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Thursday 29 February 2024

MONTHLY 5 - FEBRUARY 2024

https://collectionchamber.blogspot.com/p/ara-ngc-6397.html https://collectionchamber.blogspot.com/p/gordk.html https://collectionchamber.blogspot.com/p/only-fools-and-horses-comedy-pack.html https://collectionchamber.blogspot.com/p/pandoras-box.html https://collectionchamber.blogspot.com/p/zpc-zero-population-count.html

So, it seems life got in the way of January's monthly five, so I've made sure I wouldn't miss out on the short month of February. It's a Leap Year so there's an extra day after all!

Coming at ya with some underrated games including Z.P.C. Zero Population Count (1996 Zombie LLC) which marks my pick of the month. It's an uber-violent first-person shooter with a cool comic-book style and a dystopian sci-fi storyline. Continuing on from this theme is ARA NGC 6397 (1998 I. Hoffmann + associates Inc & Artech Digital Entertainment), a good-looking pre-rendered actioner with some adventure elements that remind me a lot of the on-ground segments of Star Wars: Rebel Assault II. If you want a straight-up adventure try Gord@k (1997 I. Hoffmann + associates Inc) which has you hack into a virtual reality security system that just so happens to look a lot like Myst. Us Brits will surely get a kick out of Only Fools and Horses: Comedy Pack (1999 BBC Worldwide Ltd), a multimedia CD-ROM that contains a GTA clone as a mini-game; Grand Theft Peckham if you will. Lastly, the guy behind Tetris provides the handsomely produced puzzle game that is Pandora's Box (1999 Microsoft Corporation). It's probably the best digital jigsaw game out there.

That's it for this additional day. Join me at the end of March for a quintet of movie-themed games. Adios!

Sunday 21 January 2024

TOP 10 GAMES OF 2023

 
 
Finally, it's time to rank the recent games I've played this year. And boy, has it been a good one. There's been so many big release that I'm sure there are many to catch up on. Funnily enough, the best game of the year according to many publications is not mine. And it's not like I don't think that modern classic is terrible by any stretch of the imagination. It's just so massive I don't think I've yet to get a grasp on it (those who know which game I'm on about will know). So, read on to find out what I consider to be the cream of the crop of interactive media in 2023...

Sunday 14 January 2024

TOP 10 TV SHOWS OF 2023

 
 
I'm doing something new! A separate rundown of my TV-watching year. Like with the movies, I kept up with what I've been watching in far greater detail than I ever have before, and because I've been reviewing them as I went along - for the most part - I thought it deserved its own post more than I deserve a good night's sleep. I'll be rating seasons of shows that concluded in 2023, not begun so those that I'm currently in the middle of will not be here. I've seen a surprising amount, which has freaked me out a little, but most has been pretty darn good. Again, I'll be adding my newly-appreciated star system which consists of an inconsistent mix of extreme bias and perceived objectivity but feel free to give your take in the comments. Carry on to find out more...

Sunday 7 January 2024

TOP 10 MOVIES OF 2023

 
 
This year, I've been doing my best to keep track of all the movies I've seen as I've seen them. It's become a great way to get a good idea about how this past year in cinema has fared. And compared to last year, it hasn't exactly fared the best. Blockbusters bumbled and streamers were stripped. It says a lot that a couple on my Top 10 - and many worthy titles in my honourable mentions - came out in 2022 in other territories. That doesn't mean there hasn't been some stellar trips to the cinema, but not as many as last year. I'll actually give my star rating this time too, just to provoke angry (or politely worded) messages in the comments section. Here's my full rundown...

Sunday 31 December 2023

CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN COLLATED

https://collectionchamber.blogspot.com/2023/12/christmas-countdown-day-11.html https://collectionchamber.blogspot.com/2023/12/christmas-countdown-day-3.html https://collectionchamber.blogspot.com/2023/12/christmas-countdown-festive-finale.html https://collectionchamber.blogspot.com/2023/12/christmas-countdown-day-8.html https://collectionchamber.blogspot.com/2023/12/christmas-countdown-day-6.html

The end of 2023 has arrived like a flash, so before I get to my annual rundown of modern movies and games I've been playing this past year I thought I'd rundown those fourteen old games I revisited in the past month. As hectic as is it, I do enjoy putting together 12 days of retro PC gaming for the Christmas Countdown. Read on after the jump for the full list and see if you may have missed any. 

See you next year!

Monday 25 December 2023

CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN - THE FESTIVE FINALE


At this point, Lemmings and Christmas go hand in hand. This is the fourth year in a row where I've celebrated those green-haired rapscallions on Christmas Day, so I'm continuing that tradition with Lemmings Revolution (2000 Psygnosis Ltd). It's one of the lesser known entries, only ever being released on Windows PCs, but it is one of the better ones. After the experimentation of Lemmings 3D and Paintball, it's nice to come back to a more traditional approach. Cosy even. In my eyes, it's the perfect gift for Christmas!

I'll be back in the New Year with my annual retrospectives on the one just passed. It's been a good year for both movies and games, so check out my Top 10s whenever it is I get around to posting them. Beyond that, the Monthly 5 games will return on the last day January as normal but I'm sure you've got enough to be playing with until then.

Merry Christmas everybody!!!!

Sunday 24 December 2023

CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN - DAY 11


Gothic fantasy is at the heart of Christmas Eve's entrance to the Collection Chamber Christmas Countdown. Dark Vengeance (1998 Reality Bytes, Inc) is a criminally underrated action-adventure with three distinct characters battling their way through their own unique storylines and levels. Something of a must-play in my opinion. Read on for my full thoughts.

There's only one more sleep to go, so I'm gonna plug my socials once more before we can all chill with a mince pie and a pint. Follow me on Instagram and X/Twitter (screw those Facebook hackers) and if you're feeling really generous this season, consider joining my Patreon or making a one-off PayPal donation. It'll help me continue this crazy project (8-years and counting) I've become so fond of.

I'll see you again on Christmas Day for the festive finale, and until then I'll leave you guessing what it could be. Long-time followers with an eagle-eye could probably have a good idea what it could be...