Originally posted on TheSpeedGamers
Wut U Talkin Bout is a quick look at overlooked titles in gaming history, or a overlooked entry in a franchise.
When talking about a good game, often you hear about how responsive the controls are, how impressive the level design is, how they tightened up the graphics on level 3, etc. These games provide an excellent well polished gaming experience that usually can be enjoyed by many. Nowadays, these well polished games are a dime a dozen. But sometimes there are games that come along that have poor controls, visuals, and level design, but can be just as fun and enjoyable, or even more so, then most AAA titles out there. Blue Stinger is the first game that come to my mind when thinking about such a title.
Blue Stinger, a launch SEGA Dreamcast survival horror title, was stabbed by critics for its poor camera system and controls, plus some fairly repetitive gameplay. As a game, Blue Stinger is just a poor man’s Resident Evil. But as a form of entertainment, Blue Stinger is one of the best games I’ve ever played. Thanks to its strange and wacky dialogue, voice acting, characters, setting, and premise, Blue Stinger is gaming’s equivalent to a B-action movie. It is so bad that you just can’t help but to love it.
Blue Stinger has the two main protagonists, Elliot and Dogs, killing zombie-like enemies, collecting key cards, rescuing civilians, playing arcade games, guzzling sodas, wearing Santa suits, taking baths… yeah, it gets weird. It was like half way through development the team realized they could never make a serious survival horror game, and then threw everything out the window and just went “Hey, let’s see how far we can take this!”
One area in specific, that deserves its own dedicated paragraph, is the shopping mall. Sure, you have probably been in stores-like environments in other survival horror games before, but Blue Stinger approaches it from a completely different angle then other titles. Most survival horror games have you in dark and dingy stores with the lights blown out and eerie music. Blue Stinger, on the other hand, is the exact opposite thanks to the game taking place on Christmas Eve. The shopping mall is filled with Christmas decorations, bright lights, and ads with Santa on them. Throughout the area, Christmas music is constantly playing while you are slaying zombies and saving lives. It is one of the most awkward and out of place scenarios ever, but that is what makes Blue Stinger so amazing!
If Blue Stinger does one thing that is actually “good” in a game design sense, it would be the large arsenal of weapons at your disposal. There are tons of awesome melee and ranged weapons for you to slay zombies with. You get everything from your standard pistol to a ray gun. And for melee weapons, you get everything from a baseball bat to a T-shirt that gives you sumo wrestling skills, which you use to sumo Zombies to death. And all of these weapons can be bought out of vending machines (sound familiar?).
Blue Stinger is not for everyone. If you are going in expecting the best survival horror game on the platform, you will be sorely disappointed. But there is so much more here. So bad it’s good voice acting and dialogue, and some of the strangest situations ever found in a game really make Blue Stinger shine. If you like B-action movies, or games like them, you need Blue Stinger. Used copies of Blue Stinger are quite affordable nowadays. So if you are unsure that you like this style of game, it won’t break the bank to try.
