Wow, that was unexpected.

For me, the best games I’ve ever played were back in the 16-BIT era from the likes of Sega, on the Megadrive/Genesis. There were so many classic games released like Streets of Rage, Golden Axe, Toejam & Earl, Comix Zone, and so on.

What I couldn’t understand was why Sega wasn’t doing updated versions of those games - gamers like myself would have a jizz-fest*. I don’t mean like what Nintendo are doing: constantly re-hashing the same shit over and over again. Just how many damn Zelda games are there, for example?

Golden Axe

Well, I’ve just found out that there’s a new Golden Axe coming! It’s called Golden Axe: Beast Rider, and it’s in… 3D. Not side-ways 3D, but proper free-roam 3D. This change is going to do a pretty good job of butchering the “feel” of the game. What is it with developers having to go for the first/third person view? Make it 3D but keep the side-ways perspective, fer Christ’s sake!

Anyway. The game also now only features one character: Tyris Firetits or whatever her name was; the bint that insisted on going into sword fights while only wearing a bikini. The geezer and the stumpy midget appear in the story but aren’t playable. To shaft the GA legacy even more, there is no co-op play! Fucking blasphemy! More information and screenshots can be found at the link at the bottom.

Shenmue

God, I loved this game. I played the original on the Dreamcast yonks ago and it ranks as one of my favourite games ever. I bought Shenmue II for the Xbox a couple of years ago and literally only found out today that it is now supported on the Xbox 360 - I ideally want to complete Mass Effect and GTA IV first. Doh.

Unfortunately, the new version isn’t coming out on a platform I own, but instead on the Wii. In addition to that, it’s not actually the third sequel or anything, but instead Shenmue I + II with - wait for it - mini-games. If there’s something the Wii doesn’t need, it’s yet more rubbish mini-games.

* Not that I’m really much of a gamer these days due to a lot of games becoming mind-crushingly boring after about five minutes.

Links: Golden Axe: Beast Rider, Shenmue I and II Wii-makes coming.