher (Metroid)
Are Dr Martens boots rare? Absolutely not – they’re everywhere, but them being all pervasive does nothing to dampen just how cool they are – and it’s the same for the Missile Launcher. Available in every franchise entry to date, the Missile Launcher is a faithful companion that carries Samus through some tough times and opened up the opportunity to add some tougher enemies with specific weaknesses. Nothing is more memorable than spamming 150 missiles into the mouth of Mother Brain in Super Metroid and wondering how it still wasn’t enough to kill the damned thing – it’s truly a classic boss fight. The final thing the Missile Launcher has going for it? Shooting rockets out of your hand makes you feel like Iron Man and the coolness factor of that cannot be over exaggerated.
3. Varia Suit (Metroid)
The Varia Suit isn’t the best power suit in any of the games but by God, we’ll fist fight anyone who says it isn’t the most iconic. Almost always depicted in this orange beauty with the red breastplate and helmet, it’s the look for which Samus is most well known. The delicate waist hints at a femininity beneath the armour but the hulking shoulder pads give off an aura of pure power, and that contrasting green visor gives a cold, unwavering look that summarises Samus Aran’s character perfectly. Undoubtedly the coolest suit in the series thus far, but that white Dread power suit may just give the Varia Suit a run for its money…
2. Morph Ball (Metroid)
The Morph Ball is an upgrade that showed up back in 1986 and hasn’t missed a beat since. Another absolutely iconic piece of equipment that defines Samus Aran and the Metroid series, being able to collapse to half your size and roll through pipes or destroy an enemy from the inside will never not be enjoyable. Surely introduced due to the sprite size limitations of the NES, the Morph Ball was added in lieu of a crouch/crawl, much to the confusion of some fans. It is a little ridiculous that Nintendo has stuck with it all these years but it injects a wonderful bit of whimsy in an otherwise bleak universe watching enemies chase a spherical Samus around like giddy puppies after a tennis ball. (There are some fun fan theories about exactly how it works out there too which are definitely worth a read if you get the fancy.)
1. Scan Visor (Metroid Prime)
“How can a standard piece of equipment be crowned the coolest power-up in franchise history?” I hear you cry. Frankly it’s because the Scan Visor changed absolutely everything about the Metroid series; it levelled up Prime from just another sci-fi FPS into a deeply atmospheric shooter that is positively dripping with lore and countless incredible details. In the earlier 2D entries in the series atmosphere was added with creepy music and some rather grisly sprites, animations and sound effects, but it was mostly left to the player to conjure up ideas in their own mind about what had happened to leave the world in such a frightful state. But the Scan Visor changed all that by offering the player detailed descriptions of exactly how a Space Pirate had died or specifically what malfunction had caused an explosion and sealed the doors closed – ON TOP of a stellar soundtrack and visuals. It added a cold analysis that put Samus’ technology front-and-centre and opened a real opportunity for Metroid to evolve from a simple platform-shooter into a deep adventure with a meaningful plotline.
Gamescom 2021
With everything going on in the world, the annual gamescom convention is going all digital this year. Taking place between Wed, 25 Aug 2021 – Fri, 27 Aug 2021, there will be a lot of news from the world of video games coming in thick and fast. We’re rounding up all of the news, trailers and announcements in one place for your enjoyment. Keep checking back to see what’s been added!
23/08/21 – 27/08/21: Indie Booth
Indie games are great for the world of video games. We can relate to the smaller teams working insane hours crafting their games for love rather than reward. As such VGamingNews wanted to celebrate those smaller games and give them a chance to shine. At gamescom 2021, the Indie Booth opened to us a few days early and gave us a chance to find new games we might have missed. While we can’t cover all of them, we’re going to try. This list will keep growing until we’re forced to stop.
24/08/2021: Bungie’s Destiny 2 Presentation
An hour before Microsoft took to the stage, Bungie announced details of where their online shooter – Destiny 2 will be heading in the next six months.
We had details on the new season: Season of the Lost, updates on much requested features like cross-play, their plans to celebrate the studio’s 30th Birthday, as well as a big blowout for the next expansion Destiny 2: The Witch Queen. All details can be found here.
24/08/2021: Xbox Stream
Microsoft were the only ones of the big 3 console companies to show up to gamescom 2021 with a full press conference. During the 90 minute presentation they showed off various updates as well as a few new games that are coming out in 2021 & 2022.
Here’s a summary of all the games featured in the show:
- Dying Light 2 Stay Human
- Flight Simulator
- Game Pass Update – Humble Games
- Into The Pit
- Age Of Empires IV
- Wasteland 3 – Cult of the Holy Detonation
- Sea of Thieves
- State of Decay 2 Homecoming Update
- Stray Blade
- Crusader Kings III
- Psychonauts 2
- The Gunk
- Forza Horizon 5
The full round up can be found here (opens in a new tab)
25/08/2021 – Gamescom Opening Night
During gamecom’s opening night live presentation, and the preshow there were a lot of games announced and discussed. Here’s all of the games featured:
26/08/2021 – Team 17 Provides Updates On 11 Games
Team 17 have provided a sizzle reel of 11 indie games, coming out between now and next year. There’s a few new games in the mix so check out the details here.
Thinking of Flute Boy
Even as a child, I was a goofy romantic with a penchant for storytelling. I remember I would forever be conjuring up fantastic scenarios, fictional allies and terrible enemies; babbling on to myself excitedly as I dashed around with a toy sword or laser gun, swooshing and pew-pew-pewing to my heart’s content. No universe was left unvisited.
As I grew a little older and my imagination turned inward, I would find myself pondering on things more than other kids my own age seemed to. I couldn’t just watch a film or read a book — I would become completely absorbed by them. I’d spend hours thinking about the characters and what might have made them the way they were; their motivations and their fears. Looking back, I think it was this period of my life that inspired my love of writing and nurtured my desire to conjure complex beings from imagination alone and share them with the world.
My hobbies were changing around this time too; books and films were becoming secondary to videogames — suddenly the breadth of fictional universes and stories available to me were interactive, with characters I could direct through their highs and lows until they were victorious or defeated. It was exhilarating and I’ll admit I was hooked early on.
I remember to this day, one of my earliest character infatuations in videogames was the mysterious fellow known as ‘Flute Boy’ from A Link to the Past.
Playing the game as a youngster, I tried to rush through — not taking the time to talk to all the NPCs and missing some of the ins-and-outs — I struggled to understand how certain elements slotted together. There were a great many intrigues in the game, but the one that I find the most memorable is stumbling into the Haunted Grove and seeing the animals gathered around that ocarina playing boy, and watching him fade away and scatter his companions as I approached.
With my mind, as active as it was, how could I not fall in love with the mystifying child of this woods?
When I finally saw out his story; easing him to his slumber, retrieving the flute and the boy’s pet bird, I enjoyed how much a simple quest made me care about a pair of pixelated characters using only a smattering of dialogue. Looking back now, I think I took for granted how wonderfully poignant Flute Boy’s backstory really was.
A boy, hearing of a magnificent treasure able to grant wishes, leaves home and heads to the mountains in search of adventure. He eventually wanders into a mysterious other world, and the boy, unable to return, leaves behind a father who misses him terribly without ever truly knowing what happened to him. Eventually, a precious keepsake returns to the father and he understands and accepts that his son was lost in pursuit of his dreams.
Whilst not a father myself, I can see the parallels in true-life parenthood.
Children will dream their dreams and go off in search of them — some succeeding and others falling short. They will potentially begin to drift away as their lives become more complicated and other factors take precedence — they move for their career and start their own family and you might not see them for some time. Years can pass into obscurity but the sight of one small memento — a photo, an old toy, a favourite song or film — brings it everything back; hopes, dreams and all. You share the memory with friends and other loved ones, remembering the adventure that your child went on in search of their dreams. You can be proud of that, I think.
Thanks for everything, Papa Bear – I love you. And you too, Flute Boy.
Forever Physical: Celebrating The People Keeping ‘Digital Only’ Games Alive
I don’t know about you, but there’s something magical about heading to a shop, store or supermarket to buy a video game. Even though I said goodbye to my twenties a few years ago, there’s still the excitement of picking up that plastic box, examining every piece of art on the front looking for clues to the story on the back, then excitedly but begrudgingly handing it over to the shop assistant to scan and take your money.
Over the last few months, we might have relied on the postie to drop off our latest game but that hasn’t detracted from the excitement. Putting the newest addition into your collection and admiring your ever growing lack of space gives a sense of pride. This is great for the latest AAA blockbuster, but what about those classic indie games that you can only buy digitally? What if I had a hankering to play an indie game made by 2 people in a shed in Stockport and it had been pulled from the e-shop? What if I was happy for even less space in my house?
Us when we saw Scott Pilgrim was back and in physical form via Limited Run Games
This is where our indie-angels from across the globe step in. Limited video game production companies have sprung up over the last couple of years with one goal – giving gamers the feeling of excitement as they unwrap a tangible copy of a small, independently developed game.
In 2021, we’re going through a period of time where digital games are at risk of disappearing forever due to the threat of console e-store closures and that just won’t do. At VGamingNews, we want to celebrate physical media and the indie games getting their time in the spotlight by having a product you can pop on the shelf to admire and as such have put together a list of brilliant companies doing all of the work in making sure those smaller indie games have a chance to be proudly displayed on your shelves.
Villagers running to pre-order the physical Untitled Goose Game from iam8bit
If you’re a collector of games, or simply refuse to go digital, these companies can hook you up with some brilliant independent games that you might have missed. To entice gamers further, they usually come wrapped in a deluxe box and with a plethora of goodies to give a luxurious feel usually reserved for premium titles.
These are in a randomised order:
Limited Run Games
- Where: Based in the USA
- International orders: delivers worldwide
- Website: https://limitedrungames.com/
- Platforms offered: Switch, PlayStation and retro
- How they work: Preorders open for a month then manufactured to order. Their focus is digital only games with a mix of indies and larger publishers such as Capcom and Ubisoft.
Super Rare Games
- Where: Based in the UK
- International orders: delivers worldwide
- Website: https://superraregames.com/
- Platforms offered: Switch
- How they work: Limited number of copies for each indie game, usually around 5000 copies. Occasionally, they’ll sell warehouse finds (returns, overstocks etc) or offer competitions.
Special Reserve Games
- Where: USA
- International orders: Worldwide postage
- Website: https://specialreservegames.com/
- Platforms offered: Switch, PS4 & PC
- How they work: Limited editions of games, additional goodies such as prints. Not all games are exclusive to the site, however their editions are limited and exclusive to the site.
Premium Edition Games
- Where: Based in USA
- International orders: handled through approved third parties
- Website: https://premiumeditiongames.com/
- Platforms offered: Switch (for now)
- How they work: How they work: limited number of copies per indie game. Once they are gone, they are gone.
iam8Bit
- Where: USA
- International orders: Worldwide posting
- Website: https://www.iam8bit.com/
- Platforms offered: Switch, PlayStation and retro
- How they work: Games aren’t as limited as others and they do fully publish physical games on behalf of indie developers such as Untitled Goose Game. They also offer artwork, all kinds of apparel and vinyl for all kinds of games.
Pixel Heart
- Where: France
- International orders: Worldwide Postage
- Website: https://www.pixelheart.eu/
- Platforms offered: All of them. Seriously, from NES to PS5
- How they work: Limited allocation of games, usually in the 000s. They also sell retro games at reasonable prices.
Red Art Games
- Where: Based in France
- International orders: Worldwide postage
- Website: https://www.redartgames.com/
- Platforms offered: PlayStation 4, Vita, Switch and retro
- How they work: Limited run of digital only, indie games.
Strictly Limited Games
- Where: Based in Germany
- International orders: Worldwide postage
- Website: https://www.strictlylimitedgames.com/
- Platforms offered: Switch & PS4, Mega Drive
- How they work: As the name suggests, the print runs are more limited than others. Usually around the 2000 game mark. They do have smaller indie titles though so they don’t always sell out on preorder.
Playasia
- Where: Based in Hong Kong
- International orders: Worldwide postage
- Website: https://www.play-asia.com/
- Platforms offered: PlayStation 5, PS4, PS3, Vita, Switch, 3DS, Xbox One & PC
- How they work: Primarily deals with importing games from various regions, however have started branching into books and figures.
Gamefairy
- Where: Based in Germany
- International orders: Worldwide postage
- Website: https://gamefairy.io/
- Platforms offered: Switch, PS4 & occasional retro platforms.
- How they work: Limited physical runs of digital games, various merch & vinyl soundtracks.
Again, we want to highlight as many of these limited run & indie publishing companies as possible. If you think we’ve missed a company that should be featured, reach out to us on Twitter or Facebook and we’ll look at adding them.
None of our links are affiliated, nor have we been sponsored to promote any of these people – we genuinely love the work they are doing to preserve physical media and to shed light on games that could potentially get lost among the AAA heavyweights.
VGamingBargains: Nintendo Switch June 2021
I know what you’re going to say VGamingBargains fans – where in the world was the May Edition?! Well, we’re not going to lie to you all – May was a very busy month for us in the VGaming offices, what with the world opening back up and some huge releases hitting our desks, so we needed you to fend for yourselves last month! But we haven’t forgotten you, Bargain Hunters! We’re back with another list full of fantastic games for less than the price of a decent pizza.
As always, the games are split into three levels, based around their price points:
Level 1 – games in Level 1 cost between £7.50 and £10.00 and tend to be the larger titles available in our price range – they’ll take most of your budget here but offer the most full-game experience for a small amount of money
Level 2 – costing between £3.50 and £7.49, games at level 2 give you a little more flexibility on how to spend your money but might be a little shorter or perhaps a little older than games in the top level
Level 3 – rounding out the list are our cheapest games, from those that are absolutely free up to a cost of £3.49. These games tend to be made by independent developers and are often a shorter experience, but make no mistake – while they might only be a few hours long, the games in Level 3 still offer a lot of enjoyment – even better, you can mix-and-match a few for your money
VGamingBargains is a monthly feature, published near the start of each month to highlight a few good deals available on the eShop soon after each pay day. Keep an eye out for future editions and we’ll do our best to put you onto a couple of great games that won’t break the bank!
| Level | Title | Cost | On Sale Until |
| Level 1 | Okami HD | £7.99 | 14/06/21 |
| Fury Unleashed | £8.99 | 16/06/21 | |
| Level 2 | Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas | £5.39 | 24/06/21 |
| Tools Up | £3.59 | 27/06/21 | |
| A Short Hike | £4.71 | 14/06/21 | |
| Lair of the Clockwork God | £4.74 | 04/07/21 | |
| Level 3 | Planet Alpha | £3.19 | 17/06/21 |
| Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King | £3.37 | 24/06/21 | |
| HyperParasite | £1.86 | 20/06/21 | |
| Feudal Alloy | £2.69 | 26/06/21 | |
| Ibb & Obb | £2.69 | 16/06/21 |
Level 1
The jewel in the crown of this month’s list is the incredible Zelda-like Okami HD. Originally released for the PS2 way back in 2016, the already stunning Okami has since received a HD facelift and remains an absolutely must-play game for fans of hack and slash, action adventures. Set in the times of ancient Japan, the story is deeply bedded in Japanese folklore and sees you play the role of Amaterasu, the wolf-bodied incarnation of the sun goddess who has to overcome the forces of evil and bring safety back to the island. Depicted in a jaw-dropping wood block and watercolour style that mimics traditional Japanese artwork, you’ll find yourself gawping at the visuals almost as much as you enjoy the story and gameplay. Despite being critically acclaimed, I still call Okami HD an underrated gem, and believe it might be the greatest Zelda game never made by Nintendo.
Fury Unleashed is a rogue-lite platform shooter that sees you battle through the dangerous world of a living comic book! The story is an interesting one and sees you not only take on Fury’s battles between the pages, but see the toil of the artist creating the comics themselves – you have to keep winning with Fury to keep the writing coming! It’s a fantastic premise that sees you blast and slash your way through randomly generated levels, working from the top-left frame to the bottom right of the page before facing off with a fearsome boss, before moving on to the next comic book world in the collection. Collect ink to spend on upgrades and weapons, and with all of customisation available, you’ll get a unique experience every time – and taking an average of 30 hours to 100%, you’ll get plenty of playtime for your pennies here.
Level 2
Another Zelda-like makes the list now, with Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas sailing onto the list for just over a fiver. You play as a young boy on a journey to find his missing father and destroy the titular monster, Oceanhorn. It’s a fun seafaring adventure with a fun art style and a nice soundtrack featuring the legendary Nobuo Uematsu, and comes with all the gadgets and quests you’d expect and a few RPG elements too. A sequel was released in October 2020 as well, so this purchase might give players a whole new series to explore.
Another game following the recent trend of turning mundane activities into multiplayer mayhem is Tools Up!, where players must work together to renovate homes against a time limit. Very much in the vein of the incredible Overcooked, this four player couch co-op will have you laughing and screaming at your friends in equal measure as you move furniture, lay flooring and paint the walls, while trying to overcome one-another’s incompetence! There’s a few hours of fun on offer here for only a couple of quid, but it’s definitely one for households where a few gamers can get together – if you’re on the unpainted fence, there is a demo that you can try out too.
A Short Hike might be the most adorable little adventure that you’ve never heard of, where you spend a few hours climbing up the mountainside and helping people you might meet along the way. Very much a peaceful, ‘take it at your own pace’ experience, this one is short indeed, but you’ll be hard pressed to find a game more well loved by it’s fans – try it out! Rounding out Level 2 is the incredibly quirky Lair of the Clockwork God that ambitiously merges the point-and-click and platform genres in one game! Switch between friends Ben and Dan as they work together to try to avert disaster and stop the Apocalypse, in a mix of puzzle and platforming that’s truly unique.
Level 3
Tense spacefaring platformer Planet Alpha headlines the Level 3 tier, offering a stunning and atmospheric experience that far outshines it’s megre price tag. Marooned on an alien world, you must use your ability to alter the night and day cycle of the planet to avoid the hostile natives and solve tricky puzzles in order to escape. This one isn’t so much about the challenge as the experience, with music and visuals driving the storytelling, but with the absolutely stunning landscapes and creatures depicted in the game – Planet Alpha is memorable indeed for just a few shiny pound coins.
This month is brimming with Zelda-likes on sale, and we have Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King in the lowest price tier. Play as Lily, Knight of the Rose, and battle your way through all manner of dungeons and baddies in a multi-generational story that sees you influence how the tale is passed down from grandfather to grandchildren. It’s got some cute, traditional pixel visuals, a big map and some enjoyable dungeons in a package that’s bound to appeal to old-school action-adventure fans.
Feudal Alloy is a quirky Steampunk Metroidvania where you play as a goldfish-controlled robot (!) who has to find his way back home after raiders attacked his village. Cool hand drawn visuals and a touch of strategy make it a nice addition to the collection for about the price of a Big Mac. There’s also twin-stick bullet hell HyperParasite for less than two pounds, where you play as an alien body snatcher who must control a host of human characters on your way to bringing down humanity itself! Ibb & Obb rounds out this month’s list, and is entirely different to anything else we’ve suggested so far. A stylised two-player indie platformer where the gravity works both up and down, and set to a beautiful warm melodic electronica soundtrack, you’ll need to use teamwork to overcome puzzles and progress.
*Game requires Online membership to play online
The recommendations made in this article do not come from any paid promotion and are solely influenced by our enjoyment of the games highlighted and their perceived value for money
Prices accurate at the time of publication
Average play times are sourced from HowLongToBeat
Resident Evil – Top VIII Characters
With the month of May drawing to a close, it’s time to reveal the final entry in our Resident Evil roundtable feature, where we celebrate everything that makes the series so dear to us, and to gamers all around the globe.
Resident Evil wouldn’t have had close to the same success without a great cast of characters that players could really connect with, and we’ve been treated to some great ones over the past 25 years. And so, without further ado, we’ve collated the official, not to be argued with, absolutely 100% accurate list of the Top VIII Characters in Resident Evil franchise history. Thank you to everyone who’s read and interacted with these columns the past few weeks – we’ve had an absolute blast putting them together!
VIII. James Marcus (First appearance: Resident Evil Zero – 2002)
“Obedience breeds discipline. Discipline breeds unity. Unity breeds power. Power is life.” This is the Umbrella Inc.company motto that James Marcus blares out in Resident Evil Zero, and it tells you a lot about drive and single-mindedness that sums up Marcus as a character. He is one of the founding members of the Umbrella Corporation and is ultimately responsible for all of the horrors they unleashed on the world, especially considering he educated both William Birkin and Albert Wesker. While he was ousted from the company long before any of the games take place, Marcus and his various experiments are brought to light during the events of Resident Evil Zero, where his own DNA is mixed with the T-Virus and a healthy dose of leeches that combine into a horrific and memorable final boss. The grandfather of Umbrella Inc., we have to give a nod to the man who started it all.
VII. William Birkin (First appearance: Resident Evil 2 – 1998)
Capcom has a long running theme of idealistic scientists becoming too ambitious with their plans for the T-Virus and failing miserably. William Birkin was the first such scientist, appearing first in Resident Evil 2 as the man responsible for developing the G-Virus. Once Capcom retconned the backstory in the Resident Evil remake, Birkin was tasked with working at the Arklay Laboratory after Marcus’ presumed death, leading to he and Wesker conducting experiments on Lisa Trevor. When Wesker left to infiltrate S.T.A.R.S, Birkin took his experiments of the G-Virus one step too far, ultimately becoming one of the Tyrants you have to face off against. While not the most significant boss, Birkin is certainly an interesting character; always seeking perfection for the Golgotha virus, going so far as to even test on children, much to the outrage of Umbrella. Yes, apparently Umbrella had limits.
VI. Claire Redfield (First appearance: Resident Evil 2 – 1998)
Just because Claire Redfield is lower down on the list it’s not to say that she’s an insignificant character. Oh no. To begin with, Claire isn’t part of some huge task force whose job it is to investigate Umbrella – sure, she can shoot and take out hordes of the undead, but this is the result of her being forced into those situations. What makes Claire Redfield unique on this list are the stories that she’s a part of. She came to Raccoon City in Resident Evil 2 to look for her brother Chris; things went south along the way and she had to survive, but rather than care for herself, she never wavered in her mission of finding her brother. She brings a decidedly more human value to the series – more so than most people on this list. While others might be concerned about saving the world, Claire is content in helping those close to her. This is evident in later games too, whether it’s finding Chris in Code Veronica X, or keeping Barry’s children safe in Resident Evil Revelations 2. She is the true mother figure of the series and we love her for it.
V. Merchant (First appearance: Resident Evil 4 – 2005)
How can a non-playable character who appears in only one entry of the franchise possibly crack the Top VIII Characters list, you ask? Quite simply, the Merchant from Resident Evil 4 makes such an impression in the short time you’re exposed to him that he made himself absolutely impossible to leave off the list. As the first entry in the franchise to use a shop and upgrade system, the Merchant quickly becomes a friend to the player, offering both respite from the Ganado and the opportunity to bolster your arsenal with some extra firepower. Not much is known about the Merchant, but you’ve got to respect a man who’s out there hustling for a few extra pesetas in a village filled with mutated nutcases! What absolutely cemented his inclusion on the list was his voice acting, with the lines “Whaddya buyin’?” and “Whaddya sellin’?” seeing the Merchant breakout as a global meme. We reached out to the Merchant to congratulate him on making this list and his response was simply, “Heh heh heh… Thank you!” What a guy.
IV. Leon S. Kennedy (First appearance: Resident Evil 2 – 1998)
Any man who tells you his middle initial when he introduces himself has got something about him, and Leon S. Kennedy is no different. First introduced to us in Resident Evil 2, we meet Leon on his first day as a member of the Raccoon City Police Department, where he’s met with a ruined city filled with the undead. He cemented himself as a fan favourite when he reappeared in Resident Evil 4, having been sent to a rural Spanish village as a lone operative in order to rescue the President’s kidnapped daughter, Ashley. Armed with a much extended script that showed off his feisty character and with allusions to a murky history in the special forces, Leon is upgraded from a stereotypical golden boy into a well-rounded character who steals the show.
III. Jill Valentine (First appearance: Resident Evil – 1996)
The original and best heroine from the series, Jill Valentine, picks the lock of our list and lets herself in at number 3. Making her debut in the very first game, Jill has been a favourite from the very start – not least because she offers plenty of gameplay benefits over Chris in the original Resident Evil, like the lockpick and access to the grenade launcher. But it’s her level-headed approach, good heart and playful manner that shines through and really endeared her to the fanbase. Jill is also the first recurring playable character in the franchise, returning to battle her way across Raccoon CIty in Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, successfully fighting off the freak with the rocket launcher before taking a well earned hiatus from the carnage. In a bit of shock, she pops up as a reluctant villain in Resident Evil 5, but we can’t hold that against her – Jill’s always been one of the good guys, and it was a very cool moment to see her make her reappearance. Last but not least, she gets bonus points for having the bravery to wear a beret to work – you can’t hate on a girl with that kind of confidence.
II. Albert Wesker (First appearance: Resident Evil – 1996)
Arguably one of the greatest videogame antagonists of all time, the blonde baddie himself, Albert Wesker, swaggers onto the stage in the runner-up spot. We should have known from his ‘too cool for school’ look in the original Resident Evil that something wasn’t right about Wesker, but our tender young minds were looking elsewhere for the villain and the double-cross-reveal came as a massive surprise on the first play through. Wesker is the ultimate do-it-all bad guy – having worked as a lead scientist on the T-Virus before officially leaving Umbrella Inc. to work as a covert operative, leading to his infiltration of the S.T.A.R.S team. Presumed dead after the Spencer Mansion explosion, Wesker pops up in various files and photographs that weave him into the fabric of Umbrella Inc. and the lore of the series as a whole, before becoming a much more apparent B.O.W. threat in Resident Evil Zero and 4. His deep backstory and nefarious tactics build a complicated love-hate relationship between Wesker and the players, and we were equally elated and saddened when he met his Terminator 2-inspired ending in that volcano in Resident Evil 5.
I. Barry Burton (First appearance: Resident Evil – 1996)
“Barry… Where is Barry?”
For us, the top ranked character could not be anyone but Barry Burton. Jill’s sidekick has been a favourite of ours since we first discovered Resident Evil, and gloriously wooden lines like “It might be handy if you, the Master of Unlocking, take it with you”, will forever be etched in our memories. But underneath the shoddy voice work lies a complicated and tormented character that totally contrasts his hulking frame and oafish exterior. Through the events of Resident Evil it’s revealed that Barry is being coerced into helping Wesker bring down S.T.A.R.S and cover up the outbreak at Umbrella’s Spencer Mansion. We’re not sure why Burton didn’t just press that massive hand cannon between Wesker’s eyes and pull the trigger, but who are we to question the logic of our man Barry B? While he appears at various points in the series, it wasn’t until Resident Evil Revelations 2 that Barry was handed a full-blown story and players finally got the chance to shoot that oversized magnum, and what a moment it was! As a man who has proven time and again that he’ll do whatever it takes to keep his family safe, Barry Burton can give himself a pat on the back knowing he’s the number one Resident Evil character of all time, at least in our humble opinion.
Honourable Mentions:
- Tofu (First appearance: Resident Evil 2 – 1998)
Unlocked after completing Resident Evil 2 on the hardest difficulty setting, Tofu is infamous for being, well, a giant block of tofu. We’re not sure whether it’s true or not but he was supposedly created to test the game’s hit detection, and somehow squirmed his way into a bonus playable mode. Ultimately what we have here is a human sized block of coagulated soy milk and bean curd goodness, wearing a RCPD hat and wielding an AK-47. That’s totally enough explanation for us and we absolutely love it.
- Hunk (First appearance: Resident Evil 2 – 1998)
Another unlockable character from Resident Evil 2, Hunk, for us, is one of the most intriguing characters in the entire franchise. Sent by Umbrella to retrieve the G-Virus sample from the chaos of Raccoon City, it’s the first time we learn of the lengths that the company would go to in order to protect their assets. The idea of Umbrella having their own special forces was incredibly cool when Resident Evil 2 was released and Capcom allowing you to play a bonus mission as Hunk opened up a realm of possibilities for side missions and storylines for years to come.
- Chris Redfield (Resident Evil – 1996)
We know we’re going to catch some flak for having Chris Redfield relegated to the Honourable Mentions list, but the list is just too crowded to fit everyone up there. Chris is one of the OG’s – making his debut in Resident Evil, his scenario is the more challenging of the between he and Jill. Much like Leon, Chris’ popularity really caught fire at the second bite of the cherry; he became a full blown badass in Resident Evil 5 and gained a lot of shine by virtue of Sheva being so thoroughly maligned by the fanbase. Sporting some sizable biceps and squeezed into a schmedium sized shirt, Chris has to make this list for the boulder punch at the end of Resident Evil 5 if absolutely nothing else.
- Rebecca/Billy (First appearance: Resident Evil Zero – 2002)
On their own, Rebecca and Billy wouldn’t have scratched the list at all. Rebecca is brutally undervalued outside of Resident Evil Zero, sitting firmly in the “Chris needs a medic” camp throughout the series and Billy has been missing since the train incident in RE0. However, together we felt they needed at least an honourable mention. They are the only characters in the series to be controlled simultaneously. Their dynamic growns from prisoner & medic to two people looking out for each other culminating in Rebecca covering up Billy’s survival. It’s a shame Capcom hasn’t explored the duality system in more detail, nor followed up on Billy’s story.
- Richard Aiken (Resident Evil – 1996)
Stumbling upon the heavily wounded Richard Aiken in one of the corridors of the Spencer Mansion is a stand out moment in the original Resident Evil. He’s the first living member that you encounter from Bravo Team, making you think that the mission wasn’t entirely lost, despite the mansion being overrun with zombies.His character model is one of the more graphic in the game, and really makes you wonder at what could possibly have done so much damage. As with every character from the original game, his script is ropey and his voice acting not much better, but his mention of the “terrible demons” in the house was a very memorable moment.
Feel like we missed somebody, or not happy at where your favourite character was ranked? Let us know in the comments section here or on our socials!
Resident Evil – Top VIII Ridiculous Moments
The month of May marches on and the team at VGamingNews are continuing our look back at the Resident Evil franchise and discussing what makes it one of the best, and most popular, series in gaming. While the series prides itself on scares and gruesome monsters, we can’t ignore the franchise’s B-Movie roots and some of the silliness that we’ve been treated to throughout the years. So below are our rankings of the Top VIII Most Ridiculous Moments in the Resident Evil franchise; some simply raised an eyebrow while others literally had us laughing out loud, but they certainly helped make Resident Evil what it is today. Let us know your favourite ridiculous memories from the series in the comments!
VIII. Chris Punching Boulders (Resident Evil 5 – 2009)
When we started Resident Evil 5, we immediately noticed that Chris had decided to hit the gym and get ripped. Those big beefy arms were certainly out of place compared to his usual appearance, but it was convenient that steroid-induced Redfield had been juicing when it came to the climax of the game. The stage was set for Chris to finally face off against series stalwart Albert Wesker, in a volcano no less. Why no one is questioning how a normal human is withstanding temperatures that would evaporate skin is beyond us, but as the battle progresses, a boulder the size of a large bus gets in Chris’ way. Not wanting to waste any time, he decides to punch his way through. No guns, no grenades, just pure brute force. We don’t know if it was the ‘roids doing the business but Chris certainly got it done, and now “Press X to punch” is one of the most iconic memes, not only in the series, but the whole of videogame history. In later games, this ridiculous feat gets brought up and is still as funny today as it ever was. Thank you Capcom.
VII. Derek the Dinosaur (Resident Evil 6 – 2012)
Before Capcom’s rethink of the entire series, Resident Evil 6 happened. It threw everything at the players, including a copy of Jurassic Park on DVD. While we could have easily made a Top VIII out of this game alone (flying a helicarrier, really?), the part of the game that takes it too far, even for a Resident Evil game, is Derek Simmons. The antagonist has a few different forms throughout the game, each sillier than the last but what makes no sense is his transformation into a dinosaur. The series has seen the DNA of various creatures being spliced with whatever virus Umbrella has cooked up; snakes, sharks, and spiders have all been genetically altered. In fairness, these can actually be found in the wild but the transformation of Simmons into a freaky T-Rex-type monster left us scratching our heads. Did someone find usable dino DNA? Has Umbrella invented time travel? The best theory we can come up with is that two Umbrella scientists, Susan and Gary, had an argument over the plausibility of Jurassic Park during a heavy sesh. Susan decided to take matters into her own hands and a few weeks later she certainly proved Gary wrong.
VI. Gone Fishin’ (Resident Evil 4 – 2005)
We’re showing our age with this one, but back in secondary school, before the internet really took off, daft rumours around video games circulated via magazines and word-of-mouth. The ones like being able to catch Mew in Pokémon Red if you traded two Mewtwos and pulled the link cable out half way through the trade – outrageous stuff, but with no-one able to confirm or deny, these things spread like wildfire. One such rumour was a simple one to do with Resident Evil 4 – don’t go fishing or something bad will happen. It seemed harmless enough at the time, but unlike the Mew trick, this one was real, and for later rereleases built into the trophy/achievement lists. When you take Leon to the lake, head out onto the dock and start shooting at the fish nearby, Del Lago, the huge Salamander boss will want to have a word with you. With his teeth. It’s a silly and somewhat frightening experience but after the shock, we couldn’t help but laugh at this ridiculous Easter Egg.
V. Neptune (Resident Evil – 1996)
We had to suspend belief a few times in the original Resident Evil, but you could find some twisted logic in there if you looked hard enough. But all that logic goes right out of the window as you clamber down a ladder (hidden behind a couple of bookcases in a random bedroom no less), and discover a broken 750,000 litre aquarium and a few angry sharks swimming around in a basement lab. I genuinely have a multitude of questions… Who exactly is buying genetically modified-shark weapons? Who approved building a lab under a guys bed? How do Umbrella plan on getting the sharks out of that lab? And who had to pay the water bill after filling that tank up?
IV. Tofu (Resident Evil 2 – 1998)
Unlockable characters and outfits come as a badge of honour for players, especially when a game makes it particularly tough to access them – and because they’re tough to get, you’re almost certainly offered a very cool character as a reward for all your hard work. That isn’t really the case with Resident Evil 2 though, where designers took the decision to program in an entire scenario where you play as a giant block of tofu with arms and feet as the very last reward in the game. You might argue that Tofu shouldn’t make the list as he’s only available in a bonus scenario and certainly not canon, but we’re not having it – what is a list of ridiculous Resident Evil moments without mentioning the sentient block of bean curd running through RPD Station?
III. Accessing the Secret Lab (Resident Evil – 1996)
With industrial espionage becoming more advanced than ever before, companies are going to greater lengths to keep their secrets safe, but no-one comes close to how far Umbrella Inc. went to hide their secret lab beneath the Spencer Mansion in Resident Evil. Thinking about it now, how exactly did anyone get any work done, when it must have taken the best part of an hour just to get to your work station in the morning. Get the Eagle Medal from the book, get the Wold Medal from the caves, plug them into the fountain, wait for the water to drain and ask Kevin the intern to put the medals back for you while you take the elevator down to the lab. I find it a hassle having to bring an ID card to work with me, and I struggle to remember my IT passwords most days – there’s no way I’d hack working in the Arklay Facility for more than a week with all that faff required.
II. Live Action (Resident Evil – 1996 / Resident Evil Movies)
To this day we can’t fathom why Capcom took the approach of using actors to chew the sets of a faux forest, trying to escape from a zombie puppet dog, but we’re glad they did.. Jill awkwardly runs through the field like, well, a videogame character, Wesker can’t leave his perfect hair alone and Chris looks like a sweaty mess despite everyone else looking rather kempt. It’s ridiculously hilarious and the uncut version is even better with gratuitous amounts of blood splashing across the screen in full colour. It’s an opening that’s completely disjointed from the rest of the series and definitely daft, but we can’t help but love the amount of ham presented. If this wasn’t proof enough that live action and Resident Evil don’t go hand in hand, the early noughties big screen adaptations certainly reaffirmed this notion. The movies might share the same name and characters, but across the span of six big budget adaptations, the look and feel of a B-Movie was never far away. They are awful, yet somehow rather watchable, in a ‘rubbernecking at a car crash’ kind of way. Maybe we’re being too harsh. Or maybe Paul WS Anderson only saw the opening five minutes of the first game and said “I’ve seen enough, I’ll take it from here”.
I. Voice Acting (Resident Evil – 1996)
Unable to pick just one line for the top spot, we agreed to give the crown of ‘Most Ridiculous Moment’ to the entire voice cast in the original Resident Evil. Adding voice acting to videogames was such a double-edged sword in the 90s. On one hand it offered the chance at immersion and storytelling like never before, but you also had to contend with strained budgets, dubious translations and a very limited pool of actors willing to work on a game. All of these factors culminated in a perfect storm and led to some spectacularly hammy lines that have since worked themselves into the very fabric of videogame lore. The bad script and awful actors worked hand-in-hand to deliver us such golden moments as the terribly wooden, “I hope this is not Chris’ blood”, the overly specific “It might be handy if you, the Master of Unlocking, take it with you”, and of course, the shining star atop the trash heap, “That was too close! You were almost a Jill sandwich!” The entire game is littered with dodgy dialogue, and truly, it’s that B-Movie charm that helped launch the franchise into the hearts of so many players around the globe. Put a smile on your face today by checking out the supercut that brings all of the ridiculousness together under one roof.
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