This week's releases are pretty light, with only a few noteable ones.
First up, from the Nintendo half, erm, third, we have NO retail Wii releases. Weird, huh? Wiiware got Muscle March ($5) and The Amazing Brain Train ($6). Wow. Have you ever seen "Human Tetris", where the people have to make the pose to fit through the wall? Muscle March is similiar to that; you are chasing a thief through a series of walls, and must make the pose with the Wiimote and Nunchuck. I would say $5 could be spent on better games, but for families, it looks like entertainment. The Virtual Console got Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi from the Sega Genesis ($8).
The DS got two retail games; Bejeweled Twist ($19.99) and Glory of Heracles ($34.99). Wow, after checking in on Glory of Heracles, I found out some neat stuff. It's a Nintendo RPG, with Kazushige Nojima as the scenario writer. Those that vaguely reconize the name will be happy to find out he worked with Square until 2003 and has been a freelance writer since. He has worked on games such as Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core, Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Subspace Emissary), and various other major RPG's. DSiWare got a bundle of games; Dark Void Zero ($5), Starship Defense ($5), Chronos Twins ($5), and Me and My Dogs: Friends Forever ($8).
The PS2 actually got a game this week! Silent Hill: Shattered Memories ($29.99). I have heard this is probably one of the best games in the series, so fans might grab this one. The PS3 got the Rocketeer, erm, Dark Void ($59.99). If you're not sure about the game, a demo is up on the PSN. I know I am interested in playing it.
The PSP also got Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, which I think I will be playing very soon.
On the Microsoft side of things, the 360 is also getting Dark Void ($59.99). XBLA is getting Death by Cube ($10) and Vandal Hearts: Flames of Judgement ($15). Vandal Hearts: Flames of Judgement is a tactical RPG, and a prequel to the original Playstation Vandal Hearts game, by Konami. The Avatar Marketplace is getting some new attire, noteably MX vs. ATV outfits. Your deal of the week for Gold Members is twofold this week. Hasbro Family Game Night: Battleship is now the price it should have been all along, $5 instead of $10, and you can get Mass Effect: Bring Down the Sky & Pinnacle Station Packs for $3 each. Remember, those deals end this coming Sunday, January 24th.
Your Picks of the Week:
Nintendo: Glory of Heracles (DS)
Sony: Silent Hill: Shattered Memories (PS2 or PSP)
Microsoft: Dark Void (PS3)
-Sobær
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
Catching Up: The List of Shame
Everyone has a gaming backlog. There's always a game that went unplayed that you really wanted to play the previous year. With so many big releases a year now, it's just to damn hard to keep up. Even playing and reviewing a hundred games last year, I still have a backlog. Hopefully in the coming months I can get around to completing a few of these and giving my score on the game. Obviously, most of these are old enough now that a review is irrelevent to sway your decision on the game, but regardless, it's always nice to see other people's opinion right?
Assassin's Creed 2
I was initially excited about the first Assassin's Creed game. When I saw it premiered at E3, I was stoked for it to come out. Then I heard some of the negativity about the game. So I never played it. Shame, I know, but that's not the point. I haven't heard much bad about the sequel. If, really, anything at all. At most sites it was a contender for "Game of the Year". From the sounds of it, they took all the flaws in AC1 and fixed them. This is at the top of my list to catch up on.
Dragon Age: Origins
I'm not a huge "fantasy and dragons" kind of guy, at least not in the sense of, say, Elder Scrolls. But just hearing about the character development and story telling in the game, I at least want to give it a go. While I can't see it sucking me in like it has others, I can see myself at least lightly enjoying it.
Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising
Not very high on my list to catch up on, this game caught my eye because it's an ultra-realistic shooter. As bad as that sounds, it seems at least intriguing. It's not very high on my list, but it's there, at least for a little while longer.
SAW
When I originally found out about this game, I thought it sounded dumb. Hell, it still sounds dumb. But what can I say, I'm a sucker for bad games I guess.
Sabotuer
The premise of the game, GTA in a dated city, with a unique art style, it the hook for me. While it doesn't sound revolutionary, it does sound like a good time.
Rogue Warrior
Again, I'm a glutton for punishment. How much, you ask? Consider this: someone said this game was not worth $5 in a bargain bin. Wow. But hey, on paper, it sounds cool!
Batman Arkham Asylum
Another contender for "Game of the Year" at a lot of sites. The demo was great, with really fluid combat. Everyone recommends this game, so I must play it, wether I think I will love it or not. And with a sequel on the way, well, I think I need to catch the first one first in this case.
WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2010
I played the PSP version, and while I wouldn't use the PS3 versions story creator, I do want to check out the series on PS3. I haven't played a console one since the PS2. But, it will probably go unplayedm as it's actually just in my GameFly Q for filler.
So there's my backlog. And possibly a taste of some future reviews. Hopefully I can get my Gamefly account back up to two games at a time, it's the only way I will make it through all the games I want to play. Now that you know my "list of shame", what did you want to play last year, but never got around to? Leave us a comment!
-Sobær
Assassin's Creed 2
I was initially excited about the first Assassin's Creed game. When I saw it premiered at E3, I was stoked for it to come out. Then I heard some of the negativity about the game. So I never played it. Shame, I know, but that's not the point. I haven't heard much bad about the sequel. If, really, anything at all. At most sites it was a contender for "Game of the Year". From the sounds of it, they took all the flaws in AC1 and fixed them. This is at the top of my list to catch up on.
Dragon Age: Origins
I'm not a huge "fantasy and dragons" kind of guy, at least not in the sense of, say, Elder Scrolls. But just hearing about the character development and story telling in the game, I at least want to give it a go. While I can't see it sucking me in like it has others, I can see myself at least lightly enjoying it.
Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising
Not very high on my list to catch up on, this game caught my eye because it's an ultra-realistic shooter. As bad as that sounds, it seems at least intriguing. It's not very high on my list, but it's there, at least for a little while longer.
SAW
When I originally found out about this game, I thought it sounded dumb. Hell, it still sounds dumb. But what can I say, I'm a sucker for bad games I guess.
Sabotuer
The premise of the game, GTA in a dated city, with a unique art style, it the hook for me. While it doesn't sound revolutionary, it does sound like a good time.
Rogue Warrior
Again, I'm a glutton for punishment. How much, you ask? Consider this: someone said this game was not worth $5 in a bargain bin. Wow. But hey, on paper, it sounds cool!
Batman Arkham Asylum
Another contender for "Game of the Year" at a lot of sites. The demo was great, with really fluid combat. Everyone recommends this game, so I must play it, wether I think I will love it or not. And with a sequel on the way, well, I think I need to catch the first one first in this case.
WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2010
I played the PSP version, and while I wouldn't use the PS3 versions story creator, I do want to check out the series on PS3. I haven't played a console one since the PS2. But, it will probably go unplayedm as it's actually just in my GameFly Q for filler.
So there's my backlog. And possibly a taste of some future reviews. Hopefully I can get my Gamefly account back up to two games at a time, it's the only way I will make it through all the games I want to play. Now that you know my "list of shame", what did you want to play last year, but never got around to? Leave us a comment!
-Sobær
Rumor: Modnation Racers Slated for June
While no date was ever official, Modnation Racers was slated for a Spring 2010 release, with most outlets pointing at a late Febuary release (02/28/2010, odd since it's a Sunday). Well, three sources are now looking at June 1st, 2010 as the release date.
Amazon.com, Gamestop, and Gamefly all have 06/01/2010 as the release date of the upcoming, uber-customizable kart racer, though we have no official word yet.
-Sobær
Amazon.com, Gamestop, and Gamefly all have 06/01/2010 as the release date of the upcoming, uber-customizable kart racer, though we have no official word yet.
-Sobær
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Review: Army of Two: The 40th Day [PSP]
Wow, there's not going to be much of a review here. This is the sequel to the first Army of Two, but ported over to the PSP. Now that the obvious is out of the way, it's not a direct port, it's been shifted into a different catergory of shooter. A top-down shooter, to be exact. While in theory, everything sounds good, it falls apart about as quick as the game begins.
Score: C-
Score: C-
Pros:
The graphics are decent. There's a good array of customizable weapons, which is a definite plus in the sea of negatives. The premise of the game, a top-down shooter, is a fun style of play, despite the slow clunky nature of the game itself. The game has an auto-aim, so you don't have to be EXACTLY lined up, a nice perk.
Cons:
Taking cover to "flank" an enemy in this type of game is just kind of.. dumb. It slows down the pace of an already slow game. The AI is atrocious, some of the worst AI I have seen in a shooter in a long time. Example: I'm running along, shooting everything that pops up, and I run into a "heavy". I end up dying, and wait, where the hell did my partner go?! I sat there the whole time "bleeding out", waiting for my partner to come help me up, which I ironically did for him less than 5 minutes prior to that. The AI partner was nowhere on the screen. I pressed every button possible to see if I could coax him over, but nope. I'm willing to cut a little slack on that, because there is Ad Hoc play. That's if you can find someone who has the game. And it's not just the partner AI that is horrible, the opponent AI is just as bad.
Did I already say the game was slow? I heard "top-down shooter", thought Smash TV, and my brain screams "SWEET!". But the game's pacing is so incredibly slow. You move through a screen, a few enemies pop up, you shoot them easily, and move about two screens down. This was probably my biggest problem with the game. Not to mention the dialogue and "story" are miserable as well.
Summary:
I wouldn't be able to sleep at night if I recommended this game to people. I'm sure there are people who will enjoy it, and I'm sure with a second person it is a little more bare-able. And that's it's saving grace from a "D". I had absolutely NO drive to play this game, and I played it much more than I would of if I wasn't reviewing the game. Granted I didn't complete the game, but I feel I gave it a fair shake.
-Sobær
-Sobær
Friday, January 15, 2010
NPDs: December 2009
[Edit: Remember, not every retail outlet sends their numbers to NPD.]
I will go on record now and say I was
wrong when I thought the PS3 would be the top selling console from price
drop to year end. They have been selling well, and more competitive
than prior months, but of course the family friendly console is going to
win out the competition. That said, the PS3 DID beat the 360, but
by such a small margin I don't think it matters much.
Console
And we have the handhelds. The DS is still raking in cash in the portable market. I still wish they would split up DS/DSi and PSP/PSPGo numbers, but we all know that isn't happening. The PSP is still hanging in there, and honestly, has put a fair enough fight against Nintendo in a market no-one has been able to enter successfully.
Handheld
On the softer side of the wares, it's no surprise Nintendo once again cleaned house. Kids need Christmas presents, and I'll be damned if Nintendo can't deliver that. Wii Fit Plus, though, is kind of a shocker at #2 to me. But with the logic of men buying their wives and girlfriends a Wii for Christmas, the shock disappears. Assassin's Creed 2 and Left 4 Dead 2 made the cut their second month out, even if at the bottom of the list. And Mario and Luigi's new adventure brings in the #10 spot, with no Zelda: Spirit Tracks in sight.
Source: These numbers are via http://www.joystiq.com
Console
-Wii: 3.81M (an increase
of 2.11 million from November)
-PS3: 1.36M (an increase
of 650 thousand from November)
-360: 1.31M (an increase of 490 thousand from November)
-360: 1.31M (an increase of 490 thousand from November)
-PS2: 333K (an increase
of 130 thousand from November)
And we have the handhelds. The DS is still raking in cash in the portable market. I still wish they would split up DS/DSi and PSP/PSPGo numbers, but we all know that isn't happening. The PSP is still hanging in there, and honestly, has put a fair enough fight against Nintendo in a market no-one has been able to enter successfully.
Handheld
-DS: 3.31M (an increase
of 2.05 million from November)
-PSP: 655K (an increase of 361 thousand from November)
-PSP: 655K (an increase of 361 thousand from November)
On the softer side of the wares, it's no surprise Nintendo once again cleaned house. Kids need Christmas presents, and I'll be damned if Nintendo can't deliver that. Wii Fit Plus, though, is kind of a shocker at #2 to me. But with the logic of men buying their wives and girlfriends a Wii for Christmas, the shock disappears. Assassin's Creed 2 and Left 4 Dead 2 made the cut their second month out, even if at the bottom of the list. And Mario and Luigi's new adventure brings in the #10 spot, with no Zelda: Spirit Tracks in sight.
1. New
Super Mario Bros. Wii - Wii - Nintendo - 2.82M
2. Wii
Fit Plus -
Wii -
Nintendo -
2.41M
3. Wii Sports Resort - Wii - Nintendo - 1.79M
4. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 - Xbox 360 - Activision - 1.63M
5. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 - PS3 - Activision - 1.12M
6. Wii Play w/remote - Wii - Nintendo - 1.01M
7. Mario Kart w/ Wheel - Wii - Nintendo - 936.1K
8. Assassin's Creed II - Xbox 360 - Ubisoft - 783.1K
9. Left 4 Dead 2 - Xbox 360 - Valve - 728.5K
10. Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story - DS - Nintendo - 656.7K
3. Wii Sports Resort - Wii - Nintendo - 1.79M
4. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 - Xbox 360 - Activision - 1.63M
5. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 - PS3 - Activision - 1.12M
6. Wii Play w/remote - Wii - Nintendo - 1.01M
7. Mario Kart w/ Wheel - Wii - Nintendo - 936.1K
8. Assassin's Creed II - Xbox 360 - Ubisoft - 783.1K
9. Left 4 Dead 2 - Xbox 360 - Valve - 728.5K
10. Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story - DS - Nintendo - 656.7K
That wraps up another month.
Until next month, keep buying games!
- Sobær
Source: These numbers are via http://www.joystiq.com
A Step Into the Cloud
Cloud gaming is a step into a dark, unexplored area for gamers. With last year's announcement of OnLive buzzing at GDC, it took the gaming media by storm and was the talk of the community for a good month. And then everything went silent. Skepticism and intrigue both died as quick as they flared up. Sony snuck in and copyrighted the term "PSCloud" in the meantime, and now at the beginning of 2010, we still aren't hearing much about OnLive, or even PSCloud. While cloud computing is growing more popular, cloud gaming sits in the back-seat waiting for the technology to bring it forward.
First of all, this is not a bashfest on OnLive, or PSCloud, or any other service that pops up as a cloud gaming service. This is not me saying it is awesome, and there are no problems with the concept. This is just a little bit of fact, mixed with my opinion.
In a nutshell, cloud gaming is server-side gaming. You buy the game, it sits on a server, which processes the image and sends it to your TV or monitor. This is huge for computer gaming, as you no longer need to spend thousands of dollars every few years to buy a new computer to keep up with the high-demand graphical power computer games can offer. For console gaming, its perks are of lesser value. Instead of how everyone else starts an article, ie. good then bad, let's flip it around.
The first and obvious downside of cloud gaming goes hand in hand with digital distribution, no physical copy. We as humans are still taking those first steps into the digital age. Some of us have embraced it, some of us are on the fence, and others just don't want anything to do with it. No-one is wrong, it's personal preference. There's also the event that the servers crash, and you loose everything. While an increasingly-unlikely scenario as technology improves, it can never be ruled out. Internet service providers capping bandwidth could also prove to be issue. While the OnLive techs say it doesn't stream as much as one would think, it still eats up precious bandwidth. Oh, and can't pay the internet bill for a month? Better plan on not playing a video game. Or for that matter, can't afford the monthly fee? Oh yeah, there's no way around a monthly fee, someone has to pay to keep those servers going. Those are just some of the things going against cloud gaming. For the sake of not making this a novel, I didn't include everything.
As mentioned, it boasts the fact you don't need a high-end PC to play high-end PC games. That is awesome for someone like me who can't afford a $900 PC. The ability to just select your game from a menu, much like a PC game, or PSN game, is a small perk. With digital distribution, you have the possibility of games being cheaper as there is no manufacturing cost. While one would think that is obvious, we still have yet to see Sony step up and lower the price of their PSP games that are digital. The fear being a backlash from retail.
As far as I am concerned, while the concept amuses me, I am not interested in actually utilizing OnLive as it is. With the gaming industry being as expensive as it is, and the state of the economy right now, it's hard to just jump out there and put your faith in an upstart company. If OnLive wants to be competitive to consoles at least, they need to partner with, say, Microsoft. I honestly believe they wanted to be acquired by Microsoft, and that's the reason they rushed out to show off their product when they did. I mean, come on, just the name, OnLive, XBox Live, Windows Live. They either wanted to be acquired or wanted to ride their coattails.
If I were to support OnLive vs. PSCloud, I would obviously support Sony. Why? Simple. Sony is a HUGE corporation, and they have been doing games for years now. The percentage of possible server side problems would be smaller, the longevity would be longer. Say you buy OnLive (we'll est. $150), pay for a years service ($20*12 months? $240), and buy a few major games, and a few smaller games (est. $250). After that year, they aren't cutting the mustard, and you drop the service. That's a lot of money you will never be able to see or use again. Worse yet, what if they flop, and go under? Holy crap I would be pissed! What I'm saying is, while Sony makes their fair share of mistakes (*cough*PSPGo*cough*), at least they would most likely be around for 10+ years with PSCloud.
One thing I will close on. I am not saying I am for or against cloud gaming. Time will tell if it takes off and soars. Or sets sail and sinks.
-Sobær
[Edit: Those that know me know I want a PSPGo. That being said, I have always thought it was a mistake to release it at $250, and not to mention digital copies of games are the same price, which I find BS. Me wanting a PSPGo is mostly being a tech-fanboy, and wanting an analog nub with more tension.]
First of all, this is not a bashfest on OnLive, or PSCloud, or any other service that pops up as a cloud gaming service. This is not me saying it is awesome, and there are no problems with the concept. This is just a little bit of fact, mixed with my opinion.
In a nutshell, cloud gaming is server-side gaming. You buy the game, it sits on a server, which processes the image and sends it to your TV or monitor. This is huge for computer gaming, as you no longer need to spend thousands of dollars every few years to buy a new computer to keep up with the high-demand graphical power computer games can offer. For console gaming, its perks are of lesser value. Instead of how everyone else starts an article, ie. good then bad, let's flip it around.
The first and obvious downside of cloud gaming goes hand in hand with digital distribution, no physical copy. We as humans are still taking those first steps into the digital age. Some of us have embraced it, some of us are on the fence, and others just don't want anything to do with it. No-one is wrong, it's personal preference. There's also the event that the servers crash, and you loose everything. While an increasingly-unlikely scenario as technology improves, it can never be ruled out. Internet service providers capping bandwidth could also prove to be issue. While the OnLive techs say it doesn't stream as much as one would think, it still eats up precious bandwidth. Oh, and can't pay the internet bill for a month? Better plan on not playing a video game. Or for that matter, can't afford the monthly fee? Oh yeah, there's no way around a monthly fee, someone has to pay to keep those servers going. Those are just some of the things going against cloud gaming. For the sake of not making this a novel, I didn't include everything.
As mentioned, it boasts the fact you don't need a high-end PC to play high-end PC games. That is awesome for someone like me who can't afford a $900 PC. The ability to just select your game from a menu, much like a PC game, or PSN game, is a small perk. With digital distribution, you have the possibility of games being cheaper as there is no manufacturing cost. While one would think that is obvious, we still have yet to see Sony step up and lower the price of their PSP games that are digital. The fear being a backlash from retail.
As far as I am concerned, while the concept amuses me, I am not interested in actually utilizing OnLive as it is. With the gaming industry being as expensive as it is, and the state of the economy right now, it's hard to just jump out there and put your faith in an upstart company. If OnLive wants to be competitive to consoles at least, they need to partner with, say, Microsoft. I honestly believe they wanted to be acquired by Microsoft, and that's the reason they rushed out to show off their product when they did. I mean, come on, just the name, OnLive, XBox Live, Windows Live. They either wanted to be acquired or wanted to ride their coattails.
If I were to support OnLive vs. PSCloud, I would obviously support Sony. Why? Simple. Sony is a HUGE corporation, and they have been doing games for years now. The percentage of possible server side problems would be smaller, the longevity would be longer. Say you buy OnLive (we'll est. $150), pay for a years service ($20*12 months? $240), and buy a few major games, and a few smaller games (est. $250). After that year, they aren't cutting the mustard, and you drop the service. That's a lot of money you will never be able to see or use again. Worse yet, what if they flop, and go under? Holy crap I would be pissed! What I'm saying is, while Sony makes their fair share of mistakes (*cough*PSPGo*cough*), at least they would most likely be around for 10+ years with PSCloud.
One thing I will close on. I am not saying I am for or against cloud gaming. Time will tell if it takes off and soars. Or sets sail and sinks.
-Sobær
[Edit: Those that know me know I want a PSPGo. That being said, I have always thought it was a mistake to release it at $250, and not to mention digital copies of games are the same price, which I find BS. Me wanting a PSPGo is mostly being a tech-fanboy, and wanting an analog nub with more tension.]
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Review: Shatter [PSN]
Intro
A LOT of hype was going around when this game came out, at least on one or two of the podcasts I normally listen to. As a fan of "brick breaking" games, I figured I would of loved this! Arkanoid is one of my Top 25 NES games, after all. After playing Magic Ball (now Magic Orb. which don't get me started on the name change), I thought maybe I love affair with this simple genre was long gone. Then I hear ALL this talk and "OMG WOOTZORZ SHATTER WTF WOWZ!" about Shatter. So I bought it, well, my son bought it for me for Christmas.
Score: B
Pros:
The genre itself is a positive thing, in my opinion. If you have 10 minutes you can easily knock out a level. The graphics are superb and very nicely done. This game really makes Magic Orb look like a kids game. They added a "suck" and "blow" feature, that does exactly what it says. You can change the path of the ball with either button one way or another. That's probably one of the coolest touches. Remember all those times ONE block was left and it took forever to hit it? You have much more control of the ball now, and that's hardly a problem.
You can also spit out multiple balls at once. The days are gone of waiting for a "multiball" powerup to randomly appear. They removed another powerup, and turned it into a real power. You collect shards that the bricks become when you hit them, and it fills a meter. This meter, when full, can be activated and a shard storm occures. Basically, it shoots tons of shards out of the paddle for a limited time.
The boss' are a very nice touch, too. They get progressively more difficult and they become trickier to defeat as you go along. But it's something pretty new to these types of games, so it's a fresh addition. The "high score chase" is obvious whenever you are playing, as your friends' scores are visible at the bottom, comparing yours to the next highest score. Very nicely done. And from level to level, the layout changes. Sometimes you are playing vertical, othertimes horizontal.
Cons:
The biggest thing people raved about was the soundtrack. I'm sorry, but I don't enjoy raves, nor do I like techno music. So I was sorely let down when the beats started thumping. Oh, AND NO CUSTOM SOUNDTRACKS! I DON'T LIKE YOUR CRAPPY TECHNO MUSIC YOU ARE SO PROUD OF! PSN games used to have the best chance of custom soundtracks, now it seems the option is just dead. Congratulations Sony for fubar'ing that one up and not making it mandatory. My hopes for custom soundtracks aren't dead yet, but a game like this, no excuse.
Removing two of the most popular powerups kind of made powerups in general boring as hell. You have the one that will go through everything instead of bouncing off, which is still cool, and a "manuverbility" one, which I fail to see the point in. But that's it. They also make it so you play through the game in stages, which means when I go to get a trophy for beating the next stage, I can just turn it on and pick up on the world I left off. Granted, your score will be lower when you are done, and the big trophy is beating the game in one sitting.
Summary:
While it did move the seemingly dead genre forward, it made it's mistakes along the way. Is it fun? Sure. For about half an hour at a time. The ability to jump to any level after getting to it kinda ruins the arcade feel to me that they were going for. And the music, ugh, it's as bad as playing a sports game with rap blaring through the game to me. Buy or pass? At $9.99, if you are looking for an old school feeling game, pick it up. If there's ever a half off sale, buy it for sure. For the price, I will say it is loads better than Magic Ball.
A LOT of hype was going around when this game came out, at least on one or two of the podcasts I normally listen to. As a fan of "brick breaking" games, I figured I would of loved this! Arkanoid is one of my Top 25 NES games, after all. After playing Magic Ball (now Magic Orb. which don't get me started on the name change), I thought maybe I love affair with this simple genre was long gone. Then I hear ALL this talk and "OMG WOOTZORZ SHATTER WTF WOWZ!" about Shatter. So I bought it, well, my son bought it for me for Christmas.
Score: B
Pros:
The genre itself is a positive thing, in my opinion. If you have 10 minutes you can easily knock out a level. The graphics are superb and very nicely done. This game really makes Magic Orb look like a kids game. They added a "suck" and "blow" feature, that does exactly what it says. You can change the path of the ball with either button one way or another. That's probably one of the coolest touches. Remember all those times ONE block was left and it took forever to hit it? You have much more control of the ball now, and that's hardly a problem.
You can also spit out multiple balls at once. The days are gone of waiting for a "multiball" powerup to randomly appear. They removed another powerup, and turned it into a real power. You collect shards that the bricks become when you hit them, and it fills a meter. This meter, when full, can be activated and a shard storm occures. Basically, it shoots tons of shards out of the paddle for a limited time.
The boss' are a very nice touch, too. They get progressively more difficult and they become trickier to defeat as you go along. But it's something pretty new to these types of games, so it's a fresh addition. The "high score chase" is obvious whenever you are playing, as your friends' scores are visible at the bottom, comparing yours to the next highest score. Very nicely done. And from level to level, the layout changes. Sometimes you are playing vertical, othertimes horizontal.
Cons:
The biggest thing people raved about was the soundtrack. I'm sorry, but I don't enjoy raves, nor do I like techno music. So I was sorely let down when the beats started thumping. Oh, AND NO CUSTOM SOUNDTRACKS! I DON'T LIKE YOUR CRAPPY TECHNO MUSIC YOU ARE SO PROUD OF! PSN games used to have the best chance of custom soundtracks, now it seems the option is just dead. Congratulations Sony for fubar'ing that one up and not making it mandatory. My hopes for custom soundtracks aren't dead yet, but a game like this, no excuse.
Removing two of the most popular powerups kind of made powerups in general boring as hell. You have the one that will go through everything instead of bouncing off, which is still cool, and a "manuverbility" one, which I fail to see the point in. But that's it. They also make it so you play through the game in stages, which means when I go to get a trophy for beating the next stage, I can just turn it on and pick up on the world I left off. Granted, your score will be lower when you are done, and the big trophy is beating the game in one sitting.
Summary:
While it did move the seemingly dead genre forward, it made it's mistakes along the way. Is it fun? Sure. For about half an hour at a time. The ability to jump to any level after getting to it kinda ruins the arcade feel to me that they were going for. And the music, ugh, it's as bad as playing a sports game with rap blaring through the game to me. Buy or pass? At $9.99, if you are looking for an old school feeling game, pick it up. If there's ever a half off sale, buy it for sure. For the price, I will say it is loads better than Magic Ball.
2009 Awards
This was something I was originally excited for. I had a lot of fun doing this the first year around, but we actually had some votes. I had posted on the Gamespot forums, and had some votes from there before it was removed unjustly. I had some friends fill it out. Cohosts participated. In all, I think we had 9-10 different voters. Luckily, some of which were XBox 360 people, as most of my friends are Sony and/or Nintendo players. Most of the things I play are on Playstation 3 and PSP, and I missed some of the big games last year, which is the topic for another post, Catching Up.
So what I present you with is some of MY favorite games I got to play last year, and what categories they won me over with. While I probably spent more time playing SOCOM: Confrontation than any other game last year, sadly, I can't put a vote in for that for Game of the Year. ;) Drum roll please!
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Awards:
Game of the Year
Console Game of the Year
PS3 Game of the Year
Best Action Game
Best Technical Graphics
"Storyteller" Award
That's a lot huh? Well, I believe it deserved every bit of it. Solid action, some of THE best pacing in an action game, phenomenal acting, and amazing graphics. All on one disc. It even has a solid online component that doesn't feel tacked on in the slightest. I gushed about this game on the show, and I couldn't help the times I was at a loss for words. Best game ever? No. There is no such thing. Do I care it is only 10 hours long? Not at all. I would play through the single player at LEAST one more time.
Dissidia: Final Fantasy
Awards:
Handheld Game of the Year
PSP Game of the Year
Best Handheld Fighting Game
Picking a Handheld GotY was pretty hard for me this year. I had four solid contenders, but I went with Dissidia. As far as depth goes, it is deeper than a lot of handheld games. The fighting mechanics were solid, and not overly complicated. If rumor is true about Dissidia coming to PS3/360's, I will shout for joy.
Red Faction: Guerrilla
Awards:
More Surprising Game of the Year
Go listen to me and Connor argue about the demo of this game, and you'll find this award a shock. I rented it thanks to Garnett Lee (ex-1UP employee, via 1UP Yours podcast), and wow, I was honestly having a blast! Literally! Blowing up buildings and watching them crumble, smashing through walls with that hammer; all of it was more fun than I thought this game could contain. I still have to buy this one.
inFAMOUS
Awards:
Best New IP
Best new character (Cole)
This was my game of the year until Uncharted 2 came out. Awesome story, great art style, and solid physics. That was probably my favorite part, just scaling buildings and jumping from rooftop to light pole to rooftop.
Fat Princess
Awards:
Best Artistic Graphics
(assuming Em's Game of the Year)
(assuming Em's Competitive Multiplayer Game of the Year)
(assuming Em's PSN Game of the Year)
I was overly hyped for this game, but even though I was let down, I still think it had some of the best "artsy" graphics. And my wife LOVES this game. She can't stop playing it.
Borderlands
Awards:
Best Co-Operative Multiplayer
Best Console Shooter
This is probably one of the better shooters I have played in awhile. Most people play with others, and say it sucks alone. I play it alone, and still gave it an A. I do play with my wife, though, and she really digs it. Awesome graphics, great "gun game" as I call it, and more loot than you can shake a stick at.
Half-Minute Hero
Awards:
Best Handheld RPG
Most Innovative Game
This was up there for best PSP game of the year, and let me tell you, it was hard to pick. That aside, it really is one of the most unique games I have played, and a very fresh spin on the RPG genre. And the choice to make it look old school made it that much better.
I think I'll wrap it up there. There are a few more, and a few negative awards, but this post is LONG. What were some of your favorite games of last year? Let us know in the comments!
-Sobær
So what I present you with is some of MY favorite games I got to play last year, and what categories they won me over with. While I probably spent more time playing SOCOM: Confrontation than any other game last year, sadly, I can't put a vote in for that for Game of the Year. ;) Drum roll please!
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Awards:
Game of the Year
Console Game of the Year
PS3 Game of the Year
Best Action Game
Best Technical Graphics
"Storyteller" Award
That's a lot huh? Well, I believe it deserved every bit of it. Solid action, some of THE best pacing in an action game, phenomenal acting, and amazing graphics. All on one disc. It even has a solid online component that doesn't feel tacked on in the slightest. I gushed about this game on the show, and I couldn't help the times I was at a loss for words. Best game ever? No. There is no such thing. Do I care it is only 10 hours long? Not at all. I would play through the single player at LEAST one more time.
Dissidia: Final Fantasy
Awards:
Handheld Game of the Year
PSP Game of the Year
Best Handheld Fighting Game
Picking a Handheld GotY was pretty hard for me this year. I had four solid contenders, but I went with Dissidia. As far as depth goes, it is deeper than a lot of handheld games. The fighting mechanics were solid, and not overly complicated. If rumor is true about Dissidia coming to PS3/360's, I will shout for joy.
Red Faction: Guerrilla
Awards:
More Surprising Game of the Year
Go listen to me and Connor argue about the demo of this game, and you'll find this award a shock. I rented it thanks to Garnett Lee (ex-1UP employee, via 1UP Yours podcast), and wow, I was honestly having a blast! Literally! Blowing up buildings and watching them crumble, smashing through walls with that hammer; all of it was more fun than I thought this game could contain. I still have to buy this one.
inFAMOUS
Awards:
Best New IP
Best new character (Cole)
This was my game of the year until Uncharted 2 came out. Awesome story, great art style, and solid physics. That was probably my favorite part, just scaling buildings and jumping from rooftop to light pole to rooftop.
Fat Princess
Awards:
Best Artistic Graphics
(assuming Em's Game of the Year)
(assuming Em's Competitive Multiplayer Game of the Year)
(assuming Em's PSN Game of the Year)
I was overly hyped for this game, but even though I was let down, I still think it had some of the best "artsy" graphics. And my wife LOVES this game. She can't stop playing it.
Borderlands
Awards:
Best Co-Operative Multiplayer
Best Console Shooter
This is probably one of the better shooters I have played in awhile. Most people play with others, and say it sucks alone. I play it alone, and still gave it an A. I do play with my wife, though, and she really digs it. Awesome graphics, great "gun game" as I call it, and more loot than you can shake a stick at.
Half-Minute Hero
Awards:
Best Handheld RPG
Most Innovative Game
This was up there for best PSP game of the year, and let me tell you, it was hard to pick. That aside, it really is one of the most unique games I have played, and a very fresh spin on the RPG genre. And the choice to make it look old school made it that much better.
I think I'll wrap it up there. There are a few more, and a few negative awards, but this post is LONG. What were some of your favorite games of last year? Let us know in the comments!
-Sobær
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Review: UNO [PSN]
Score: C-
Intro:
UNO. One of the more popular card games of my generation (probably the one prior as well). A game based on more luck than skill. If you don't know what UNO is, I will try to summarize it for you. The deck itself is comprised of cards in four colors and numbers 1-9. There are also special cards, such as Skip (which does just as it says, skips the next person), Reverse (flips the direction of play from clockwise to counter clockwise, or vice versa), Wild (can change the color of card at play), Draw Two (next person draws two cards, can't play), and Wild Draw Four (changes color to whatever the player wants, and next player draws four cards and skips turn). A card is set down, and you can either play that color or number. I think that sums it up, time to justify the score.
Pros:
It's UNO. It makes a great party game, and is easier to take care of than a deck of cards. I only had brief experiences with the online, but it worked. That's a plus for some of these smaller games. By going through the "Tournament" mode, you unlock new colors for background and decks. And it has trophies! But seriously, the strongest aspect of this game is probably just playing it with friends.
Cons:
It's UNO. Anyone that has played more than an hour of UNO with family and/or friends, has wanted to shove the deck of cards down their throat. As with most (if not all) card games, a lot of this game is luck. And I'm sorry, but I've kind of grown up to the point that if I am playing a video game, I don't want it to come down to luck.
Most of the trophies can't be won by playing local or online multiplayer, so you HAVE to play the Tournament mode in order to get a good chunk of the trophies. There are some online trophies, however, one in particular totally turned me off. "Get in the Top 50" on the online leaderboard. Eff that! That's some hardcore boosting! It might be top 100, don't quote me on the 50, but still. Leaderboard trophies, especially in a game of luck, are dumb.
No custom soundtracks. Really? It's UNO! Who really wants to listen to that poorly constructed music that Gameloft probably spent $5 on?
CRAPPY avatar'd selection. Wow. They should of just made a ninja, viking, pirate, and cheerleader. Would of saved them time and money, and us time from "creating" an avatar. I'm sure the 360 version, you can use your avatar, which would be 100x better than the PSN version's avatar "creator".
Summary:
My wife, Em, bought this for Christmas. I had light interest in it, as a "fan" of UNO. However, I then realized UNO only translates to a good game if you play it with friends/family. As a solo game, unless you are *IN* love with UNO (in which you probably already bought it), don't bother with the game. It was between $5-$10, minus a penny. To buy it JUST for the trophies is a waste. Better games out there that you can enjoy getting the trophies in. Even for multiplayer, it is still missable. It's only saving grace from a D score is the fact that it can be fun with others.
Intro:
UNO. One of the more popular card games of my generation (probably the one prior as well). A game based on more luck than skill. If you don't know what UNO is, I will try to summarize it for you. The deck itself is comprised of cards in four colors and numbers 1-9. There are also special cards, such as Skip (which does just as it says, skips the next person), Reverse (flips the direction of play from clockwise to counter clockwise, or vice versa), Wild (can change the color of card at play), Draw Two (next person draws two cards, can't play), and Wild Draw Four (changes color to whatever the player wants, and next player draws four cards and skips turn). A card is set down, and you can either play that color or number. I think that sums it up, time to justify the score.
Pros:
It's UNO. It makes a great party game, and is easier to take care of than a deck of cards. I only had brief experiences with the online, but it worked. That's a plus for some of these smaller games. By going through the "Tournament" mode, you unlock new colors for background and decks. And it has trophies! But seriously, the strongest aspect of this game is probably just playing it with friends.
Cons:
It's UNO. Anyone that has played more than an hour of UNO with family and/or friends, has wanted to shove the deck of cards down their throat. As with most (if not all) card games, a lot of this game is luck. And I'm sorry, but I've kind of grown up to the point that if I am playing a video game, I don't want it to come down to luck.
Most of the trophies can't be won by playing local or online multiplayer, so you HAVE to play the Tournament mode in order to get a good chunk of the trophies. There are some online trophies, however, one in particular totally turned me off. "Get in the Top 50" on the online leaderboard. Eff that! That's some hardcore boosting! It might be top 100, don't quote me on the 50, but still. Leaderboard trophies, especially in a game of luck, are dumb.
No custom soundtracks. Really? It's UNO! Who really wants to listen to that poorly constructed music that Gameloft probably spent $5 on?
CRAPPY avatar'd selection. Wow. They should of just made a ninja, viking, pirate, and cheerleader. Would of saved them time and money, and us time from "creating" an avatar. I'm sure the 360 version, you can use your avatar, which would be 100x better than the PSN version's avatar "creator".
Summary:
My wife, Em, bought this for Christmas. I had light interest in it, as a "fan" of UNO. However, I then realized UNO only translates to a good game if you play it with friends/family. As a solo game, unless you are *IN* love with UNO (in which you probably already bought it), don't bother with the game. It was between $5-$10, minus a penny. To buy it JUST for the trophies is a waste. Better games out there that you can enjoy getting the trophies in. Even for multiplayer, it is still missable. It's only saving grace from a D score is the fact that it can be fun with others.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Review: Darksiders [PS3]
[Note: This is the format for future reviews. Score, Intro, Pros, Cons, Summary. If you wish to submit a review, please keep this in mind. I will post a note if this changes. DLC will be in the format of the SOCOM: Cold Front review. Also, I really wish I had the ability to take screenshots, but that will have to wait.]
Score: A-
Intro:
Have you ever played Zelda: Ocarina of Time on Nintendo 64? Have you ever played God of War on the Playstation 2? Imagine both of these games meet at a bar, and GoW ruffies Z:OoT, takes advantage of her, and gets her pregnant. This is the insane lovechild of that bar debacle. I heard someone say it's a mix of those games, and at first, I was like, "Eh, I'm only a minor fan of both those series', not a diehard fan, but I'll rent it." I pop this bad boy in, and at first, it's all GoW. But after a few hours, you start to notice the little things that are eventually building up to this beautiful marriage of styles. And then about halfway in, you stop comparing it to God of War all together. Instead, I started thinking of it as a Zelda:OoT with a more fleshed out combat system and on action-steriods.
In Darksiders, you play as War, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocolypse. As with a lot of games, you are powerful, but then stripped of your powers, and you are on a quest to destroy the Destroyer.
Pros:
NO QUICKTIME EVENTS! Anytime I hear "God of War like" I think QTE. I don't think about the mindnumbing, yet fun, brawling. I don't think of the story. I HATE QTE's. Very very much. In Darksiders, when you finally whittle that boss down to it's end, you run up and hit O. During the first few times, I kept expecting a QTE, but no, War does this bad ass kill sequence. Scene.
The God of War elements are easy to spot, you collect "souls" instead of the red orbs in GoW. The combo's are very similiar, except you have a sword. You do gain more weapons, like a Scythe for example, and can upgrade them as well. It is still very button mashy, but at the same time, it ditches the quick time events. Unlike GoW, when you go to open a stone door, you don't have to mash a button over and over. That's another thing I hate about GoW. But in the end, the theory is the same, but I dare say better executed. Granted GoW3 will blow minds with it's graphics, but I don't get off on fantastical graphics. I want solid gameplay, and if you want a solid GoW experiance, without the hassles that annoy me, this game will satisfy you.
The Zelda elements start to come into play a few hours in. The Citadel brought back so many memories from the Fire temple in OoT. This is where you get the "boomerang", a circular, bladed weapon. You hit the R3 button, and it comes in over-the-shoulder, and you can select up to five targets. It hits them in the order you target them. It's a nifty little gadget that makes puzzles feel right at home for a past OoT player. Some of the puzzles have you targeting a torch first to carry fire to an unlit bomb. While it seems miniscule to compare to Zelda, after about 5 hours, tell me you don't get that Zelda sense, even in level layout. I was reminicing so much, I started hearing Navi.
The story itself is well written, and enjoyable. I find it far more entertaining then I did GoW, and Zelda. It has a better plot, in my opinion, but I'm not saying either of those games fail at plot. And the enviroments are immense. While not open-world, it gives you the impression of Zelda, where you can go to past palces whenever you want, say, after you get the boomerang, to get to chests you couldn't get to before.
Cons:
This could completely be my controller as something has spilled in it, but when I try to jump at the edge of a cliff, he just walks right off. It doesn't happen often enough to complain about, and like I said, I don't know if it's the controller or just a problem with the game's perception of the ground and where you fall.
You can only skip some of the cut scenes. Example: One of the boss' talks smack (as usual) when you enter the area, you can skip that (thank God). The boss flies around for about 10 seconds before you can move. Granted, I am talking about 10 seconds, but if I JUST died there, and am retrying it, don't you think making me watch them fly in a half circle is enough? Why can I not hit X like I did with the last little scene and skip it? This happens more often than not, and is just plain annoying. Not to mention, some of the cut scenes can't be paused, which is horrible when the oven timer is beeping.
Voice acting is always touchy in a game for me, as I generally find it horribly done. Some games pay the big bucks, and spend more time on it, which always show. However, I think the voice acting in Darksiders was overall poorly done. In that case, I tend to read subtitles more often than not, so I was saved in that department at least.
No custom soundtracks. Yeah, that will be pointed out to every game that lacks them. GET ON THE ****ING BALL PEOPLE!!! It would be AWESOME to be rampaging it up to some Five Finger Death Punch, or A Life Once Lost. AWESOME I say!
Summary:
This game exceeded my expectations. I knew what it was, but it delivered a level above. Rent or buy? Simply put, if you are a fan of both genres, you might as well save the money and just go buy it. If you liked Zelda:OoT, and not just because it was a Zelda game, go buy it. Personally, I like it more than Zelda:OoT, as I enjoy the setting and story more. As I've said, though, I'm also not a huge Zelda fan.
In conclusion, this game has puzzles, makes you think, and has a pretty nice combat system. What could makes this game an A+? Not really sure. Probably just more originality, though I really didn't mind the Z:OoT flavor. Simply put, go buy it.
-Sobær
Score: A-
Intro:
Have you ever played Zelda: Ocarina of Time on Nintendo 64? Have you ever played God of War on the Playstation 2? Imagine both of these games meet at a bar, and GoW ruffies Z:OoT, takes advantage of her, and gets her pregnant. This is the insane lovechild of that bar debacle. I heard someone say it's a mix of those games, and at first, I was like, "Eh, I'm only a minor fan of both those series', not a diehard fan, but I'll rent it." I pop this bad boy in, and at first, it's all GoW. But after a few hours, you start to notice the little things that are eventually building up to this beautiful marriage of styles. And then about halfway in, you stop comparing it to God of War all together. Instead, I started thinking of it as a Zelda:OoT with a more fleshed out combat system and on action-steriods.
In Darksiders, you play as War, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocolypse. As with a lot of games, you are powerful, but then stripped of your powers, and you are on a quest to destroy the Destroyer.
Pros:
NO QUICKTIME EVENTS! Anytime I hear "God of War like" I think QTE. I don't think about the mindnumbing, yet fun, brawling. I don't think of the story. I HATE QTE's. Very very much. In Darksiders, when you finally whittle that boss down to it's end, you run up and hit O. During the first few times, I kept expecting a QTE, but no, War does this bad ass kill sequence. Scene.
The God of War elements are easy to spot, you collect "souls" instead of the red orbs in GoW. The combo's are very similiar, except you have a sword. You do gain more weapons, like a Scythe for example, and can upgrade them as well. It is still very button mashy, but at the same time, it ditches the quick time events. Unlike GoW, when you go to open a stone door, you don't have to mash a button over and over. That's another thing I hate about GoW. But in the end, the theory is the same, but I dare say better executed. Granted GoW3 will blow minds with it's graphics, but I don't get off on fantastical graphics. I want solid gameplay, and if you want a solid GoW experiance, without the hassles that annoy me, this game will satisfy you.
The Zelda elements start to come into play a few hours in. The Citadel brought back so many memories from the Fire temple in OoT. This is where you get the "boomerang", a circular, bladed weapon. You hit the R3 button, and it comes in over-the-shoulder, and you can select up to five targets. It hits them in the order you target them. It's a nifty little gadget that makes puzzles feel right at home for a past OoT player. Some of the puzzles have you targeting a torch first to carry fire to an unlit bomb. While it seems miniscule to compare to Zelda, after about 5 hours, tell me you don't get that Zelda sense, even in level layout. I was reminicing so much, I started hearing Navi.
The story itself is well written, and enjoyable. I find it far more entertaining then I did GoW, and Zelda. It has a better plot, in my opinion, but I'm not saying either of those games fail at plot. And the enviroments are immense. While not open-world, it gives you the impression of Zelda, where you can go to past palces whenever you want, say, after you get the boomerang, to get to chests you couldn't get to before.
Cons:
This could completely be my controller as something has spilled in it, but when I try to jump at the edge of a cliff, he just walks right off. It doesn't happen often enough to complain about, and like I said, I don't know if it's the controller or just a problem with the game's perception of the ground and where you fall.
You can only skip some of the cut scenes. Example: One of the boss' talks smack (as usual) when you enter the area, you can skip that (thank God). The boss flies around for about 10 seconds before you can move. Granted, I am talking about 10 seconds, but if I JUST died there, and am retrying it, don't you think making me watch them fly in a half circle is enough? Why can I not hit X like I did with the last little scene and skip it? This happens more often than not, and is just plain annoying. Not to mention, some of the cut scenes can't be paused, which is horrible when the oven timer is beeping.
Voice acting is always touchy in a game for me, as I generally find it horribly done. Some games pay the big bucks, and spend more time on it, which always show. However, I think the voice acting in Darksiders was overall poorly done. In that case, I tend to read subtitles more often than not, so I was saved in that department at least.
No custom soundtracks. Yeah, that will be pointed out to every game that lacks them. GET ON THE ****ING BALL PEOPLE!!! It would be AWESOME to be rampaging it up to some Five Finger Death Punch, or A Life Once Lost. AWESOME I say!
Summary:
This game exceeded my expectations. I knew what it was, but it delivered a level above. Rent or buy? Simply put, if you are a fan of both genres, you might as well save the money and just go buy it. If you liked Zelda:OoT, and not just because it was a Zelda game, go buy it. Personally, I like it more than Zelda:OoT, as I enjoy the setting and story more. As I've said, though, I'm also not a huge Zelda fan.
In conclusion, this game has puzzles, makes you think, and has a pretty nice combat system. What could makes this game an A+? Not really sure. Probably just more originality, though I really didn't mind the Z:OoT flavor. Simply put, go buy it.
-Sobær
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