Top 5 moments in games that scared me!

Halloween Special!

Welcome back to 'Dealbreaker Jones' for my Halloween special of 'Top 5 moments in games that scared me!'

I'll need to give a small disclaimer first: I do not play scary games, these are things that scared me during normal childhood games. Some of these things made me flat-out turn off the console.

To kick us off is...

5. Missingno Glitch - Pokemon Red/Blue

 This is a strange one, it's not something that is actually scary looking but the overall experience of the Missingno glitch terrified me. Let me take you back to 1998/9 when I was a somewhat happy child with all the hopes in the world (what happened?). My friend walked me through doing the glitch without me actually knowing what it was. When he appeared I was confused scared and <insert similar emotion here> all at the same time. I thought my countless hours of beating on Weedle with my Charizard were over. Luckily it was explained to me after a barrage of accusations of breaking my game that it was a glitch that could give you infinite rare candies/ master balls. Good times.

4. Peahats - Legend Of Zela; OoT

Remember the first time you stepped out on Hyrule field? It seemed absolutely huge & limitless back then. I remember spending my first experience there trying to explore everywhere on the map. During my exploration across Hyrule field, this happened:

Never again.

3. Drowning - Sonic The Hedgehog 2

Chemical Plant Zone. The second zone in the game, I really enjoyed the futuristic theme, the way Sonic &/or Tails would 'whoosh' around in the pipes plenty of times during the level... Then something happened. I fell into some pink water(?) and had to negotiate my way out. At this point, I had no clue that Sonic had to collect bubbles to breathe under water (logic.), nevertheless, if you wait too long you are confronted by this sound before Sonic drowns, this is the most panic inducing sound ever:

And now I'm ALWAYS nervous whenever Sonic is underwater, that is the stuff of nightmares.

2. Draw Distance & Animals - Tomb Raider (PS1)

I never had a PlayStation, but plenty of my friends did. Occasionally they would put on 'Tomb Raider', and I dreaded every time they did. Whenever I had a go on it, I would just be stood there, staring into this:

I don't want to go in there. You can't make me. I understand these are graphical limitations, but when I was about 8 years old this sort of thing used to terrify me. IF however I was brave enough to venture into the darkness, this would always happen:

Fuck that.

1. Haunted Piano - Super Mario 64

There is a haunted house level on 'Mario 64', I really liked the fact you could go in different rooms and something spooky may or may not happen in each one. I visited this one room though:

I switched the console off straight away and went to bed. I still have nightmares about that piano.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks for reading everyone, what are your scariest moments in games? Let me know in the comments below!

Top 5 Most Anticipated Video Games!

There are plenty of games coming out before this time next year, but here are the five that I'm looking forwards to the most:

5. FIFA 14 (XBOX 360)

Yes, I buy FIFA every year and some could argue it's the same exact game... To them I say: Not entirely. Of course the main game is mostly the same but the tweaks keep you on your feet, not to mention the updated kits and player stats, I'm a sucker for that kind of thing. It helps that I'm also a massive football fan and a lot of my friends play the game, which makes for entertaining (and sometimes hilarious) events. Roll on October '13.

4. Grand Theft Auto V (XBOX 360)

Who doesn't like GTA? There is so much to do in this HUGE game, and the latest addition to the franchise promises to be bigger than ever. I'm hoping the online capabilities are improved too, it would be great fun to do more stuff in the game with mates. This game will put a huge chunk in time that should be spent studying, but regardless, it's going to be so good! No chance this will be bad.

3. Pokemon X & Y (3DS)

After reading and watching some of the stuff from the new Pokemon game, it's hard not to get excited. Pokemon will always be about nostalgia for me, but I've not been interested in B&W or B&W2. The new game in the series looks to shake up the formula with 3D graphics and what looks like a massive expansive world with tons to do. I know many people that are getting a 3DS just for this game alone!

2. Watch Dogs (XBOX 360)

This game looks incredible, just the sheer amount of stuff you can do is insane. To be perfectly honest, I didn't know too much about this game, until I watched the Sony direct press conference earlier this year, what they showcased blew my mind and grabbed my attention. If you need convincing, you should definitely check out the gameplay video here.

1. Super Smash Bros. (WII U & 3DS)

Come on, it's Smash Bros...



-----------------------------------------------------------

Well, there you have it, my top 5 most anticipated games! What are yours? Let me know in the comments section below.

Texts from Bane.

Whilst procrastinating, I thought it would be a good idea to text people in my phonebook, quotes of Bane from 'The Dark Knight Rises'. Here are some of the results:

It was perhaps a little disheartening no one got the Bane quotes. Still, very good fun. To be continued...

Top Ten Videogames of All Time

Let me get one thing clear, these are games that may not be the best, but hold a strong place in my heart and brings all of the nostalgia flooding back. Also I'm not the biggest completionist. So there's that too. LET'S GET STARTED WITH...

#10: JAMES BOND 007 NIGHTFIRE (GameCube)
"Why on earth is this here?" I hear you cry. Soon you'll know that I'm a pretty avid James Bond fan, and this game for me, at the time, had everything. Pierce Brosnan as the voice actor and game avatar, car chases and veihcle levels. Not to mention the multiplayer aspect. I'd spend countless hours at friends houses playing this on the GameCube, never ever got old.

 
#9: Pro Evolution Soccer 6 (PC)
In it's prime, PES was the king. Nowadays FIFA has taken the mantle as the best footballing title, but back when this was out, all I can remember are the hours spent on it. I mentioned it was on the PC because it's the first time I experimented with game modding. Downloading kits and textures really improved the experience for me. The online multiplayer was amazing for me, and one of the first games I ever used it on.

#8: Spy vs Spy (Sega Megadrive)
I literally had no idea what I was doing in this game, I just couldn't wait to find secret stuff, that I had no idea what it meant at the time or explore different rooms. I can still remember that theme song so well. The best part was meeting another spy in the same room and BEATING HIM TO WITHIN AN INCH OF HIS LIFE. So much joy as a young Dealbreaker.

#7: Soul Calibur II (GameCube)
The main reason I bought this game was because Link (from Legend Of Zelda) was a playable character. The amount of weapons, clothing and levels and game play modes you could unlock were astounding. Needless to say the multiplayer was excellent too, if you lost to a mate, it was time to memorize the moves and get revenge. So rewarding when you knew a move set and were able to unleash hell on your opponent.

#6: Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (Sega Megadrive)
My first real multiplayer experience as a youngster was with this game, being able to play co-op with my younger sister. The fact Tails couldn't die meant I didn't have to worry about what the other player was doing. The varying levels are incredible and I love all the boss battles with Robotnik (no, not eggman). This has to be my favourite Sonic game ever, despite #1 being my first ever game.

#5: Batman: Arkham Asylum (Xbox 360)
One of the newest titles on this list, Batman: Arkham Asylum wowed me with it's atmospheric dark and gritty tone and being one of the best and most solid games on the console. Nothing will ever be like the Scarecrow levels when everything is all screwed up. The final boss was dissapointing but didn't ruin this amazing experience. If you haven't played this yet, why not? Go, now.

#4: Mario Kart: Double Dash (GameCube)
The fact you could add a second racer to the kart added a whole new dimension to the game and sort of had a strategy to it. The races, as ever, were fantastically fun and had unlockable levels and characters. Like many other games on the list, the strength was in the multiplayer. It had an amazing co-op mode that you could play with a friend. Not to forget, when a blue shell hit you on the line, you were about to rage quit.

#3: Football Manager 2012 (PC)
Another new game on here, this has only really come this year whilst at University. I've amassed an incredible amount of game play hours with my housemates playing online games. The banter you get is incredible and it's one of the most rewarding feelings when you beat one of your mates teams (especially if it's for silverware!).

#2: Banjo-Tooie (N64)
Banjo-Tooie just gets the nod ahead of the first installment just because the scale of this game is HUGE! So much to explore and do, the transformations are awesome and it just blew my mind when it was out. Felt like it was pushing the capabilities of the N64 and it certainly didn't disappoint. An incredible gaming experience that will stay with me for years to come!

#1: Super Smash Brothers: Melee (Gamecube)
Oh boy. This game. This, freaking game. Every weekend me and two or three mates would go round one of our houses and spend HOURS playing this game. The single most fun and streamline gaming experience I'm yet to encounter. Even now all these years passed, it still feels incredible to play and really gets everyone together. My main character would always be Mario and going through all the different game modes, finding all the unlockables was an absolute pleasure. Sometimes I'll delete my save data, just so I can go through the same journey. If you haven't played it yet, you are dead to me.

So there you have it, Dealbreaker Jones' top ten video games of all time. What did you think? Let me know in the comments section below.

Expansion

You heard it right, we now have an official facebook and twitter for 'Dealbreaker Jones' They can be found here:

Facebook & Twitter

The Strokes - Comedown Machine

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I love 'The Strokes'. They are by far and beyond my favourite band. This could be due to listening to 'Is This It' at a younger age and being completely captivated by it. After their third album 'First Impressions Of Earth', which was released in 2006, I thought that was it for them. I treasured all three of the albums and considered that the end of 'The Strokes'. Much to my joy, they bought out 'Angles' in 2011 and I was in love all over again. Listening to the album recently makes me think it's not as good as I first thought and raised questions for me:
"Are the Strokes really finished?" "Am I hanging on to a nostalgic hope that they will hit the dizzying heights of 'Is This It' again?". Amid reports of the band not getting along, I feared the worst.

The latest, 'Comedown Machine' was announced and all of a sudden I was buzzing about another album. Admittedly I approached this with more precaution, with the worry this wouldn't live up to my expectations, again. My opinion? It's not 'Is This It' but it's a very very good album that has a lot more going for it than 'Angles'.

The record starts with 'Tap Out' and the line "They found our city under the water". For me this sets the tone for the rest of the album, it really feels like this should have been the third after 'Room On Fire' and in an instant the familiar sound of 'The Strokes' hits you from the first track. The following two tracks are the ones we have heard before, 'All The Time' and 'One Way Trigger'. The former is a decent track, there is nothing wrong with it, but it feels a little vocally flat at times but as with most the album 'All The Time' has fantastic music to support the lyrics. When 'One Way Trigger' was first thrown out to the public, it had a very mixed reception. People loved or hated it. I was the first, it was different but stuck to the same blueprint of a classic 'Strokes' tune that you could easily pick out from one of their first two records.

After hearing the two songs that had been released before the album surfaced, the rest of it was uncharted territory for me, I was excited and worried at the same time. What followed was an incredible mix of tracks that kept me gripped throughout listening. The aptly named fifth track '80's Comedown Machine' eases on the fast pace and has a perfectly peaceful feel that I was not expecting. I fully expect many people to brand this the weakest track on the album because of the speed of it. To them I say, boo. It is what it is and I'm sure most of you will enjoy it. The pace comes straight back with '50 50' and this, is another different approach to a 'Strokes' song whilst still sounding familiar. Here we have heavier vocals than what we are used to, when I first listened I didn't like it. The track has, however, grown on me despite still thinking it's one of the weaker parts of the album, but still very enjoyable.

'Chances' has been labelled by some as the best track on the album, and in fairness, it would be hard to disagree with them. Lyrically very strong with the music to back it starts as a fairly slow burner, but captivating. Some may raise their eyebrow in confusion, but these kinds of songs are tragic, but in a good way. It may be hard to understand but I feel these tracks are needed in an album to give you that roller coaster of emotions. I'd had my fun earlier on in the record and it was time to hear this beautifully crafted, and like I mentioned before, tragic tune. Followed by 'Happy Ending' which absolutely has "Classic Strokes" written all over it, fans will adore this song. The guitar is fantastic and the rough vocals really do take you back to 'Is This It' which is the nostalgia trip I'd been searching for all along.

Many would say that the final track 'Call It Fate Call It Karma' sounds like a goodbye. I'll let you decide that. There are a few tracks I haven't mentioned in the review but I hope they will be enjoyed along with the rest of the album. I for one wouldn't mind if 'The Strokes' called it a day now, whilst they're on a massive high it would also give me the closure I felt I didn't have before when I feared they were done.

A fantastic, well crafted, well mixed record that will be enjoyed by many. I cannot recommend this enough.

'Comedown Machine' is released in the UK on March 25th and March 26th in the US.

Welcome!

Hey everyone,

Welcome to my new blog 'Dealbreaker Jones'. Here I'll be talking about Movies, video games, music & sport. I hope you enjoy this as much as you can, and I'll try and make it as bearable as possible for you.