about myself(introduction)

hi everyone! my name is James Rank.

in August 2004 i took a 60-100 foot fall. This incident caused me to lose the use of my left hand, which makes playing video games very difficult, and in some cases unplayable. This inspired me to create my  own blog for reviewing games in terms of accessibility. After all, what is the point of having fancy graphics in games if  a disability doesn't allow you to play the darn thing! this blog will be typed using Dragon Naturally speaking 12. 

RetrOS- What is it good for?(Review of Halo Wars(PC, Xbox One)

 Ladies and gentlemen, start your emulators! It is time for yet another episode of RetrOS, giving you your recommended dose of nostalgia, by reviewing games from your childhood.

This episode is the first episode for an Xbox 360 title, due to the online store closing in July of this year. In this episode, I take a look at the first RTS spin-off of the Halo franchise. Will this game score enough to knock Age of Mythology off this high horse?

Let's find out!

RetrOS special- Zeus on the loose!-Review of Age of Mythology: Retold(PC, Xbox Series)

 Ladies and gentlemen start your emulators! It is time for another episode of RetrOS, giving you your recommended dose of nostalgia by reviewing games of your childhood.

This episode is a day-one review special. This time, we take a look at debatably one of the best RTS games ever made.  will this game restore our faith in remasters,  or will this game suffer the same cruel fate as the Grand Theft Auto Definitive Edition trilogy?

 Let's find out!

RetrOS- 20th anniversary special- Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire (GBA)

 Ladies and gentlemen, start your emulators. It is time for another episode of retrOS, and probably the biggest review I have ever written. The date of posting is a major milestone for myself and the people who know me personally.

To commemorate the occasion, I review a classic GBA title I played the days running up to the accident itself, and its immediate aftermath. Is this game a classic, or should this game be long forgotten?

Let's find out!

RerOS- the Final Lap (review of Final Fight)

 Ladies, and gentlemen, start your emulators! It is time for another episode of RetrOS, your dose of nostalgia for reviewing games of your childhood. In the second part of this versus battle, we turn the clocks back to 1989 as we tackle a supposed  sequel to Street Fighter

With a massive score of 97.5% to beat, will the sharpshooter maintain his streak? Or will Haggar pull this off!

Let's find out!

retrOS- Streets of Vengance(review of Streets of Rage)

 Ladies and gentlemen, start your emulators! Welcome to another episode of RetrOS your dose of nostalgia by reviewing games from your childhood. This episode is a versus battle special!

This time, the 16-bit hardware generation is the battlefield. As we vet the true blue of Sega against the fighting game pedigree of Capcom, Axel Stone against Mike Haggar, Streets of rage against Final fight!

To start the proceedings, we have decided to tackle the successor to Golden Axe, which game will emerge victorious?

Let's find out!

RetrOS Star Wars Day 2024 special- Review of Star Wars: Episode 1 the Phantom Menace(PSX, PC)

Ladies and gentlemen, start your emulators! It is time for yet another episode of RetrOS, the show where we give you the recommended dose of nostalgia by reviewing games from your childhood.

The date of uploading marks Star Wars Day 2024, to mark the occasion, we turn the clocks back to 1999 as we take a look at the tie-in game to the first movie and the prequel trilogy. Is this game an all-time classic? Or is this just as bad as Jar Jar Binks?

Let's find out!

Out of all the sci-fi films out there, Star Wars is one of the biggest, recognisable franchises out there. The first film of the franchise, Star Wars Episode 4: a New Hope was released to the public in 1977. Since then, the franchises attracted a pop culture phenomenon in its own right.

In 1999, the franchise 16 year long hiatus was broken as the first episode of the prequel trilogy, dubbed the Phantom Menace, featuring an all-star cast such as Irish Born actor Liam Neeson, and Trainspotting star Ewan McGregor.

As always with films of the time, movie tie-in games are sure to follow. This classic is one of them. 

The game's plot follows the film as you play the parts of Jedi Knights Qui Gon Jinn and  Obi-Wan Kenobi, a member of the Royal Naboo Army, Captain Panaka and Padme Amidala,  as you go through the Star Wars universe to fight off a trade Federation invasion of Naboo.

accessibility scores are as follows.

Visibility 9

Due to the game's age, there are no colourblind modes available. However, there is very little need for one as there are no elements of the game back in cousin issue for a colourblind player

Audibility 10

There are in-game subtitles that can be enabled, and disabled via the game's options menu. This allows a player with a hearing impairment to enjoy this classic.

Mobility 10.5

In the PC version, which was used to test this game, the keyboard controls can be customised. Better still, this game has full gamepad support. The Xbox One controller works like a charm with this game the control layouts when using a gamepad can also be fully customised. This is an epic win for players with mobility impairments.

Extended the PlayStation version, which is available to PS5 users using PlayStation Plus, four control layouts are available. It may not be as accessible as the PC version, but, it's better than nothing I guess!

Gameplay 9

For a 1999 game, this game is pretty decent.

 With four characters that can be played as, each with their own unique play style, and special ability. For example, Obi-Wan and Qui Gon can use force powers to interact with nearby objects, pushing switches from afar, and of course, their light sabres can deflect blaster shots going towards them which makes the game a little more varied as you progress to the game.

 In total, this game has an array of weapons, such as blaster rifles, proton missiles, and of course, lightsabres which can be changed on the fly.

In terms of lifespan, the entire game can be completed in 8 1/2 hours, which, for  PlayStation One standards is pretty average. So, if you are a Star Wars fanatic and are looking for a Star Wars game to play over the summer, this game is recommended!

OVERALL SCORE 96.25%

See you guys in the next review!