Anyone see VGC's review for Wasp?

[jaybird3rd]

To me home brews are fair game for "A" or an "F" (see N.E.R.D.S.).

 

If someone knows the link to that NERDS review please post. I remember it being a fair review of someone that was just trying to make a quick buck...the video of the game play is damaging and reason why not to just buy a home brew "because it is what it is."

I should have given a link in my previous post. Here it is, along with The Last Ninja. Again, evidence that not all homebrews are created equal.

[Atarifever]

I posted on his forums for a long time, but didn't often bother with his reviews. I don't think he does very good ones. I've been opposed to his review style since I realized his Pole Position 2 review would never be re-done.

 

He started topics and commented in others about games "needing" re-reviews on his site. Every time myself and others asked that he review PP2 again. He never has. I will just paste one of my old forum posts to him in here to demonstrate how incredibly out to lunch I think his review of that game is. If you want to read my long boring rant, I suggest you first read his review of 7800 PP2.

 

 

 

 

 

 

First, he mentions how it "isn't even as good as the first one", because of no voice. However, there was no voice in the original on the 2600, so why is this one being compared, apparently, to the arcade version here, while the 2600 version isn't docked marks for the same thing (and he loves 2600 PP)? Also, if four tracks instead of one makes a RACING game less fun than one track with some lady saying one line, then I guess I look for the wrong thing in a racing game. I look for racing, where I should apparently be looking for speech. If there was just one straightaway with no competitors, but someone read "War and Peace" out loud, would it then be the best racing game of all time? The review asks "What's the II for?" I guess it's for four times the content.

 

Also, it scores terribly compared to Hang On. PP2 is called "Antiquated," but when it came out, Hang-On was just as antiquated, and was (to be exact) an antiquated version of a clone that was, according to the critic, antiquated. Shouldn't the antiquated clone of an antique game lose more marks than the actual sequel of the antique game? Did Hang-On get more marks for being less original somehow?

 

Finally, if you read both reviews, there are complaints about graphics and controls in both of PP2 and Hang-On. Both games are very similar in design. Both games were pack-ins versus Super Mario Bros. (although the Critic only points that out for PP2). Yet here is the difference in the scores:

B- <----- Hang-On

B

C+

C

C-

D+

D

D- <---- Pole Position 2.

 

There is nowhere near that much difference between those two games. One is very clearly being held to a different standard than the other.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anyway, I gave up taking his reviews with a grain of salt. I just stopped taking them altogether.

[ApolloBoy]

I stopped taking the VGC seriously when he gave an "F" to Metal Storm on the NES and refused to re-review it. This little debacle gives me even more reason to stop reading his terrible reviews.

[MrBeefy]

I find myself agreeing with quite a bit on the site. I was able to get in the first run of Wasp and this is how I feel about it.

 

In terms of excitement on getting the game I would rate it A.

 

In terms of it as a game as a whole....I would not give it above a C or C-...maybe even a D+.

 

The game is what it is. However, my satisfaction with it would be rated A! Every once in awhile I like to pop in 'simpler' games even if they are repetitive or whatever. If you look at the game as originally being a demo then given a cartridge run because people liked it yes it would deserve a higher rating. However, I think looking at it as just another game would give it a lower rating.

 

On a slightly different note. I don't like how it seems like there are a lot of rave reviews on AA. I know not all the homebrews can be great. If a game sucks in some way I want to know about it. Doesn't necessarily mean I won't enjoy it.

[Jess Ragan]

It gives me pause that a game would even need to be re-reviewed. Shouldn't you do it right the first time?

 

I've had my say about this guy. I don't think he's an especially talented writer and his rationale for praising or dismissing a game can often be questionable. However, he does have the market cornered on cross platform game reviews... I do them too, but I'm nowhere near as prolific, adding reviews once a week at best. I read his site from time to time because nobody else has such diverse coverage.

[Greg2600]

His reviews go back 11 years now, and here and there he's gone back to the really old ones he thought he gave a bum rap. His website is very extensive, and other than Moby Games, few have the amount of games with screenshots. So it's a decent resource. In terms of reviews, I give a lot of weight to his newer generation ones, because I can try the old ones on emulators, like I said before. Plus, sites like IGN or Gamespot are just littered with bad navigation and advertisements, I can't stand them.

[Gentlegamer]

I stopped taking the VGC seriously when he gave an "F" to Metal Storm on the NES and refused to re-review it. This little debacle gives me even more reason to stop reading his terrible reviews.

One of VGC's biggest "problems" is he doesn't like "hard" games. The Metal Storm review (and F-Zero) left me scratching my head, but I think generally Dave's gaming sensibilities are much more "common man" than the "professional" game review sites out there like 1UP, GameSpot, IGN, etc. His reviews are a useful guide to me about 90% of the time. In any case, if you haven't played a reviewed game, you should seek out multiple opinions before deciding whether to purchase.

 

Atarifever, it's too bad you gave up on VGC: your "counterpoints" at his site were instrumental in persuading me to try 7800 gaming (emulation for now, soon to be actual hardware). I think having a healthy enthusiast community will ultimately bring out the true positives and negatives in any system and its games, this includes healthy disagreement. Even reasonable people can disagree.

[Foxsolo2000]

Everyone on here seems to be forgetting that it is just one mans opinion. He writes as he sees it and if he does not like a game he says it. Bravo I say for there should be more like him, unafraid to write a bad review if they do not like a game. Too many people like to jump from great heights on those who dare to be different and although I often question some of his comments I still read them regularly so my advice is if you don't like what you read then stop reading and find something more to your liking

[ZylonBane]

Everyone on here seems to be forgetting that it is just one mans opinion.

No, absolutely nobody is forgetting that.

[Underball]

If this VGC dude isn't into this style of game so be it but it doesn't give him the authority to shit on it just cause it's not his cup of tea.

I think the game is pretty decent too.

 

But I do find this comment here coming from you to be pretty laughable, considering that more than half of your posts here contain insults to people you don't like on here.

Edited May 3, 2010 by Underball

[+LS650]

I find the thing I like about VGC is that he covers a lot of the minor consoles: I was just reading through some of his Emerson Arcadia comments yesterday.

[Atarifever]

 

 

Atarifever, it's too bad you gave up on VGC: your "counterpoints" at his site were instrumental in persuading me to try 7800 gaming (emulation for now, soon to be actual hardware). I think having a healthy enthusiast community will ultimately bring out the true positives and negatives in any system and its games, this includes healthy disagreement. Even reasonable people can disagree.

It's nice to know I accomplished something worthwhile there. Mostly I just argued with Mig for far too many pages of threads and disagreed with Dave's reviews.

[Foxsolo2000]

Everyone on here seems to be forgetting that it is just one mans opinion.

No, absolutely nobody is forgetting that.

 

Sorry ZB I forgot about you but then you are pretty easy to forget

Edited May 4, 2010 by Foxsolo2000

[ZylonBane]

Everyone on here seems to be forgetting that it is just one mans opinion.

No, absolutely nobody is forgetting that.

 

Sorry ZB I forgot about you but then you are pretty easy to forget

Being from the UK, I'll give you some slack here since English obviously isn't your native language.

[King_Salamon]

ZylonBane... I have a feeling I would get along with you just fine! lol

 

Back to the topic... I believe the only way a game should get an F rating would be something like Impossible Mission on the 7800... it's broken and you can't complete the game like on other system's so it deserves an F. Mind you, some would say this is the perfect version of the game... after all it is called "Impossible Mission" for a reason! lol

[Foxsolo2000]

Everyone on here seems to be forgetting that it is just one mans opinion.

No, absolutely nobody is forgetting that.

 

Sorry ZB I forgot about you but then you are pretty easy to forget

Being from the UK, I'll give you some slack here since English obviously isn't your native language.

 

Whats this ZB handbags at dawn? Don't do me any favours but by the way did you sue them? THe charm school for I believe they sold you short

[Gentlegamer]

 

 

Atarifever, it's too bad you gave up on VGC: your "counterpoints" at his site were instrumental in persuading me to try 7800 gaming (emulation for now, soon to be actual hardware). I think having a healthy enthusiast community will ultimately bring out the true positives and negatives in any system and its games, this includes healthy disagreement. Even reasonable people can disagree.

It's nice to know I accomplished something worthwhile there. Mostly I just argued with Mig for far too many pages of threads and disagreed with Dave's reviews.

So don't give up! If Dave would go to a more "blog" style review format, we could post "counter reviews" when a appropriate counterpoint needs to be made.