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Blast from the Past: The Best 2D Shooter Games of All Time

Credit: Konami (VGMuseum)

Even though the vast majority of the popular shooter games nowadays are in 3D, there was a time when 2D shooter games were the bees’ knees. Of course, 3D games offer us a lot more mobility when it comes to shooting enemies, but many of those who are passionate about gaming today have started their journey with 2D games for “ancient” platforms, such as Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Genesis, and more.

The 2D shooter games that we’ll be mentioning in this article have made numerous gamers stuck to their consoles for hours decades ago and have certainly played an important role in the evolution of gaming. Without further ado, let’s dive into detail:

Contra

The iconic “Contra” series pops out in pretty much any discussion about 2D shooters, and for good reasons. The series originally came out in arcades back in 1987, and it rapidly became a major success. As a player, you will be in charge of commandos who battle alien invaders and rogue military forces across side-scrolling levels that are teaming with foes and epic boss fights.

Contra is known for challenging difficulty levels, multiple weapons and power-ups, and more. Probably the best game of the series is Contra III: The Alien Wars for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES).

Ikaruga

If you want to play a vertical scrolling shoot ’em-up game, it means you should definitely give Ikaruga a try. This is a game developed by Treasure and first released for arcades in 2001. Ikaruga is known for allowing players to make the change between black and white energy to absorb or deal damage, while the game also offers a unique twist on traditional shooter gameplay.

The level design present in Ikaruga is challenging enough to keep you glued to your monitor if you haven’t been playing 2D shooters before. The visuals also look surprisingly well for a 2D shooter game, which can always be a plus in the book of any gamer interested in such titles.

Cuphead

Cuphead easily qualifies as a game that pays homage to the golden age of animation while it delivers a challenging and visually stunning 2D shooter experience. This game came out in 2017, and it captivated players with its jazzy soundtrack, hand-drawn art style, and punishing difficulty.

As a player of Cuphead, you will have to step in the shoes of either Cuphead or Mugman as you go through the Inkwell Isles, fighting against a colorful cast of anthropomorphic foes in their journey to repay a debt to the devil himself.

The boss fights present in Cuphead are especially exciting, as they were meticulously crafted, while the tight controls surely add an extra level of fun.

Metal Slug

“Metal Slug” is a 2D shooter game series known for its immersive graphics for its time, a high level of action, as well as quirky humor. These games will put you in the shoes of the Peregrine Falcon Squad as they have to fight against the sinister General Morden and his entire army. The series originally came out in 1996, and it’s known for responsive controls, detailed animations, and a chaotic multiplayer system.

“Metal Slug” has won the hearts of many gamers due to its diverse weapons, explosive set pieces, and colorful cast of characters.

2D shooter games will always be rich in timeless classics, each of them having its own role in the evolution of the gaming world. Probably modern shooters such as Counter-Strike or Call of Duty might have looked totally different without 2D games such as those from series such as Metal Slug, Contra, and others.

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Games

Top Survival Games for Low-RAM PCs That You Should Try

Photo by Johny Goerend on Unsplash

Let’s face it: when it comes to video games, too many of them are extremely intuitive and easy to play. Too many of them don’t require any kind of strategy or analytical thinking. That’s why we should pay special attention to survival games if we are into gaming, as they are a lot more demanding than open-world RPGs and shooters.

Survival games can put your mind to work a lot more than many other types of video games. While survival games are not for everybody, they can definitely be played by anyone as long as they invest a bit of intellectual effort and strategic thinking.

But guess what? Not everybody has a powerful PC at home that can run highly demanding games capable of ultra-modern graphics. That’s why we’re here to mention some of the best survival games that can be played even on low-RAM PCs, so feel free to grab a pen and a piece of paper and start making notes:

Minecraft:

Minecraft is one of the most popular games ever created and for good reasons. This is a sandbox game that allows you to build and explore blocky worlds in pretty much any way you can imagine. Minecraft is basically a game in which “the only limit is your imagination,” so it’s easy to guess the kind of freedom that this game can grant you!

As for the survival mode of Minecraft, it can challenge you to gather resources, build shelter, and get rid of hostile creatures while you explore and craft your way throughout the game.

Terraria:

Terraria qualifies as a 2D sandbox game that’s teeming with building, exploration, and combat elements. If you choose to give this game a chance, you will get to build, craft, dig, and fight against monsters across a pixelated world that’s filled with secrets, treasures, and challenges.

As for the features that are present in Terraria, it needs to be said that this game offers multiple biomes, procedurally generated worlds, multiplayer support, boss battles, and even extensive crafting and building options. The modding community is also large and dedicated, and it can add even more content and features to the game.

The Forrest:

The Forrest is another highly immersive survival game that has been developed by the guys from Endnight Games. However, you definitely shouldn’t play this game if you’re faint of heart. That’s because The Forrest qualifies as a survival horror game that’s set on a mysterious island where cannibalistic mutants live. If you’re one of the players of The Forrest, your job is to build shelters, gather resources, craft weapons, as well as explore caves while you uncover the secrets of the island. You will ultimately have to find a way to escape.

The atmosphere present in The Forrest is obviously very terrifying, but there are a lot of elements that can grant you a great gameplay experience if you like survival horror games. The Forrest offers co-op multiplayer, survival mechanics, crafting, and base building, as well as a story-driven campaign mode.

Unturned:

Unturned is a free survival game developed by Smartly Dressed Games, and it’s set in a blocky, post-apocalyptic world that’s infested with zombies. As a player, your job will be to build shelter, scavenge for supplies, and fend off zombies and other players as you explore a generous open world.

The features offered by Unturned include multiplayer support, base building, simple graphics, vehicles, crafting, numerous weapons and equipment, and more.

Feel free to tell us in your comment section which is your favorite survival game and why! We’re happy to read everyone’s comments, as everybody has the right to an opinion!

 

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Games

GTA 6: Could Carl Johnson (aka CJ) From GTA San Andreas Make a Return?

Credit: Rockstar Games

Carl Johnson (aka CJ) is easily one of the most beloved characters in the Grand Theft Auto universe and for good reasons. He went a long road from being a simple ghetto boy to a millionaire. He is full of hatred and willing to do anything he can, even if it’s unorthodox, in order to achieve his ambitious goals.

While we know for sure that the long-awaited game GTA 6 is coming next year to consoles, we already have a decent amount of information about what to expect. We can expect a more diversified and huge open world than ever, a lot of social activities, a female protagonist (Lucia), and more. But if we take a look back at GTA history and at a few facts, we can rapidly realize that there’s a good chance for GTA 6 to include Carl Johnson (CJ) as well. Perhaps he won’t appear as one of the protagonist characters, but even so, the fans would appreciate his return. Let’s see why we believe that CJ would make a return in GTA 6!

GTA 5’s Franklin Clinton confirms that Rockstar remembers CJ

Franklin Clinton is one of the three protagonist characters that appear in GTA 5, the latest game of the Grand Theft Auto series. He shares a lot with the legendary Carl Johnson: both of them are black and have the ghetto lifestyle, both have pretty much the same accent and attitude, and the examples could continue. It’s obvious that by introducing Franklin Clinton to the GTA universe, Rockstar confirms that it hasn’t forgotten about CJ. Perhaps it was also a hint that the GTA San Andreas protagonist would make a return in the future of the series, and now you understand why it isn’t farfetched to believe that GTA 6 would include CJ somehow. Let’s just hope that if it is true, CJ will play a major role in the upcoming game, even though he most likely won’t be one of the protagonists!

 Grand Theft Auto’s history gives us hope

If you know anything at all about the history of GTA games, you know very well that the guys from Rockstar have a passion for bringing back old characters in one form or another. For instance, Rockstar has included Niko Bellic as a template in GTA Online, the online mode for GTA 5, in order to let players create their own characters. Niko Bellic is a Yugoslavian war veteran who appeared as the protagonist character for GTA 4, another one of Rockstar’s enormous successes.

Also, let’s not forget that Claude, the deadly silent protagonist character from GTA 3, has been added in GTA San Andreas as a side character. Claude appeared in GTA SA as the new boyfriend of Catalina, the hysterical woman who fell in love with CJ but became frustrated and tried to get revenge on him.

Therefore, given the history of the GTA series that shows how Rockstar likes to bring back old characters in one way or another, we can realistically hope that CJ will indeed be included in the highly-anticipated game GTA 6, at least as a side character.

What’s your take on the subject? Do you believe that Carl Johnson (aka CJ) will indeed be included in GTA 6 or not? Feel free to tell us in the comment section and bring your own arguments to support the claim!

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Games

Counter-Strike 2 or Global Offensive: Is It Worth the Upgrade?

Credit: Steam

Back in September 2023, the guys from Valve surprised many of us through a free upgrade to Counter-Strike 2 for those who have Counter-Strike: Global Offensive installed on their gaming rigs. The famous American developer and publisher has raised the stakes even more by granting a set of exciting gameplay and graphics tweaks for the good old Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. But as expected, not everybody was delighted by the move.

CS: GO is 12 years old, but even so, it accumulated an impressive number of fans in a relatively short amount of time. That’s because CS: GO is practically CS 1.6 on steroids: more maps, better graphics, a bunch of new weapons, and a few other gameplay tweaks. CS: GO rapidly became a phenomenon by taking advantage of the enormous legacy of the iconic Counter-Strike 1.6 that came out in the year 2000.

With Counter-Strike 2 now being available as a free upgrade for those who already have CS: GO installed, is it really worth grabbing the new game? Let’s try to find out!

CS 2 has better graphics, but there’s a catch

As expected, the guys from Valve improved the graphics of the older CS: GO and released it in the form of CS 2. In other words, CS 2 is more like a modern adaptation of the legendary Counter-Strike universe, as the graphics definitely look better. But that comes at a big price in the case of those who don’t have much storage space on their computers, as you know what they say that you cannot have them all in life: CS 2 requires 85GB of free storage space, while CS: GO can only work with 30GB.

While there’s no denying that CS2 looks better than CS: GO when it comes to graphics, the former also requires more storage space and a more powerful PC configuration overall. This means that upgrading to CS2 is not a wise move if your PC cannot run it smoothly enough. And yes, online games such as Counter-Strike definitely need to be run smoothly if you want to compete with others.

CS: GO is more stable

Don’t be surprised if you run into some nasty bugs and errors when you run CS2 for the first time. The game is not exactly stable, which means that it surely can have the potential of making you pull your hair out, especially if you dive directly into online matches in which you need a very stable game and internet connection. It’s best to play against bots when you run CS2 for the first time, a move that can surely save you a lot of mental health and precious objects that you may have around you and that you could consider breaking.

On the other hand, CS: GO is a more stable game, considering that the guys from Valve had a lot of time to update it during the 12 years the game has since it came out. CS: GO is a legend, and it’s pretty difficult to find any annoying bugs that can ruin your gaming experience.

Conclusion

Switching to CS2 is definitely worth it if you want to benefit from a better-looking and more immersive Counter-Strike game. CS2 also brings some exciting gameplay improvements besides the looks. On the other hand, it’s not worth upgrading to CS2 if your PC is not capable of running demanding graphics at smooth speeds.

Feel free to tell us your own opinion regarding the “CS2 vs. CS:GO” debate! The comment section awaits you!

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Games

Gaming Without Steam: What Are the Advantages?

Photo by Hamed Taha on Unsplash

If you’re also never willing to ditch Steam when you want to run your favorite games, you will probably reconsider your decision after reading this article. We are not here to say that the Steam platform is useless, however, but we just want to pinpoint a few possible advantages.

Running a game like Counter-Strike 2 isn’t possible without having Steam installed on your computer, so if you’re a fan of the game, we’re clearly not saying that you should get rid of it and your Steam app from your PC! However, let’s check out a few potential benefits of running video games without Steam:

Privacy and data control

Running games without Steam may offer you greater privacy and control over your personal data. It’s understandable why you may be willing to prefer avoiding digital platforms that require account registration or collecting too much user data, as it doesn’t necessarily mean that you are a conspiracy theorist.

If, instead, you choose to buy games from alternative platforms or even purchase physical copies, you can have greater control over your gaming experience and personal information. Too bad it becomes harder and harder to find games for PC on DVDs nowadays!

Offline play and ownership

Steam is known for offering features such as remote installation and cloud saves. On the other hand, playing games without having Steam installed and running can assure you a more traditional approach to both game ownership and offline play. Some players prefer physical copies of games or digital copies free of DRM that can be installed without having to rely on an internet connection or third-party platform.

For instance, a game such as Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 is very beloved among Dragon Ball fans, and you can play it without having to install Steam or other third-party app. You don’t even have to wait for any updates, as the game is 17 years old.

No more annoying updates

Running games without Steam, especially some very old ones, will get you rid of those very frustrating moments when you first need to wait for a bulky update to install before the game itself launches. Such updates can even take half an hour, and they will most likely also take away your desire to play the game anymore.

A lot of modern games nowadays are frequently updated by their developers, which is why you will have to frequently run into big updates that take forever to install.

More diversity regarding platforms and online stores

If you finally make the big step of ditching your Steam app from your laptop/desktop PC, you need to know that you will thus have the freedom to explore a wider variety of platforms and even digital distribution stores. In other words, you will have the chance to explore Epic Games Store, Origin, GOG, Uplay, and more. Each of these platforms may have its own list of unique features that can help you out.

Competition and pricing

Competition among digital distribution platforms can cause competitive pricing and better deals in the case of consumers. Gaming without Steam can allow you to take advantage of discounts and promotions offered by various stores. And who on Earth doesn’t like to save some dough, right?

There’s much greater flexibility when it comes to gaming without Steam, not to mention the fact that, thus, a gamer can have control over his gaming experience. He can even explore alternative platforms.

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