My Perennial Favourites: Video Games

In every video games console that I own, there are bound to be one or two titles that I constantly play, without ever getting bored. These are what I call the perennial favourites.

So what are they? On the PS2, the games would be Burnout: Revenge and SSX 3. Ramming into cars is a favourite (virtual) past time of mine, and the undulating snowy peaks provide a serene facade to what is a technically challenging, thrill of a ride.

Geometry Wars: Galaxies looks set to join Mario Kart DS as my perennial favourites on the Nintendo DS. Both games possess the "plays well anywhere, anytime" quality that never goes away, and this is particularly true with regards to MKDS. Time will tell on whether Geometry Wars truly has that, but it is in good standing.

As for the Gameboy, it would be the all-time-classic Super Marios Bros. Speaking of old school consoles, Super Mario Bros 3 is my perennial favourite on the NES, and the same spot for the SNES is occupied by Gradius III, just what is this about sequels and their third incarnations eh?

I haven't really play my Dreamcast much ever since purchasing it, so no favourites here.

Last but not least, the Personal Computer. Do you know what game I can't get enough off for the PC? That would be Command and Conquer: Red Alert 2. The campy cut scenes, the crazy gameplay, and throwing in the even crazier expansion set Yuri's Revenge, and you get one heck of a weekend waster.

So, these are my perennial favourites? What about you?

PC Gaming in Malaysia

I can safely say that original PC games are readily accessible and have become much more affordable in Malaysia, compared to that of console games. With official distributors bringing in and sometimes localizing games, PC gamers in Malaysia would be hard-pressed not to take advantage of these new advancements.

However, it would be in the best interest for everyone to see more localization efforts, and I believe the price can go down a little bit more. For proof, one just needs to look at our neighbour up north, Thailand. Localization efforts are really good up there and games can retail for 500 Baht, that's around RM 50.

Here are some useful links if you are shopping for PC games in Malaysia:
1. The Software Boutique: www.tsb.com.my
2. New Era Games: www.neweragames.com.my
3. Sendi Mutiara: www.smm.net.my
4. PC GAME.com.my: www.pcgame.com.my

Some of these sites have bargain bins, so do take advantage of them.

Nintendo DS. Last Bastion for Old School PC Gaming?

My reply in a forum regarding Lunar Knights, an action RPG for the Nintendo DS had me reminiscing about old school 2D isometric PC games such as Crusader: No Regret (and No Remorse) and Diablo. Does anyone in the PC games industry plan to release a game along the lines of such classics anymore? These games have gone the way of the dodo, just like what adventure games are facing now on the PC platform.

The Nintendo DS would make a happy home for 2D isometric games, given that its hardware doesn't churn out really great 3D graphics but still is pretty good for anything else. It doesn't hurt as well that the stylus/touch screen combination makes for an excellent replacement for a mouse.


Since such staples such as Simcity and Theme Park are coming to this platform (I love these games as well), I have hope for more old school PC titles to be ported over to the DS. What PC games would I like to see on the DS? Well, here are several that I can think of:

• Crusader: No Regret/Crusader: No Remorse
• Civilization
• Diablo

On a side note, Sim City DS will be released on the 22nd of February for the Japanese-languaged version. Click here for purchase details.

Theme Park DS will be released on the 15th of March for the same region. Click here for purchase details.