Cloud Monday - Tomb Raider: Anniversary - Part 1 - Can Save Anywhere, Possible Control Lag, But Fun

This week's new Cloud Monday video is part 1 of playing the PS4 version of the emulated PS2 game Tomb Raider: Anniversary via the PlayStation Plus Cloud Streaming Service to my Japanese launch model PlayStation 4.

We have already seen from previous PS1, PSP, and PS2 that have been emulated on PS4 and PS5 that their ability to save anywhere at any time makes them a fantastic choice to be streamed from the cloud. the added benefit of being able to rewind time also makes the experience as a whole feel more casual or approachable. so when looking at these emulated games the question changes more to is it worth your time playing these games.

For Tomb Raider: Anniversary i would say that yes, it's worth your time. this is a remake of the original PS1 game that was released across many consoles and handhelds from 2007. it was released late enough in the PS2 console life cycle that it probably benefited from some of the game design being shown on PS3. this helps make Tomb Raider: Anniversary still feel fresh. a couple of the controls are a little odd by today's standards but fine when compared to games like Resistance, a game released around this time.

I read a little about this remake. it seems like it's not just a PS2 skinned version of the PS1 game. the developers took time to bring over the classic elements of the original game whilst also expanding others, introducing some changes, modernising the controls, and fleshing out the story, as someone who hasn't played the original game, so far it's going great and the open flow of the levels have been fun to run around in.

The only criticism i have so far, as a game being streamed from the cloud, is that there appears to be some lag in the controls. every now and then i came across some platforming that didn't quite go as planned and took a couple of tries or rewinds. right from the start i noticed how i could move the left stick or right stick and it felt like a second passed before something happened on screen. it's difficult to say if it's the developers going for some sort of momentum based movement, but it does take a bit of time to get used to.

iPhone Friday - Shadowverse: Worlds Beyond - Highley Polished, Welcoming, And Has A Great Tutorial

For this week's Mobile Friday i tried Shadowverse: Worlds Beyond from developers Cygames on my iPhone 14 Pro.

Version 1.4.10 Played

Demo Play Thursday - Old School Rally On Switch

For this week's Demo Play Thursday i played the Nintendo Switch version of Old School Rally from Frozen Lake Games, Astrolabe, and Meridiem.

Backlog Conquering - Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy HD On PS3 - The Final Part

Welcome to Backlog Conquering. This is a series were i play a game from my backlog that i may or may not have played before. the goal isn't necessarily to finish the game, the goal is to play it. that way, i can have an opinion about it.

Our new game is the PlayStation 3 version of Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy from the 2012 The Jak and Daxter Trilogy that remastered the games and brought them into HD. This series is my first time playing any of the games from the initial trilogy, tho i have played the PSP game #Daxter.

Check out the other parts of this play through:

Part 1 - https://youtu.be/fvi6KUY0vD8

Part 2 - https://youtu.be/bf7Obhhh8K4

Part 3 - https://youtu.be/oMqaSd8rB4k

Part 4 - https://youtu.be/OCL0AqLHW-o

Part 5 - https://youtu.be/6fpsgoVY6cY

Part 6 - https://youtu.be/sTmZpFlQ1Ps

Part 7 - https://youtu.be/jlGBporjYVw

Part 8 - https://youtu.be/bLaY4ko2VC0

Part 9 - https://youtu.be/1W14Q9FjASo

Stories on Tuesday - Underworld Office: Ghost Story - Part 1

The new story is Underworld Office: Ghost Story. i'm playing this on iPhone 14 pro.

At the moment, i'm unsure if this will be a chapter each video or not. there is some sort of credit system that's not explained. so in this video, i played through until i ran out of credits, which was the start of Chapter 2.

Cloud Monday - Patapon 2 Remastered - Part 2 - Streaming The Game Is A Good Way To Play It

This week's new Cloud Monday video is part 2 of playing the PS4 version of Patapon 2 Remastered via the PlayStation Plus Cloud Streaming Service to my Japanese launch model PlayStation 4.

In Part 2 we came across a hint screen, when the game is loading, that revealed that there's no punishment for failing. i actually experienced this first hand when i lost all my Patapon in a mission only for all of them to be unharmed when i did something next. this is an example of how casual the game is. the combination of casual and portable mechanics work well together to produce a game that's good to stream from the cloud.

In Part 1, i highlighted how i was using the pulsing of the screen to help get the rhythm and how pressing options brought up the command list. across both parts doing this might've meant that i missed a turn or two attacking the enemy but i never felt like it was a huge cost to pay. the levels we've previously played change so that when we return to grind items, it's different from the first time we were there.

But i do feel that grinding is an aspect of this game that's unavoidable. i showed in this part how i needed just 1 item  to make new Patapon but always didn't have enough of it even after all the levels i've done. to make new Patapon i'll need to grind out the first hunting level and then to upgrade it i'd need to re-do many other levels. as these levels are short, they can be quickly dealt with, but the whole grinding aspect of the gameplay might be a bit repetitive and a deal breaker for some.

Across two parts i have had fun playing #Patapon2 from the cloud. it's not a perfect experience, but it's good enough where i would probably play this game via the cloud in the future rather than download it. the game wants us to play and win, so when we make a mistake the consequences aren't too harsh. as long as we remember to save before doing a run, there aren't many consequences if we're disconnected.

Part 1 - https://youtu.be/t9RhqarCw2k

Online Saturday - Tetris99 - 50th Maximus Cup - Kirby Air Riders

In Tetris 99 it's the 50th Maximus Cup this weekend. the theme to unlock is Kirby Air Riders. i played the Switch version and managed to finish in the top 50 in all the games i played.

Let me know in the comments how well you did!