THE TREASURE QUEST

Hidden Gem Hunting will accompany me as I search charity shops, car-boot sales & discount stores for cheap video games. I will report my findings back here, once a week. Please bear in mind that these are my first impressions on these games, and are definitely subject to change once I have played them. If it turns out that a hidden gem or a heap of shit is among these, you’ll see a review pop up in the near future and I’ll link it here.

Zack & Wiki: Quest for the Barbaros’ Treasure (Wii) £2.50

Despite having a terrible name, Zack & Wiki: Quest for the Barbaros’ Treasure can be explained in an awesome nutshell. It’s a pirate puzzle game. There are a lot of ways to die and only one way to live, and it’s up to you to find it as you progress through the game. It seems to utilise the Wii motion controls well but mainly focuses on point and click style mechanics. I have found in my collection that cartoon graphics can really help the game’s lifespan and the graphics in this game look great for almost a decade old. This is my pick of the week.

X Blades (Xbox 360) £2.00

The second game to feature booty on this list. This game is a Dynasty Warriors style hack n’ slash game, although I’m tempted to call it hack n’ sass. The game features a karma system, rewarding you with two different endings, and a whole slew of different light and dark attacks. The protagonist Ayumi wields gun-blades, which she uses to dispatch a multitude of different monsters and enemy types, boss battles are apparently incredibly frequent in this game, so i hope it provides me with an enjoyable level of challenge.

Vanquish (PS3) £2.00

Vanquish is a third-person cover-based sci-fi shooter with a gimmick and I love gimmicks. Whether it’s the Nectar system in Haze or the slow motion time in Stranglehold, a gimmick can make or break a game. Vanquish’s gimmick is an augmented reaction suit. If you take too much damage the game will go into a slow motion mode in which your character moves at breakneck speed using a jetpack-like function of the suit to evade your enemies and wreak havoc. GamesRadar awarded it with the “Most ‘Oh Shit!’ Moments Per Minute” award on its year of release and i am beyond excited to see why. This game is either going to be amazing or unforgivingly clunky, that’s why it’s my sleeper for the week.

Ninjabread Man (Wii) £2.00

Full Review: www.gamerlaughs.com/gl-archive/15/5/2016/leaves-a-bad-taste

Oh DDI Games, I wish you’d slather your logo all over the boxes of the games you create. Instead I have to wait until I see the disc and then avoid it like the plague for fear of frustration and addiction. You play as a ninja-gingerbread man who kills all sorts of desserts and partakes in some, appalling looking motion controlled platforming. I have recently bought my first Wii after being put off by the thought of being home alone flailing my arms around like a deranged idiot, I believe it wasn’t the Wii that I was avoiding for this reason, but this game.

The Sims (PS2) £1.50

The Sims is not a hidden gem, not for the PC anyway. The reason I have it on this list is because the PS2 version of the classic has multiplayer, and I believe that could shape this game to be even better than it’s PC counterpart. I grew up on The Sims and can only hope that this mode lives up to my childhood dreams of couch co-op life simulation. The premise of The Sims is whatever you want it to be. You create a family, maintain their home and make their life-changing decisions for them, such as what to have for dinner, what to wear and when to poop. The Sims has proved itself before, ending up with three sequels and a tonne of expansion discs, but will the PS2 original earn its place as a gem?

Total Spent: £10.00

Pick of the Week: Zack & Wiki: Quest for the Barbaros’ Treasure (Wii)

Sleeper: Vanquish (PS3)

Most likely to suck: Ninjabread Man (Wii)

There’s some really good looking games on this list, and i don’t just mean the scantily-clad one. I’m gonna play Ninjabread Man last as I will likely be missing for a long time after putting the disc in. If you’re unsure as to why I hate DDI games, they are responsible for this game here: www.gamerlaughs.com/gl-archive/2/4/2016/furry-fury 

Be sure to keep an eye out for reviews of these games to see if they were worth a second look, or worth retracting the first look everyone gave them. Check back next week for five more possibilities.

Sam Masrshall

Sam Marshall delves deeper into the darkest depths than any man who dared to tread before him. Some people enjoy a little mind-crushing torture. He is one of them.