Actualized Pixels

Chasing Shadows.

2011-12-06T05:34:00.000-08:00

It's the beginning of the end, and I'm standing in front of the door that will change everything. The once clear sky is dark, having been torn with piercing shafts of light symbolic of my crime, and an unknown power is ravaging my body, having deteriorated my appearance to one more resembling a specter than a person.

I have physically and mentally endured radical changes to get here.

It's practically at the end of Shadow of the Colossus, and the temple I'm praying at to save is letting me know so. The path to the final colossi lies just at the end of a nearby gulf, and with an armageddon of my own machinations at hand, I can't stop thinking about the temple itself. There were many marking the land as far as I could recall, yet my map had only revealed five. Had my tunnel vison blinded me to the majority, dedicated as I was to my cause? Whatever the reason, the grip augmenting lizards and opportunities to save weren't a bad catch for finding one either, so with the end in sight and nothing to lose, off I went to find more.

With 15 down and one to go, I stared to explore.

In searching for more of these temples, I rediscovered just how rich the world was.

It amazed me once more that so much could be done with so little, and like the best details, that so much could be achieved in their subtlety.

Temples with a consistency of design suggesting one religion instead of several.

Ruins of castles far too large for any human, but too small for the gods that inhabit the land, bringing to question the physicality of the people and the role they played.

Underground networks and catacombs that reveal their enterances in mountainsides, a mixture of manmade and natural formations that perhaps suggest an evolution of sorts, giving the area centuries of prospective history.

But how much of this is true, or could be true? That's the brilliance.

The world itself is so without explanation, that as a player and active participant, your actions define the tale moving forward. But at the same time, there's a history to this land. A past that predates your existence. A lore that extends beyond what the developer refuses to tell you with finality, and instead has to exist in your imagination because of this stubborn fact.

In my opinion,this makes the land in Shadow one of the richest game worlds ever conceived. It's wholly minimalist,yet rich presentation contributes to this in a way that being as detailed as say, Grand Theft Auto 4 could never muster. Why? Unlike other games that tell you where there world begins and ends, here, it's only as vast as you can imagine. You can see how expansive the land is , but how much so is left to your sense of exploration. You get evidence of society having existed, but are given unspecific details towards this. This provides a template for conclusion that any player can come to no matter what their train of thought, and it means the unspecific details can flourish and be satisfying safely within the bubble of your own logic.

Reading the many conclusions players have come to regarding this more than speaks for itself.

We tend to define our game worlds by how well they carry off their sense of time and place, how when done just right it truly is like a living and breathing thing as much as the characters themselves. This usually translates in the number of NPCs you interact with, or how many towns and cities you can cram into one worldmap. A large number of sidequests, cutscenes and items to retrieve, each another breadcrumb towards a complete feeling world. These games are usually 30-40 hours long.

Shadow of the Colossus takes around 8.

I'd forgotten just how much this game had done with so little.

6 resets later..

2011-12-02T05:35:00.001-08:00

....Yeah. I'm not playing Infinity Blade 2 on my original iPad.Good god, man.

Treading (Un)Charted Waters..

2011-11-28T16:01:00.001-08:00

It's funny, before Uncharted 3 released, I sat around listening to my friends yell and prophesize about the return of the greatest game ever. I can't exactly blame them. Starting with the first and coming together in an unprecedentedly brilliant way for the second game, Uncharted deserves all the acclaim it gets, and then some, both as a technical showpiece for the Playstation 3 architecture and as a benchmark for the modern action/adventure game. So when everyone sat around getting high off the fumes of the early expected 9 and 10 reviews, I sat very calmly, of course much to their dismay that I wasn't openly receiving the same kool-aid pearl necklace as other reviewers.

It's because I know the third can't match the second one. You can only have an emergent genesis in one game, then it's up to the developer to keep the bar raised for the rest of the series. Its what defined Gears of War in the second, Splinter Cell in the third, the first Devil May Cry.. and so on. So with the comfortable realization that I wouldn't be blown away like the second, but instead pleasantly surprised at the refinement of tricks from the second, I eventually picked it up.

And..

It is awesome, but something felt...off. The game is a massive spectacle filled with jaw dropping moments, but something nagged. Considering what I'm playing, it was easy enough to ignore however.

It wasn't until my girlfriend and I were joking around about ol' Nate's inability to brush his teeth without something going terribly awry (leading to the room collapsing) that I subtly acknowledged something, but kept it in my pocket.That something has been digging at me a bit, amazing as the game is.

I was going to write about this feeling.Someone beat me to it. Check it out, because word-for-word, it robbed me of an editorial. This is exactly how I feel about the game. It raises a very good point.

Fair warning: If you are halfway or less through the game or don't want to have your opinion muddled with before you can form one, I suggest you don't read.

Counterpoint: Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (Destructoid)

2 Thanksgivings later..

2011-11-24T12:14:00.001-08:00

Yep.

Happy Thanksgiving!

(Black) Boxed In.

2011-11-17T03:16:00.001-08:00

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit redefined the franchise from the moment of its release. The action was fast, furious, and brought back the cat-and-mouse gameplay the series was originally known for, after having spent the past few years as a surrogate Fast and the Furious game. Being able to step behind the wheel of either a cop or racer was a great twist, and the sheer variety of events kept things interesting with nary a need for a cutscene. With series-new developer Criterion at the helm, the visuals and control had also never been tighter. It also introduced Autolog, a persistent leaderboard system that inspired replay value through competition, and was such a success that it became a series staple from that moment. Whether intentionally or no, it served to trim the fat that mainstay developer Black Box had acquired over the years, and made NFS exciting again.

With this new game, you can imagine the pressure was on. Essentially, Black Box has two things to prove: That they can create a next-gen NFS game from the ground up, and that they can keep up with where the series has been during their absence.

I'll start by saying what the screenshots already do--Need For Speed:The Run is a very nice looking game. Battlefield 3’s Frostbite 2 engine is pushing some very large, detailed courses here, and the strange choice in engine is made all the more obvious when they start to come apart at the seams. Taking a page from Motorstorm: Apocalypse, what was a tricky slalom run can quickly turn into a race against the elements as an avalanche threateningly obscures your vision and litters the road with chunks of debris mid-race. Volcanic eruptions rattle the screen without warning, and impromptu earthquakes split the ground, creating makeshift ramps and barriers to be dodged. Forcing players to adapt on the fly is one way to shake up the formula and keep things new, but this focus on mayhem serves an even better purpose. It adds a layer of tension unheard of in a NFSgame, where the uncertainty of what may happen around you is at odds with your ability to finish the race in good standing. It's a rush.

..Or it would be more of one had Black Box not fouled up the controls.

(Quick history: When Criterion took the reins, they used their experience with Burnout and made a solid driving model that had the speed and precision of an arcade racer, but with the weight and inertia a longtime Need For Speed fan would recognize. The result was a control scheme that complimented the game’s sense of speed perfectly, and is apparently one of the most responsive games in existence as insinuated by DigitalFoundry during their tech analysis.)

Going back to NFS: The Run after Hot Pursuit almost feels like a time machine. The cars have a strange weight to them, feeling too light on straights and too heavy on turns. Turning feels like doing so with a rudder instead of a steering wheel, and handbrake is unreliable, as using it seems to do more harm than good. Even driving at a high speed felt twitchy and unwieldy, something that shouldn’t be in a game where your base vehicle is a low level supercar. I thought it had been because I hadn’t played in a while, but a quick return to Hot Pursuit confirmed it – they may have brought other aspects of the series up to par, but the driving feels like a step back. The many crushed guardrails and flattened vehicles I had to endure during races had me calling the game Need for Speed: The Boat Run under my breath. Suddenly, the new rewind feature seemed less like a caveat for the more questionably scripted hazards and more like an apology for the busted control.

Considering that it was Hot Pursuit’s superb control that brought this to light, I took another step, thought about the past year in terms of NFS, and came to another realization. I think Black Box needs as well if they haven't already. The series is evolving. Not just in providing better excuses to lead foot it arcade style, but in indulging both the realistic and over the top aspects of race culture, as evidenced by companion series like Shift and World. This increased scope means Need For Speed is a franchise with more than one active developer now, but that doesn't come without a catch. Critically, this means any new titles moving forward will be acknowledged not by sequel number, but by the pedigree of the team in charge of the latest installment and what they've brought to the table. It’s always the silent implication in situations like this, and how we as gamers treat any series with a split creator base.

This control issue wasn’t game breaking, but it was enough to cast Black Box's return in a negative light. I’m glad that they've taken all the appropriate visual cues from some of the more exciting racers this year. I’m all for the proliferation of Autolog, and I welcome the return to over-the-top theatrics, but it’s all for naught if they aren’t truly ready to keep the bar of quality as high as their contemporaries. We’ve been at this ascent for three games in a row. Slightly Mad Studios brought the in-car sensation of speed to new heights with Shift, Hot Pursuit brought Autolog, and Shift 2 Unleashed brought it all together in addition to pack racing and a broader career. While apocalyptic spectacle is the one feature I want to assign for this latest installment, It's a bit of a bitter pill if it feels like Black Box hasn't updated their racing model since Undercover.

No matter the innovations, it just takes one flaw to render them all irrelevant in memory, and open the floodgates for harsher scrutiny. Almost seamlessly, your game can go from having a sick narrow train escape, to a question as to why there’s a QTE in the middle of your race.

Then credibility falters as you begin to question what really was added to the experience.

Honestly, I’m already thinking of this title as the cool looking one where they improved everything but the driving.

Am I being mean? Perhaps not.

Black Box taking a vacation was for the good of the series and their team, but the home they've come back to is not the one they left. Colleagues have been improving their game while they weren’t looking, and expectations with each release are much higher. NFS: The Run doesn't meet them entirely, but it at least shows that while they have good intentions to keep NFS relevant on an intense level, they're still somewhat stuck in the past. Let’s hope they can keep up, lest a Treyarch/Infinity Ward style split of public design opinion happens at EA, and we start subconsciously marking their titles as the “inferior” ones.

Stiff Competition

2011-11-10T09:26:00.000-08:00

"No one can get immersed in a game standing up...except maybe the guards at Buckingham Palace."

I'm admittedly more enamored with my Kinect than I care to admit, but seeing the opinion of another who ISN'T viewing it through a rose tinted Dance Central lens is always fun. Who better than Yahtzee Croshaw?

There's also an extra blog from him calledExtra Punctuation. Do give it a click just to spice things up, and make you feel even more silly for your flailing, motion controlled ways.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to finish that Dance Central 2 review..

Source: Zero Punctuation

20 years later...

2011-11-07T07:32:00.001-08:00

....*record scratches*

"Now, Darkness, the tables have turned.."

Rick James themed playthroughs are (I'm certain.) one of the many ways fans of the original Infinity Blade are keeping occupied as they await another update to what may very well be one of the best iOS games of all time. After all, the game's blend of highly detailed graphics and addictive RPG-styled gameplay would've been something on a console. The fact that it's on a smartphone makes it all the more outstanding, and raises the bar considerably high for a second installment, said to be a flagship title for Apple's new device.

But with an announcement date so close to the release, details have been a bit slim.

Slide to Play has a great Q and A with Donald Mustard, the creative director of Chair Entertainment, talking about just that and more. Along with the trailer we all know and love, there is also some great insight to be had about the sequel, slated to release December 1st. Aside from being ~~a compelling~~ the best reason to upgrade to an iPhone 4s (no Siri, god rays. I'm just saying.) much of the game is still a mystery, but details involving persistent, evolving worlds, story details, and a range of other improvements are discussed in deliciously vague detail.

If you aren't a fan of Infinity Blade yet, here is a great place to start.

Get addicted :)

Call of Battlefield: Modern Bore

2011-11-01T18:52:00.001-07:00

With the release of Battlefield 3 already upon us and having time to settle, I am not filled with feelings of excitement, nor hatred. I cant really identify with any kind of feeling in particular aside from exasperation. Not at the fact that I've gotten military shooter this year as a part of this 2011 FPS gauntlet we've been running but at the fact that man, does it look a lot like Call of Duty campaign wise.

I'm not the only one who thinks so.

In fact, it's such a strange shift in focus for a game that has stuck to its guns as long as Battlefield, the reactions are almost unanimous: in stark contrast to the multiplayer portion, it doesn't feel or play anything like a Battlefield game.

Eurogamer reports that "EA has constructed a package that echoes its rival in so many ways it's downright eerie."

IGN describes the gulf in quality between the single and multiplayer modes as the game suffering an "identity crisis"

Destructoid says "If you're a fan of single-player games, there's nothing for you here."

I hope it's starting to sink in. The race for every military shooter to capture that Call of Duty "magic" is a fruitless one that continues to ensure that all our military FPS stories will have the same interchangeable, hollow campaigns lacking in substance.

Call of Duty hasn't been an action packed history lesson for years, but they wisely ditched the format when WW2 was thoroughly mined. Changing the scope of the series from that to one more loosely based in our current events was a wise move on a creative and gameplay front, and gave them legs for something new. That something new worked in the original Modern Warfare But their success has literally become a blueprint for the modern FPS. If they are the trailblazers, people will start following their cues for a taste of their success, and oh are they.

(If you can't tell which game this is at first glance, something's wrong)

Wait for NPC B to kick in door A, terrorists pop up like cardboard cutouts, shoot, repeat until set-piece activates. While I appreciate EA going for Infinity Ward's throat, they may have gone about it the wrong way by following what has become the lowest common denominator blueprint of FPS design. Since Modern Warfare 2, short, linear military rollercoaster rides with a heavy focus on multiplayer has been the consensus. The difference however between every other game adopting these bullet points and Call of Duty embracing them, is the fact that their multiplayer is so popular and nuanced that they can AFFORD to let the campaign deteriorate into this.

EVERYONE ELSE DOES NOT HAVE THAT CUSHION. While I don't mind CoD jumping a multiplayer shark, everyone is attempting similar leaps now, and unsuccessfully at that. This means we have a bevy of failed attempts at this same slanted, rigid campaign/multiplayer focus instead of memorable, lasting experiences from franchises old and new. It means new creative ideas are being ditched, or compromised, or outright rejected for what works, like their method. It means a loss of identity. It means becoming a statistic.

It also means being forgotten while the major players who did get it right burn the genre to shreds by trying to reproduce their apex until they no longer can. The ones getting it wrong drive the nails further into the coffin.

I suppose the point I'm trying to make is, I'd rather watch Call of Duty topple under its own weight, with it's own flaws, without dragging an entire genre down with it.

There's still an opportunity to craft a story in a military shooter that can resonate viscerally because unlike shooting candy colored aliens, the threat of what's presented here is more personally identifiable, if not always completely plausible. There's a chance to create an exciting, tactical gauntlet that can test more than a player's ability to aim down the sights. Elements like visuals, score, and an intensity of events that simply can't be matched anywhere but in first-person because without an avatar to view constantly, immersion increases exponentially. Imagine all of this paced with intent, having a clear start and finish. Having the ability to stir and evoke emotions in players, and knowing they have been challenged by development team clever enough to do so is a power they are forgetting they have. Regardless of the success of their individual approaches, at least that's exactly what they are, individual, and not yet another attempt to recreate another badass soldiering montage.

More Saving Private Ryan, less Pearl Harbor, moving forward please.

I'm speaking not just to DICE, but the rest of the developers on that one. If CoD has given up on campaign, that's the competition's space to make it better, and innovate. Not follow them mercilessly into the increasingly bleak and derivative popcorn hot-dog-on-a-string campaigns awash in brown hues, foreign countries and explosions. The time for distinction is now, while Battlefield 3 paints a by-the-numbers approach to this as a noticeable problem. I understand the nature of business first, but this is how you beat the competition.

Otherwise, soon you all won't have a genre to compete in.

Dance Central 2 Demo + Full Tracklist Reveal!

2011-10-19T13:58:00.001-07:00

Harmonix, the masters of all things rhythm action on this side of the pond (my words) has finally put out a demo for their highly anticipated title, Dance Central 2! This comes hot on the heels of their last announcement, which revealed the final tracks in the game's 44 song setlist (detailed below). Combine that number with the songs from the original game, and between the on disc and DLC content, prospective rump shakers will have over 100 tracks to dance to on October 25th.

The demo brings with it a few new features: The game's all-new simultaneous Dance Battle mode, which is exactly what it sounds, pitting two players in a simultaneous competition for points, and the revamped Break It Down tutorial, which gives players even greater control over learning the routines with new rewind/slow options. There are also subtle improvements brought to the core dancing mode, which an also be explored in a solo session.

“Club Can't Handle Me” by Flo Rida ft. David Guerra, and “Bulletproof” by La Roux are the two songs on the plate for this preview, and while at the time of writing I was only able to try out the former, I have to say, the body tracking and seamless way each move segues into each other to form a routine has been tightened up considerably, along with the more detailed and fantastic animations backing it all. I really didn't think Dance Central could look any better than the previous one, but they've really done it again, using their unique art style to the max via animation and subtleties in the most personable way I've seen since The Beatles Rock Band.

I've posted the full track list below for those interested in order of their difficulty tier, but I really have only one question: Who is going to join me for some Haddaway come Tuesday?

No seriously. Bring a suit.

Dance Central 2 Tracklist

Sandstorm – Darude
Mai Ai Hee (Dragostea Din Tea) – O-Zone
Reach – Atlantic Connection And Armanni Reign
Real Love – Mary J. Blige

Venus – Bananarama
Bulletproof – La Roux
Turn Me On – Kevin Lyttle
Last Night – P. Diddy feat. Keyshia Cole
The Humpty Dance – Digital Underground
Impacto (Remix) – Daddy Yankee feat. Fergie
This Is How We Do It – Montell Jordan
The Breaks – Kurtis Blow

Hot Stuff – Donna Summer
Body to Body – Electric Valentine
Fire Burning – Sean Kingston
You’re A Jerk – New Boyz
Oops (Oh My) – Tweet feat. Missy Elliot
Right Thurr – Chingy
Rude Boy – Rihanna
Nothin’ On You – B.O.B feat. Bruno Mars
Club Can’t Handle Me – Flo Rida feat. David Guetta
I Like It – Enrique Iglesias feat. Pitbull

Massive Attack – Nikki Minaj feat. Sean Garrett
My Prerogative – Bobby Brown
Grenade – Bruno Mars
I Wish For You – Exile
Meddle – Little Boots
Goodies – Ciara

Born This Way – Lady Gaga
Whip My Hair – Willow Smith
Conceited (There’s Something About Remy) – Remy Ma
What Is Love? – Haddaway
Like A G6 – Far East Movement
Yeah! – Usher feat. Lil’ Jon & Ludacris
Bad Romance – Lady Gaga
DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love – Usher feat. Pitbull

Run (Natural Disaster) – Gnarls Barkley
Baby Got Back (Mix Mix) – Sir Mix-A-Lot
Technologic – Daft Punk
Somebody To Love – Justin Bieber

Satellite – Lena
Get Ur Freak On – Missy Elliot
Toxic – As made famous by Britney Spears
Sexy Chick – David Guetta feat. Akon

Reverse Psychology

2011-08-24T00:07:00.000-07:00

I think I hated this last year. Couldn't accept it for the world. Now, I'm seeing things.

I see a very twisted, mcabre visual style. I see some inspired enemy design. I see dynamically morphing environments and an impressive sense of scale. I see a battle system that looks, surprisingly like DMC1, but with an added level of flourish. It looks cool, it looks sharp...it does look like Devil May Cry.

Honestly, it looks a lot like Devil May Cry 2 visually, but without the suck.

I'm inclined...to turn an eye to this. Not a blind eye, but one wide open, and accepting of change. I still don't like the way he looks, but it isn't nearly as distracting as it was last year.

I do like this video. It's making me smile.

Once again proving that really, gamers have no conviction, and that if it looks cool enough, eventually, despite our dissent, we will crack in the name of the game.

Cool artwork, too.

Damnit.

Ninjas hiding from the truth.

2011-08-23T22:19:00.001-07:00

Ninja Gaiden 3 is in development, and it's no secret to avid followers that this will be the first NG title to be an completely original development not based on a previous work. Though the action looked serviceable enough, and violent enough to satisfy, something seemed to be missing. Specifically, an over-the-top amount of violent payoff to match the on-screen action. When asked about whether they would be returning to the all too famous decapitations and dismemberment characteristic to the Ninja Gaiden series since its reboot back in 2004, This is what Team Ninja had to say about the matter:

"We don't think people want to see that anymore," they were reported as saying at Gamescom last week. "They've already seen it."

Yeah right.

More like "We aren't talented enough to have a full dismemberment system in place on both consoles."

I'm seeing a pattern here. To this writer, it seems like excuses wrapped not in good intent, but in their own shortcomings as a developer, especially with their notoriously abrasive, yet perfectionistic leader gone. Let me explain.

Tech savvy gamers know for a fact that the 360 has a higher fill rate than the PS3. In terms everyone can understand, this means it has an ability to display more polygons on screen at any given time. In terms of Ninja Gaiden, specifically it's sequel, it meant they were able to have a fantastic gore/dismemberment system in place that even occasionally compromised the game's otherwise rock solid framerate, slowing things down when there were simply too many bits and pieces flying about.

It's my theory that this system, one that bogged down the 360 at times, was just about impossible to port over to the PS3. While it's a trial indeed to port over (and in some cases, upgrade) the vast majority of the game's assets intact, that wasn't the difficult part. The most difficult part would be getting that gore under control on the PS3...and they couldn't. They dropped the ball, and gave an excuse.

“Each game has its own concept and with Ninja Gaiden 2, the focus was on extreme violence. But with Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, we really questioned whether violence is a necessity for a game, so we decided to move away from that trend. So the violence ‘approach’ is not the way we approached the development of Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2. Being able to unlock higher levels of gore would be out of kilter with the concept of the game.”

Motion controlled breasts were not, however.

Remarkably similar, no? The quality of Team Ninja's games have been in decline ever since Itagaki left, and Yuusuke Hayashi keeps proving time and time again that he cannot uphold that standard since his departure, instead masking his shortcomings in tired excuses like this. I heard nothing of this in the original Ninja Gaiden port, which had the decapitations intact and took the time to improve visually...but the source material was from the last generation of hardware. The second game takes advantage of a specific next gen hardware advantage and has that specific feature cut. The third game is multiplatform out of the gate and has every aspect cut. That can't be coincidence.

The funny thing is, while he may be fooling anyone else blind enough to accept that tripe, this was all to familiar to the MGS2 debacle on the Xbox, one that is all too familiar.

Last generation, a perfect example of this was Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance on the original Xbox. Being a port of the original MGS2: Sons of Liberty on the PS2, the game was specifically designed to take advantage of the system's strengths, most notably the console's fill rate to create the still amazing to this day rainstorm in the tanker chapter. When this game was ported to the Xbox, the textures were better, the sound was better, and overall the game had a much cleaner look. However, the rainstorm was a bit too much for the system's architecture (particles, natch), and what was a perfectly smooth experience on the PS2 turned into a slow motion spectacle worthy of Zack Snyder on the Xbox, turning every scene outside the ship into a slideshow. Was it the Xbox's fault? No, it was more Kojima Productions' doing by not optimizing the game on different hardware, deciding that it would be easier to just dump it on the Xbox intact and let the chips fall where they may.

This is exactly what I feel is going on here, except instead of leaving the original game concept intact come hell or high water, they're instead omitting aspects of the game, leaving the fans to stare and shake their heads in bewilderment every time a new statement like that comes out. Yes, Ninja Gaiden is a great action game, but part of that enoyment comes from the visceral action, and yes, later on, the absurd amount of gore that came as a result. Omitting those aspects (using us as an excuse no less) is only going to hurt them in the long run, because as far as I can see, the God of War series is still going pretty strong, and Kratos has never run into an enemy face unworthy of evisceration. Imagine if Sony Santa Monica said they were cutting the gore from the PSP version of God of War, stating that it was time to tell a more "mature" tale for a different audience unfamiliar with Kratos. You'd think they were full of shit, right?

Exactly.

Groove Coasting

2011-08-23T19:27:00.000-07:00

Few games have inspired a state of wonder and excitement in me the way Groove Coaster has.

Reisuke Ishida, creator of Space Invaders: Infinity Gene is back. Already having reinvented the classic shooter for a new generation, he’s got his sights on a new genre—rhythm action. Sometimes, it’s the simplest things that resonate the most, and if a Tron-esque visual style, married with an uptempo soundtrack and evolutionary gameplay could work for the most basic of shooters, could the same treatment be used to revive the rarely changing rhythm landscape?

Groove Coaster
For: iOS 4.2 (iPhone, iPad, iPad 2, iPod Touch)
Publisher: Taito corp.
Price: $2.99
Release: 7/28/2011 (North America)

The premise is simple, your avatar follows a line from start to finish, and along the way, there are dots along the way that you have to tap in rhythm to the song being played. When you’re successful, the instrument in question rings out and the song sounds better, miss one, and the instrument sounds muted. However, to offer such a plain explanation would be selling the experience short, as the game expands from simple taps, to holds, to all out swiping gestures at higher difficulties, and the lines themselves change depending on the song played, veering off in strange angles and wrapping around itself in tune with the song. It’s surreal and exciting all at once.

This is exactly where Groove Coaster shines. One conundrum of rhythm games is that no matter how great the music is, most offer up the same interface and visual feedback no matter the song being played, leaving the difficulty to be the only distinction between tracks. Here, I can’t say the same thing. Each visualization here not only is unique to the song being played, but are also so distinct, each song feels like its own experience, and it’s one related to the song being played in a more intimate fashion. So where a techno song is filled with harsh lines and curves that veer off at ninety degree angles to the beat, a jazzier song is filled with softer curves and a slower pace that feels more akin to travelling on a wave of sound. The decision to use wireframe visuals was a wise one, and one that’s easy to appreciate especially as the game starts playing tricks with depth and other effects to obscure notes.

For the diehards or rhythm aficionados, there’s a leveling system in place that unlocks new skins, avatars and items, which serve as modifiers for each track affecting things like the visuals, just in case you need the visuals even more trippy than they already are, or how you accumulate score. Having Game Center, Leaderboards for each song are also a must, and there are plenty of reasons to return to each song, not that anyone would complain about the 16 already on display. All this and I haven’t even mentioned the in-game store with extra tracks, avatars and items to buy…

Groove Coaster is something special. Not just because of the visuals, or the excellent music, or the ingenious touch-screen gameplay, but rather, how all three manage to come together in a way that would make Tetsuya Mizuguchi lose sleep at night. It’s an innovative, engaging ride of sights and sounds that filled me with a feeling of excitement I haven’t felt since playing the original Rez on the PS2 nearly a decade ago. Long story short, if you have a pulse at all, you’ll find something to enjoy here. Is there a higher recommendation than that?

Rating: 9.5

You don't say.

2011-07-29T11:44:00.001-07:00

So the 3DS price drops....and it's a move I didn't see coming.

Cue a raised fist to the sky, scream of anguish..

$169.99, eh? I REALLY didn't see this happening.

Really, none of us did. It's not like the system launched with a paltry lineup (even for a standard issue dry launch), no online shop or internet functionality, and a console comparable price tag that (m)any a reasonable person would see as a barrier for entry. Yes, Nintendo magic (read:gimmickry) be damned,there were plenty of reasons not to take the plunge.

...Unless you're me.

The sting of being an early adopter is strong with this one.

Oh, what's that, Nintendo? You don't want us to feel betrayed? Well excuse me. Perhaps, instead of trolling us all by releasing a console that clearly wasn't ready, with no killer app in sight wasn't such a good idea. Perhaps promising the fans a hardcore resurgence in the form of this handheld wasn't the best idea.

Perhaps the price wasn't such a good idea. At $249.99, it's a console $50 more expensive than a 360, $100 more than a Wii, and with an extra $50, hell, you can get a PS3. Smartphones, iPod Touches, need I say anymore? Who in their heart of hearts thought it was a good idea to sell us a portable Gamecube for that much money? Someone clearly trying to cut a profit, that's who. I understand that after reselling us a Gamecube with motion control 5 years ago, bucking the trend of early hardware losses became a new motto for the company, but perhaps you should've planned better before you expected lightning to strike twice.

Then again, we would've perhaps settled into the price point of a portable Gamecube with 3D if the Playstation Vita hadn't quintupled its power, stole the functionality of your forthcoming console, and threatened its fighting chance by releasing at the exact same price point. Somehow, buying a console you know is coasting on old technology with a selectively usable gimmick is less appealing than a portable Playstation 3 when they're THE SAME PRICE...

So I can see the impetus. I can also see the logic

This is a much better price point. It's affordable. It's not much more than a regular DSi, and less than a Vita. It'll make cautious adopters take the leap, now that the console is getting some decent software in. It feels more like a complete system now, with the E-shop, Internet Browser, Netflix, and Nintendo Video in place. Now the 3DS is here.

But can you convince early adopters that they participated in nothing but a very costly beta?
Can you shake the insinuation that comes with the price drop? You know, the one that the system really wasn't ready after all, and that the price really was too high?

Doubtful. I know I feel a bit stupid, and a little betrayed that at 4 months, this is possibly the fastest markdown for a console I've ever seen, but I know Nintendo is scared. Possibly, a drop was planned for the holidays, but the Vita is too much of a looming threat for the same price. The DS is still outselling the 3DS, and that's something scary when you're trying to get consumers to move on before the technology gap becomes too great. So I understand.

Bugs the hell out of me..

But we'll forget soon enough. Gamers have no lasting conviction, especially Nintendo fans, and will eventually crack. It's just the way things are. Good move, Nintendo, but bad form.

Hiatus.

2011-07-26T18:52:00.001-07:00

I've taken a month off. Have I run out of things to say? Nay. It's rather slow this time of year..

Or that could be an excuse. Has my brain run out of steam? Perhaps not. I've just been gaming like you wouldn't believe. Dedicated a portion of my brain to Mortal Kombat, made my way through a 3D Zelda, watched my girlfriend get her 1947 on via L.A. Noire, saved the world (twice) in Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon, hell, I even tied up loose ends Child of Eden and Shadows of the Damned, both of which performed terribly at retail..

;(

It's been quite a June. But a very depressing month for the industry, this has been. So I went into exile for a bit and covered my tracks. Have to be ready for this fall. These fingertips are moving.

After all, Bobby Kotick did just say something not too long ago about the high price of innovation... *snicker*

Oh yeah. I'm not done yet.

Blind Fury

2011-06-27T11:19:00.000-07:00

There aren't too many words that can describe what's going on here aside from "SHEER MADNESS" or "VOODOO" (my fanboyish linguistic shortcomings, not yours), but the fact of the matter is, Netherrealm Studios is keeping good with their promises in a way that many studios wish they were (coughCapcomcough), and the next DLC character in the form of Kenshi is on his way next week, July 5th.

My friends are on notice.

So are you.

The 'Tude is....back?

2011-06-23T21:26:00.001-07:00

See that? Depending on what Sonic fan you ask, THAT is the real Sonic. A huge head, a bit of pudge, and that know-it-all grin.

It’s Sonic’s 20th Anniversary, and even though the years have not been kind to the blue blur, with Sonic Generations, something just feels different. There are no gimmicky characters, No terrible butt-rock. No nonsense plots, and for the duration of this demo featuring Classic Sonic, no terrible camera work or questionable 3D gameplay. Just you, Sonic, and what the Green Hill Zone would’ve looked like had the game released in this day and age, with the technology available, the demo seems to promise as it’s booting up.

It truly has never looked better.

It’s quite breathtaking, to be honest. Similar to the way Street Fighter IV brought its classic characters to life, The Green Hill Zone practically jumps from the screen with meticulous detail. Lush, volumetric grass sprouting from the ground, rolling waterfalls, and a background that’s filled with similar areas to the one you’re exploring. It’s literally like staring into a panorama of several Green Hill Zones, and it goes a long way into making the area feel more alive. Enemies have received a similar overhaul, being distinctive and well animated, though occasionally they can get lost in the hustle and bustle of the backgrounds.

Strangely yet not offensively so, everything has a larger-than-life effect similar to Sonic Adventure 2’s reimagining of the level, but it’s once again in the stage’s favor, as the drastically pulled back camera does much to showcase all the extra details on display as well as set the stage for some fun camera work. For example, even though the game remains fixed on a 2D plane, everything looks feels three dimensional, with platforms that feel like canopies as you run beneath them, or piranha who leap over bridges from the foreground to the background. There are even certain parts of the map that cause the camera to react dynamically, like an especially fun effect that sees the camera over his shoulder to add a rollercoaster-like effect for running down a hill! The music is something to write about as well, sounding just as anyone who has played the first would remember, but with all the instruments composer (insert name here) wishes he had when struggling with the Genesis’ sound chip way back when. Overall, the game accomplishes with gusto what Sonic 4 tried to do and failed: Making the old new again, while maintaining the same retro sensibilities.

Even the control accomplishes this. While they aren’t as smooth as I would’ve liked, with an odd stickiness that sort of tethers Sonic to flat surfaces, there’s no denying that it’s the closest approximation to classic Sonic that Sega’s been able to muster in over 15 years. I even took the time to fire up the original Sonic 1 to confirm my suspicions, and it was a smooth transition. The sense of inertia and speed you get from careening down a hill, or the gradual climb before a steep hill are present, and it makes the return to platforming all the more welcome. (Yes, platforming.) Even at this early stage, it seems that the “plaforming with speed rewards” type gameplay is back from the Genesis days, and everything from swings, to springs, to corkscrew loops are all here and well accounted for. This is another beautiful thing, as the stages are absolutely MASSIVE in scope, somewhere between Sonic 1 and 3 in terms of alternate paths and hidden areas accessible by only the finest of reflexes.

At one act, the demo is a bit short, and one can only wonder why the second act featuring Modern Sonic was excluded from the package (along with the 20-day expiry date), but I have little worry for the final product. The daytime stages in Sonic Unleashed, and Sonic Colors have been some of the best translations into 3D the series has ever seen, and if they keep that spirit intact for the full game, I have little to worry about. What I do know however, is that the part I was most worried about turned out better than I’d hoped. I loved the classic stage, and given that I've played through the demo three times and found something different each time through experimenting, I'm confident that if all of the classic stages continue in this fashion, Sonic fans are going to be in for a real treat come this fall. I've never felt so nostalgic playing a modern Sonic before.

Bravo, guys.

Annoyances of the Mainstream - Trials and Tribulations

2011-06-23T19:13:00.000-07:00

I generally don't pay attention to mainstream (IGN, Gamespot, et al) game reviews anymore, as I've noticed a disturbing trend in gaming; mainstream reviewers seem to be downscoring games based on increasingly frivolous things. I'm not even talking about a game having strange mechanics, something being off story wise, or something simultaneously loved and feared because of its insurmountable odds akin to a Ninja Gaiden, I'm just talking about complaints about things like challenge that seem to be getting worse as gaming moves into a more casual forum.

It's odd, as I notice reviews from back in the day heavily focused on an overall aura, a combination of graphics, sound, gameplay and overall value. Now, since graphics are at such a high as to be homogenous, it takes truly reprehensible (read: mostly last-gen) visuals to have some sort of visual discrepancy. Since every console practically defaults to multidirectional sound, a game has to have a really questionable score to be noticed outside of our increasingly orchestral norms. But gameplay is more heavily scrutinized than before, with what I feel is a misplaced focus.

Annoying Scrutiny #1 - "Trial-and-Error" in Games

One of the chief complaints of the mainstream reviewer is this, criticizing what is a fundamental aspect of design. Trial-and-error is an aspect of games that is much maligned, and in some cases, with good reason, but it's not something that needs to be eliminated.

Death in games comes often, and sometimes swiftly, but this was something we've always dealt with as gamers. The entire institution of even having "extra lives" was the notion that you would fail, and if you weren't completely up to snuff, there was always a secret code to help out in case of emergency.

These days, our games are littered with savefiles to record progress, checkpoints to cover what the savefiles don't get, and autosaves just in case you manually forgot to save. The challenging aspect has endured to a point, but now there's a ton of concessions to ensure you aren't taxed too hard. Why then does even a game like Limbo, which is literally littered with checkpoints and death spots, get criticized for its difficulty, being called a "trial and error" game with this as a negative aspect?

Trial-and-error in its purest form is a fudamental part of design. Gamers love to be punished (when we aren't, we complain MORE), and part of the discovery element of ANY game is figuring out the limits developers have assigned us. You can't find out if a bed of spikes is dangerous to your avatar without first propelling them onto it, and reacting accordingly, can you? When did this fall by the wayside? Short of putting massive signs everywhere that says "Don't try to do x, or you'll die", there will always be a bit of a trial-and-error aspect to games.

But what happens when a game (unintentionally) parodies a reviewer's desire to eliminate the frustrating aspects of trial-and-error?

You get the 2008 Prince of Persia, which was met with a massive negative backlash, due to its refusal to let a player stare at a "Game Over" screen.

I never saw the difference when people started to complain though. Elika physically pulling you from a ditch is no different to me than appearing a few feet in front of a trap that just killed you in Limbo, or mashing F5 before a particularly difficult part in Half-Life so your life is secure. It's no different than Gears of War constantly covering your ass with autosaves, and it's an amusing point of contention that when a game is lacking some sort of system similar to this, it gets pulled apart. So why complain at all? It sets in motion a needless effort by the developer to accomodate with easier modes that see no use, or a overly simplified design that, as criticisms would label it , "Suffer from a lack of challenge or sense of danger."

So which is it guys? Are the games supposed to be so straightforward that we coast through them without being challenged, or is it only acceptable if the game doesn't make it obvious that their hand is being held? I don't know if there is a right answer. I believe a game's accomodations should only reach as far as the developer allows, but to compromise their vision in some way by removing what has been a cornerstone of design is silly. A game in which you're unable to die is little more than an interactive movie (leading to complaints of unimagination and linearity), and without some sort of risk-reward system to propel a player forward, there's little reason to continue once you've started (or even revisit). My notion is, people looking for the former need to simply watch movies, people looking for the absence of the latter need to question why they're engaged in an interactive challenge in the first place if they aren't expecting to be challenged.

Some of my favorite experiences in gaming were earned after much repetition of seemingly insurmountable odds, and I can't see that changing as long as our minds continue to favor being told we can't accomplish something initially with a robust set of obstacles.

The wide world of the internet takes a reviewer's opinion as gospel at times like this, and while it's nice, I realize we have to be careful. It's easy to forget, but readers are always on top of what we say as soon as we say it. They also take what we say to heart, faux-quoting us like parrots in an effort to sound "professional". Developers pay close attention as well, and shape their next title's aspects in line with our criticisms. If reviewers like the ones I'm mentioning don't watch out, it'll be exactly the predestination paradox their complaints are trying to avoid, and a slew of linear, hand-holding games will be the future. I remember Call of Duty's campaigns being somewhat tactical and open before it became akin to a treadmill with an explosive-filled hot dog on the end.

With a slew of ill-informed criticism favoring easier, more straightforward games, they just may be undercutting the most fun aspect of our medium. Which leads to a better question for the next segment:

Why are they complaining about visuals too?

Gonna take a lot more coffee than this..

2011-06-13T09:02:00.000-07:00

Master Chief can't get a break, can he? Always facing insurmountable odds, his trilogy came to a close in late 2007, and gamers were for the most part, satisfied. Why not? Despite some questionable narrative choices (and I maintain thatHalo had a great story, just bad execution), the Halo will always be remembered more for it's multiplayer strength and how it brought console gamers together with a sense of community to rival PC offerings. I remembered it for a different reason.

The original Halo will always have a place in my heart for that other reason it rivaled the PC. Like Unreal had for PC gamers circa 1998, Halo had shown me that we were able to move past the endless metal corridors, castle walls, and dungeons that had defined most FPS games up until that point. It provided a lush world with a tangible visual history, and a sense of discovery and wonder that gave me the impression that though I wasn't the first to traverse the land, my journey would be significant. From the mystery of the seemingly connected man-made structures littering the planet,to the threat of an alien menace trapped deep inside, and discovering the true purpose of Halo itself, it took me on a journey so compelling, the opening moments of the crash landing that started it all are still burned into my skull.

Then there were candy colored aliens spewing gobbeldygook who needed to be shot with a vast array of weaponry, and it satisfied on that front too.

I digress though, as I tend to do. My point was that even though the Halo series would eventually lose itself to repetitious, yet addictive multiplayer,the advent of the child internet scum movement, and an ultimately unsatisfying ending to close a surprise trilogy which ultimately choked the story's potential, (inhales), the original still stands as quite beloved. From series fans telling stories of the old, to newcomers wondering what the series was like before the internet took over, at the very least, a not-so-small demand for an Xbox Live Arcade version of the game has been one of the industry's pipe dreams. Even the excellent Halo: Reach, story driven and true to the original spirit as it was, only made the want greater for an actual Halo 1 remake. Could it really be so difficult to do?

...I guess not.

Consider me robbed for words. Which is nice, because this trailer says just about everything I could've, and then some. The only thing I can coherently state out of this stupor is that it'll be around November 15, 2011, which is right in time for the series 10th anniversary. While a new Halo announcement is always nice, it's almost refreshing that they're going back to when the series has seen better times than going with a full fledged -- oh wait.

They aren't kidding. Much like Solid Snake, reports of his death have been greatly exaggerated.

....but what am I surmise from this trailer? Well...aside from 343 Studios' Bungie-like approach to storytelling, which seems to tell everything while saying nothing, I have my suite of questions. What's attacking his ship? Why? What was that weapon he used to breach the hull? WHAT is that planet he's flying towards?

Looks like cryo-sleep isn't enough of an implicated death to bring this one down.

As part of a newly announced trilogy, I'm sure we'll find out MUCH more before 2012.

Guess I'm ineligible for that free 3D Excitebike..

2011-06-06T21:04:00.001-07:00

Eh, Nintendo? I mean it's not like getting hacked by LulzSec would delay matters any, right?

There will be blood!

2011-06-02T06:02:00.001-07:00

Challenger Appears!

As if the announcement of the "Klassic Kostume Pack" for June 7th weren't enough (seeing classic versions of Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Kitana, Mileena, Jade, and Ermac plus fatalities), another reveal came yesterday in the form of Skarlet, a red kunoichi who looks one part Elektra, one part BloodRayne, and all badass.

Some trivia for ya: Similar to Ermac and the infamous "Error Macro" glitch that gave him his unique red color, Skarlet was originally a bug in MK2 which caused a red palette version of Kitana to appear, fueling rumors of yet another mysterious ninja character. Sparing no chance to once again give us fans what we want, after years of speculation, she's finally a reality, and as you can see in the video above, she has her own unique moves and fatalities. No pallette swaps here!

Currently, she doesn't have a date, but her formal in-game reveal is set for E3, which starts June 7th. Some hacking revealed a few of her normals, combos and X-Ray, ahead of the official reveal, so if you want a bit of an in depth preview ahead of time, hit the video below.

Hopefully the next reveal will be out of sight...

3Ds - Dead or Alive: Dimensions Review

2011-05-25T18:32:00.000-07:00

I remember playing Mortal Kombat II on the Game Gear. Far from being the meaty, “realistic” arcade fighter my mother refused to buy me, this pocket sized version had the spirit, but not the heart. The realistic sprites had been reduced to cartoonish caricatures, the buckets of blood had seen their budget reduced to mere droplets, and the deep, heavy bass had been reduced to generic bleeps and bloops. This is a fact that I was more than willing to accept, because after all, how could a portable with two buttons ever hope to capture the glory of the mighty arcade cabinet across the street from my school? So I accepted the slighted controls, the reduction in fidelity, and the notion that while they would never reach their arcade counterparts, they were at least competent enough to enjoy, and –just-unintelligible enough for my mother to accept.

Man, if I were a child of today, that wouldn’t have worked at all.

Dead or Alive: Dimensions
For: Nintendo 3DS
Publisher: Tecmo / Team Ninja
Price: $39.99
Release: 5/24/2011 (North America)

We’re in the middle of a fighting game boom, but arguably, that movement was already heralded by the arrival of the PSP five years ago. Far from aspiring to be a glorified portable Super Nintendo like many of the handhelds before it, developers saw it as a chance to offer up portable games with the same level of quality as a handheld, and for the most part, they all succeeded. The idea of what a portable fighter should be has been redefined since then, and although everything from Street Fighter to SoulCalibur has been faithfully reproduced in portable form, Dead or Alive has suspiciously never made the cut. Perhaps they were just waiting for the right technology, or perhaps creator Itagaki’s departure (who stated console type games have no place on portables), but no matter the reason, Dead or Alive: Dimensions is here, it’s handheld, and in typical Team Ninja fashion, is a showcase for just how capable the new 3DS hardware is at delivering an experience that (for the most part) matches it’s console counterpart.

Moments after booting the game up, you’re thrown right into the game’s Chronicle mode, and it’s exactly as it sounds, a retelling of the entire DOA saga that also serves as a tutorial mode. This is great for players new to the series, as it literally teaches the ins and outs of the fighting system in easy to understand portions between cutscenes. What it doesn’t do however, is make the conspiracy-laden drivel that is the DOA storyline any easier to understand. Ninjas are fighting corporate entities, Kung-Fu prodigies are at odds with capoiera practicing assassins, and the whole ordeal is just more enjoyable if you simply marvel at the 3D action scenes and soak in the brief fights punctuating it until its conclusion. Just one question, Team Ninja: Why the stop motion cutscenes with 3D models ala 2010’s Bayonetta? While I can understand maybe a lack of budget (or time) contributed to this, at least the latter game disguised the stylistic choice with a “film reel”look. Here it happens suddenly, randomly, and without warning. Newsflash: It was strange watching a full motion fight turn into a pantomime in its latter stages back in 2010, it still is now.

When you’re in control of the action however, are where the game really shows it’s teeth. DOA’s fast paced rock-paper-scissors gameplay has been translated fully intact to the 3DS, and it’s well-designed circle pad (or D-pad, depending on your preference) is a perfect fit with the game’s traditional 4 button setup. The common failing of most portable fighters is the explicit precision needed to pull off some of the more complex moves on a small controller, and its a problem not present here, as DOA has always been more about the moves thrown and keeping your opponent guessing than performing them. Taking a page from the SSF4: 3D handbook, the bottom screen plays host to a helpful movelist that changes dynamically with each button pressed, or if you’re more of an advanced player, you can set it to list attack properties and frame data(!!!). The counterbalance to this ease of offense is the counter system, and it’s back to the more intuitive (in my opinion) system of DOA3, eliminating the (unnecessary) kick hold for the better. Since it works with only three levels of attack this time around (high,mid,low), your reaction time while under attack can be much snappier, but of course, the same applies to your opponents.

Other modes include an Arcade mode that forgoes the usual structure for a number of bite sized “circuits” that can be played with any character, a perfect choice for a portable game. While you inexplicably can’t change the number of rounds, difficulty, or even damage dealt, each circuit offers up a different challenge, and a different boss fight at their conclusion. Survival mode is just as you’d expect, a gauntlet until you run out of life, and the new Tag Challenge mode offers the full on 2v2 tag experience, albeit one with a CPU controlled ally that performs better than expected (and tags in/out on cue), but isn’t truly a replacement for a human. Fortunately, the online mode is there to whet your appetite, and though it’s only limited to 1v1 battles, the connection holds up well via wi-fi, with only a hint of lag here and there. A ton (literally) of unlockable figurines are the centerpiece for a trio of modes where you can pose, photograph, and StreetPass battle them, but it’s a novelty at best, being unlikely to hold anyone’s attention for long.

----------------------------------The 3D Effect ------------------------------------------

Switching the game on, it’s almost impossible to ignore just how well done the 3D effect is. Hands and feet pop out of the screen, projectiles whiz dangerously close, and the camera somehow has a knack for playing up the added depth at every turn, highlighting players in the middle of combos and making the crash through a church window into the street below look that much more intense. However, it isn’t all paradise. Though it displays some of the best visuals on the 3DS thus far, the framerate has trouble holding with the slider up. While the fights themselves mimic Super Street Fighter 4 3D’s 30fps standard with the 3D turned on, intros and victory poses dip way below that, creating an odd visual disconnect that’s actually a bit distracting from the otherwise superb 3D presentation. Cutscenes in the game’s chronicle mode suffer this too, with dips marring the otherwise cool 3D action occurring on screen. All of this is remedied by turning the slider down, which locks the game’s visuals at a solid 60fps that looks too smooth to be true. Most people won’t mind, but visual sticklers will be at odds between having a smooth presentation or a “cool” one. At least it’s a decision you can make for yourself.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Far from a full fledged sequel but not quite a Dead or Alive 4: Turbo either, Dead or Alive:Dimensions may be the best entry the fighting series has seen yet. It features every character the franchise has ever seen, brings to the forefront an improved story mode that ties all of it together, and features a refined version of DOA4’s “ultimate” fighting engine. Best of all, it manages to do this on a portable system of all things, helping usher in the 3D era with a Team Ninja level of polish. It may not be the deepest experience you’ll have, but it’s one perfect for the system, and the sheer number of unlockables (in typical DOA fashion) ensure that if you are a fan of fighters, despite its flaws, there’s very little to hate here. Much like its predecessors, what we have here is a fast, flashy, yet accessible fighter that shows off the breakthrough hardware of the moment. After all, it’s what the Dead or Alive series is known for. Not a bad reputation to have, if you ask me.

Rating: 8.0

Oh, and I managed to go the whole review without the words “3D” and “boobs” in the same sentence.

..That didn’t count.

Seriously, Nintendo?

2011-05-19T16:57:00.001-07:00

Now, I'm all for padding out the sales numbers and all, it makes for good quarterlies and impressive press releases, but really, what's the point of this? The $19.99 price tag doesn't do much to soften the blow of the ludicrous, either.

It's not like they didn't already default their way to the title of one of the best selling games of all time simply by including one for FREE with each Wii sold, or anything.

I mean, I'm all for Nintendo finally giving games like Twilight Princess a sorely needed price drop (5 years in the making?) while they work to release a real "next-gen" console not being held back by its own gimmicks, but isn't there a subtle admission of failure being made when you try to sell me a free pack in game? The one that started the irreversible trend of effortless minigame-games that became a staple of your console's (mostly) shovelware library?

For the same price as a legit (yet criminally undersold) game like Madworld, even?

Y'know, part of the reason "hardcore" software failed on the Wii was due to the fact that it had to compete with the casual offerings at the same price, and the new audience Nintendo spawned couldn't tell the difference in quality, but went with the fluff because it seemed much safer from a new buyer's prospective. Way to exemplify why you scared off your core audience with this console, Nintendo.

..and why you're replacing it so soon.

Block Breaker Bird?

2011-05-16T15:20:00.000-07:00

Angry Birds is inescapable!

Ever since it’s 2009 debut, it seems impossible to not have heard of the gaggle of irascible, wingless (perhaps that’s why they’re so angry?) fowl and the pigs who can’t get enough of stealing their eggs. Their popularity isn’t confined to the phone either, with plush and animated versions of them popping up , and I wouldn’t be surprised if there were a movie at some point. They’re mainstream in a good way, and even though we’ve yet to see the LEGO stamp of approval on that notion, fan and master LEGO Ambassador Chiukeung has gotten the hard part out of the way and brought them to life.

If you suddenly feel like you want one as much as I do, head on over to his Facebook where there are more pictures of his handiwork on display. It’s really impressive, also a case for LEGO to get on this. Hopefully sooner rather than later!

Seriously though. I want one. Either this or a NERF version so I can literally slingshot them at random passerby.

Either is fine.:)

Tangible Excitement.

2011-05-09T07:13:00.000-07:00

Estacado's back, baby.

Social Notworking.

2011-05-08T19:01:00.000-07:00

Thank You, Destructoid.

Two weeks in, outages, fan reactions and emotions torn asunder, the PSN is still down, even though the initial promise was to have the service up and running just before the two week mark hit on May 3rd, 2011.
We are nearing the third week, and despite promises to the contrary, the PSN is still down.

Of course, it’s easy to point the finger and blame outside elements, but the fact of the matter is that Sony being unprepared to an attack of such magnitude was not only irresponsible, but it put the company’s fans and consumers at risk. How does one run a multi-million dollar network 70 million or so users deep and not even have a basic firewall to protect against malicious users? How do you not inform your consumers that their personal information may be at stake for two days until you’ve completely pulled the plug and started a chain of fear and bad PR that will sit with you forever? HOW do you admit that you are just as vulnerable as your consumers when you’ve stood as a sentinel for your various online practices for years?

It’s a terrible situation, and one that has cost the company so much that I’m sure execs are envisioning ritual suicide in their minds while thinking about their figures at the end of this quarter, most of all Activision for losing out on that glorious Black Ops server time.

Most consumers are just lamenting the fact that they can’t play online, but the ripple effect is far greater. players who purchased the new Mortal Kombat, despite the game being rife with offline content, can’t hone their skills online against other players or redeem their bonus content. Lucky players invited to the inFamous 2 beta have been cut off, and Sucker Punch is losing out on valuable data that would aid their development. Owners of the online-only DC Universe Online have no adventures to embark upon.

We have just passed the month of the shooter in April. Because it is arguably the most popular genre indulged in online play, this means recent releases like Bulletstorm, Crysis 2, Killzone 3, Homefront, Portal 2, and the unlucky faithful who purchased SOCOM 4 have all been left out to dry. Unlike the others in the aformentioned list, They’re the ones suffering the worst, being left to read middling to poor reviews for their game, and having nothing more than a mediocre single player with no online to justify their $60-$150 investment. Even smaller, bite sized games available now for download like Moon Diver andOutland aren’t receiving the audience they should.

Part of the compensation has been said to be free gifts in the form of two as unannounced PSP/PSN titles, and a 30 day subscription to Playstation Plus, but in my opinion, those are frivolities that won’t gain our trust back. A free game will only remind us of the potential identity theft that may have toppled the PS Store’s database, and the minimal benefits of Playstation Plus for a trial period will likely deter more potential subscribers than it would’ve gained due to the ambiguity surrounding the subscription’s benefits. Free gifts of questionable value aren't the way to go. They're cute, but they aren't reassuring, like a stuffed animal presented as an apology for cheating.

I think if Sony wants to mend this, they need to let us in. Business practices and the delayed dissemination of information aside, we as consumers and gamers need to know what Sony plans to do to make their network secure. We need assurance that our information is secure. We need to know that our games will be fully functional. Most of all, we need to know that it won’t happen again. CEO Howard Stringer wrote a somewhat heartfelt apology to the users two days ago for this extended debacle with the promise to restore as soon as possible. While I consider that a step in the right direction, I truly hope they keep the PSN down as long as it needs to be. An extended delay is better than rushing to the finish.

Sources, reading material if you’re interested:

http://technologizer.com/2011/05/06/sir-howard-speaks-out/"target"_blank"
http://www.destructoid.com/geohot-blames-sony-executives-for-psn-hacking-debacle-199965.phtml
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/05/psn-servers-were-unpatched-and-had-no-firewall-installed-secu/

Crying Wolf – DJ Hero 2 Ultra Records Mix Pack Review

2011-04-27T15:31:00.000-07:00

Well, don’t I feel like a conspiracy theorist.

Far from running around for several months declaring the not-so-harmonious death of my favorite music franchise several times over,I truly believed that the last pack (that in itself the last-last pack) was all there was, and after completing the slightly underwhelming last (last) one, I packed my turntable away, and lost myself in a sea of FPS games. Imagine my surprise when news of this seemingly random mix pack found it’s way into my mailbox. Done? Bug-eyed much?

Now imagine my amazement when the words Deadmau5, Benny Benassi and Yolanda Be Cool crossed my eyes.

Oh, I’m done declaring this series dead. Yes I am.

DJ Hero 2 “Ultra Mix Pack" (Downloadable Content)
For: Xbox 360, PS3, Wii (Songs sold as individual tracks)
Publisher: Activision/Freestyle Games
Price: 640 Microsoft Points, $7.99 PSN, 300 Wii points (per track)
Release: 4/19/2011
Reviewed on Expert difficulty; Individual songs on a 1-5 point scale, overall is by 10 and not an average.

Benny Benassi - House Music

As it stands, House Music was already a deep, bass heavy song, but FSG apparently wasn’t satisfied with completely buzzing your ears off with one of BB’s finest. No, I’m pretty sure they wanted to make your head explode with a high-tier track. It was a SUCCESS, with their manic style complimenting this already up tempo track with a range of effects that make it sound like it received a shot of adrenaline. It’s all deep lows and piercing effects here, with a challenging, tap heavy chart that has its scratches and samples paced just right to lend a feeling of control over the beat. Even the scratchdown>tap pattern from “Sexy Chick” makes a return here, and it managed to throw me off when it came back at me in reverse. Excellent, excellent track to kick things off, and I don’t say it lightly. It captured the energy of the original perfectly, and only changed things slightly to make it distinct as a DJH mix. Believe that I couldn’t stop myself from dancing in my seat.

Rating: 5/5

Deadmau5 - Sofi Needs A Ladder

Deadmau5 and Sofi’s affair first graced my ears in Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, and the fandom carried over into the (awesome) album 4x4=12, so I practically decided while downloading this DLC that it would be my favorite song in the pack. The sad truth is that, it is not. This however, does not mean it’s bad. It’s an oddly reverse take on the original, in that it starts out slow with lyrics from the END of the song, and then incorporates the rest about 2/3rds through for a better paced finish. While this change really affects how the song sounds and feels (and it does feel odd if you’re used to the original), it’s still undeniably Deadmau5. Call me crazy, but FSG must know that he’s an avid gamer, because this is a pretty challenging track that actually had my fingers cramping a bit midway through. At the end of the day however, it’s a good track, but not the great one I was expecting. I also can’t shake the feeling that it seems like a bit of a missed opportunity to mess with Sofi’s lyrics as well. Listening to her call out her addiction in metaphors in the original seemed ripe for mixing, but even if they weren’t feeling creative enough for the entire song, having them intact would’ve been better than cutting most of them out, similar to the way “Move for Me” was charted. I feel like it’s the one thing holding this track from the greatness it should’ve been.

Rating: 3/5

Yolanda Be Cool - We Speak No Americano

Fun fun fun. This track, whose band doubles as a Pulp Fiction reference (trivia!) has much going for it, already sampling the humorous song Tu vuò fà l'americano. As a result, it has a nutty, goofy feel to it, with samples in all the right places and enough mixed challenge to keep you guessing. The various ways FSG has managed to keep this game tricky is impressive, and I don’t know who can hit that series of taps/scratches without spraining something, but power to them. As good as I am, I’m pretty sure I broke something on my first attempt. Don’t let this ward you off though, because the song is so much fun that it becomes irrelevant about halfway through. I had fun with this one, and I love the sound they came up with for it. As I mentioned about House Music earlier, this is an example of a remix shaking things up enough to make it different from the original, with just enough flavor to keep it familiar. Kudos.

Rating:5/5

This is prime. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say FSG is pulling out all the stops, making a case for DJ Hero’s continued existence with an outburst of talent and wit. The in-game “hero feed” says that this is the final DLC pack for the game. Excuse me if I have trouble believing that after hearing it so many times before. I have faith in them. Ten DLC packs spanning twenty-nine songs later, I’m still on board, and I’m still dancing to what I consider one of the best game soundtracks ever. Anyone listening to this music and deciding the series needs to close is outright insane. There couldn’t be a stronger case for this to go on.

Rating: 9.0

Sonic Generations looks..

2011-04-20T14:36:00.000-07:00

AWESOME. Now that we are in agreement, hit the jump for more details!

Yeah.

IRL Box?

2011-04-11T10:49:00.000-07:00

Love Cut the Rope? If you have an iOS device, OF COURSE YOU DO. The fun, addictive puzzle game from Zeptolab is extremely hard to put down once you’ve picked it up, and semi-frequent updates ensure that adorable character Om Nom’s hunger (and your spare time) are kept at bay.

The latest update added the “Magic Box”, which, in addition to 25 new levels and three achievements, adds a new element in the form of top hats, teleporting a new layer of complexity towards players’ feeding endeavors.

To celebrate the release, the wonderful people at Zeptolab constructed a MASSIVE demo unit at Los Angeles' Hollywood & Highland Center. Looking like it was pulled straight from the game, the unit features 9 huge touch screens well suited for all sorts of rope cutting, creature feeding craziness.

I’m not sure what else needs to be said, because if you’ve played this even once, you’re probably already halfway across the state to run off and conquer this thing. If you aren’t situated on the West Coast, fear not! Another one was spotted in Atlanta International Airport.

Road trip, anyone?

Mortal Technique?

2011-04-04T11:34:00.000-07:00

And as much as things change, they stay the same.

The Tournament Edition Arcade Stick for the upcoming Mortal Kombat game is up for preorder now, and is literally a direct opposite from the Madcatz/Sanwa themed endeavor for Street Fighter 4. Where the aim with the SF4 stick was to recreate the feel of an authentic Japanese style arcade cabinet, this stick looks to replicate the feel of an American-style one instead, you gaijins. An article up at IGN Gear has shots and impressions of the thing, and honestly, aside from the storage ability and cool blood-spattered finish, I can't see how this thing would be comfortable to play on, by any stretch of the imagination.

Let's forget for a second that for all the effort to strip everything from MK that didn't work and augmenting everything that did (and I am LOVING the effort, believe me), the game is still a 2D fighting series with a BLOCK button. Why they continue to deem this a necessary evil is beyond me, but I'm pretty sure it's why this stick's design mocks the button layout of an MK cabinet circa 1993. Concave buttons made from HAPP parts, bat top arcade stick, funky vewlix button layout. Only thing missing is the oppressive rumbling of the DCS sound system to make you want to stick quarters in the thing to shock nearby gamers with the "HEY I'M ABOUT TO PLAY MK" gong noises.

I appreciate the nostalgia, I do, but the block button was one of those things that just DIDN'T make sense in a 2D fighter, and I'm pretty certain it's why the stick has the layout it does now! Looking like a five sided die is not only strange and ergonomically awkward, but it pretty much ensures that you'll be playing nothing but Mortal Kombat on this thing. I'm mean, look at where the LT and RB are located! Even though PDP (the manufacturer) has ensured that it'll be fully customizable, I still find myself somewhere between praising the return to roots and wondering if $150 is really a reasonable price for a controller I'm only going to use with ONE ~~type of fighting~~ game.

Is that really a good investment?..

Source: IGN

Iwata should look around a little.

2011-03-30T14:03:00.000-07:00

With Nintendo's president biting back at Apple for all their oversaturation "tactics", it's more than a bit funny that they should tout the fact that they have more software on their console as a positive thing. Quality over quantity, the oblivious president parrots to an audience surely scratching their heads in confusion. He implies the innovations in social gaming are going to kill the industry if we aren't careful. He says Apple is mostly to blame with their implementation of the app store encouraging "garage" developers to produce cheaper content, and mobile games are dragging the quality bar down even further by lacking the value and personal satisfaction that a $40 game carries with its purchase.

You know. Like Nintendo's $40 games.

This sounds less like a concerned parent of the industry and more like the lamentations of one unable to keep up with it's baby's development.

The Wii may have more software from its competitors, but how much of that is quality Software? Anyone even keeping up with the industry a little, or even owning a Wii knows that the system has become a dumping ground for shovelware and garbage titles, and outside of some select third party offerings and Nintendo's own First Party lineup, there isn't anything on the console worth picking up. Is that really a better alternative?

So they're effectively the App store, just in a physical form. Just ask their "Seal of Quality", which went from being the beacon of light that saved the industry in the 80's to having it's meaning removed entirely. Hardly coincidence.

The seal speaks louder than words.

It's interesting seeing Nintendo react to competition for once, but this is just childish. While they were able to sit and casually laugh at Sony's bid for power over content in the portable gaming space, Apple's iOS and social platforms like Facebook are starting to cut into the big N's market share in a huge way. With cellphones getting more advanced by the day and digital distribution not having the same costly hangups as retail (including piracy), they are going to have to work harder than they ever have to maintain their position as number one.

Perhaps, moving forward, Nintendo should focus on avenues of profit that will benefit them, and make them seem less like a pigheaded company who's been profiting off the misinformed indifference of the casual consumer. If cellphones and mobile gaming platforms are making your premium priced offerings seem overpriced and stale, the solution is to make better games, and a consistent string of quality across titles. Not try and insist that such games shouldn't exist.

Even though I have no doubt that the 3DS will be successful, its version of Super Street Fighter 4 costs more than even its console incarnation at $39.99, boasting little over the original incarnation. Aside from that game which is admittedly well done, it's sharing the shelf with half-baked ports of Rayman, Madden, Pilotwings, Asphalt, and a who-asked-for-this new version of Nintendogs, all for $39.99 as well.

This is going to be a bit of an uphill battle for them, especially with so many options for the consumer as far as platform is concerned. While ports like this are fine in the beginning, I hope that they're ready to outdo their competitors in terms of content, or they're just going to end up with another Wii situation, where lazy developers will turn out gimmicky piece of software after software, charging the same high prices that will drive their audience into the arms of their competitors. It's easy to purchase the racing game Asphalt on an iPhone for $3, and lament the loss if it's terrible. It's a much bigger pill to swallow when the game is $40.

Hell, I bought the (234237th) port or Rayman 2 on my phone for $1 over a year ago. There's no way I'm buying it for the 3DS. 3D butterflies aren't worth that much, I'm sorry.

Like it or not, this is the exact kind of social gaming and open environment Nintendo helped initiate, culminating the minute they decided to involve the world by making their console's name a euphemism for it. So now we're playing Farmville, Angry Birds, and portable versions of games like Dead Space that are of such a quality that they could've existed on a DS or PSP for large sum. Instead, they're available for six dollars, confortably in a climate that allows them to be so.

No point in trying to turn back now.

Down Under - DJ Hero 2 Indie Hip-Hop Mix Pack Review

2011-03-17T08:22:00.001-07:00

Well…color me surprised. For the umpteenth time.

Weren’t we supposed to be done with DJ Hero content? Weren’t we? Talks of closures, liquidations, and rumor of the future of FSG notwithstanding, there is new DJ Hero content up, seemingly against al odds. This means two things: Either they produced a TON of music slated for release before the bad news dropped, or these are the products of a studio that can’t and won’t stop. While I sit comfortably in my fandom and bet on the latter, this week’s pack is a strange one indeed. Honestly and for the first time, I have no idea what to expect from this “Indie Hip Hop Mix Pack”, because…well, I’ve never heard of ANY of these people.

Or their music.

Though, with names like Peanut Butter Wolf and Camu Tao, I have an itching feeling that I can only expect greatness.

GREATNESS.

Hopefully. While I welcome this pack with arms stretched wide, at the same time, I hope being blindsided by Freestyle Games is a good thing..

DJ Hero 2 "Indie Hip-Hop Mix Pack" (Downloadable Content)
For: Xbox 360, PS3, Wii (Songs sold as individual tracks)
Publisher: Activision/Freestyle Games
Price: 640 Microsoft Points, $7.99 PSN, 300 Wii points (per track)
Release: 3/15/2010
Songs reviewed on Expert difficulty.

Charizma & Peanut Butter Wolf - My World Premiere vs. Jaylib - The Red (Instrumental)"

Uh..right. While that isn’t the perfect way to start any review of a track, it’s the initial thought I had upon completing this mix for the first time. It’s a slow paced track that isn’t too challenging save for some scratches at the end, but My World Premiere’s old-school lyrics and cadence do sound fine over Jaylib’s beat for The Red, making the medley is serviceable if a bit unexciting. I was so put off by the track that I went and listened to the original tracks, and found that Charizma’s track had great lyrics but an okay beat. The Red on the other hand, had a beat was definitely better than whatever Jaylib was trying to spit. Combined like this, it’s actually the best of both worlds, but it isn’t enough to save the song. Sometimes it happens, every so often you’lll get a song that’s more fun to listen to than to play, but when the song and the track are middling, neither great, nor terrible, you just get something that exists. This song kind of just exists.

Rating: 2/5

The Perceptionists ft. Guru & Camu Tao - Party Hard vs. RJD2 – Ghostwriter

I was actually a bit at an advantage with this one, not realizing that I’ve heard “Ghostwriter” before..but with this epiphany came a shot of fear. I like RJD2’s droning beat on this one, but could I be in line for another slow paced, possibly dreary track? Thankfully, the Perceptionists answered with a loud NO! Party Hard’s lyrics are filled with attitude and braggadocio, and it does well to keep the sample filled Ghostwriter moving along at a brisk pace. When I say sample filled, I really mean it, and FSG knew what was up as well, matching this song with a track that’ll have you exercising the middle red button like there’s no tomorrow. Samples during scratches, samples during taps, held samples during scractches and…you get the idea. Finger dexterity. Hope you have a carpal tunnel pad installed in front of your turntable..

Rating: 4/5

Atmosphere - The Best Day (Remix by FSG)

I liked this. I really, really did. Call me crazy, because it isn’t the most exciting track out there, and listening to the preview, I’m sure many people will listen to this and wonder how it could translate into a fun DJ Hero track, but somehow, it just does. It works. Though I have no clue how the original sounds (though this sounds more like a beat juggle than a full on remix), what we have here is a song that’s hip hop through and through, telling a tale about a day gone wrong over a laid back beat. Scratches are at the forefront of this one, but everything added doesn’t detract from the lyrics one bit, as a matter of fact, it’s one of the few songs that can be sung without fear of having to compensate for stuttering samples at every turn. This was my favorite mix of the pack, though some may not agree with me. If you really like circa-90’s hip hop, you won’t be disappointed.

Rating: 4/5

Aside from that turd (sorry Charizma, the original sounds better—don’t haunt me!) at the start of the pack, this was a pretty solid, if a little niche. Unfortunately, it may be a bit too niche for all but the deepest of Hip-Hop fans (who may not have this game), or even frequent DJ Hero players (who are looking for something more modern or electronic). So while being notoriously obscure is fine, perhaps a bit more care needs to be taken in selecting the next tracks. These are dark times for the developer. I’d hate for any of FSG’s new music to undersell since they’re likely trying to prove themselves, but this pack is something I can’t really recommend to anyone despite my enjoyment. While a love of music is paramount in enjoying this series, these songs have to ultimately be played, and they just aren’t that enjoyable in that respect. I’m pretty sure most other players will have the same hangup.

Overall: 6.5

Closer to Home

2011-03-15T09:14:00.000-07:00

Homefront releases in stores today, and the ambitious FPS has received much attention for its scenario, which details what would have happened if Korea were never divided during WW2, and went on to become a superpower so dominant that it would eventually invade the US. Considering the state of the world (and Korea) at present, it’s a very interesting premise and question, one developer Kaos studios saw fit to answer with this ambitious release. But how possible is this alternate reality? THQ and Kaos have gone on record, citing exhaustive research, historical advisors, and even enslited the writer of Apocalypse Now to speak volumes of its plausibility. But could it really happen, given the right conditions?

Here, we have two arguments on the matter. Colin Moriarty of IGN believes it’s more plausible than one would think, suspending his disbelief and making a point that Homefront’s situation is very likely, given the unpredictability of history and the notion that with the proper timing, it isn’t that much of a stretch...

While on the other end:

Destructoid’s Brad Rice has a different stance. Having checked the game’s “timeline” of events, he cites various facts about the economical and military strength of the US, its allies, as well as Korea to make his point, declaring it outright impossible.

It’s two interesting, opposing views on a concept that is in fact, most debatable. While the notion that the US could be compromised the way the game suggests is arguably sound, the reality of what makes the country a superpower seriously makes one question if such a breach can even be attempted. Especially considering all the hands currently being held by the US in its partners and the strength of its military, among other issues.

Reviews of Homefront have been mixed thus far, but regardless of the game’s quality, its nice to see that with each passing day, we continue to provoke thought and debate in ways we wouldn’t have imagined since our little bleeps and bloops began.

Sources:

IGN - ”Is Homefront Possible?”

Destructoid - ”In Which I Break Down Why Homefront’s Plot is Impossible”

Dance Zero.

2011-03-09T09:59:00.000-08:00

Go Kotick!

After the success of games like Just Dance, which placed dancing back on the map after years of DDR struggling to maintain relevance, and Dance Central, which took it to another technical level, it's no surprise that in their wake, a slew of other dancing titles have been released, trying to get a piece of the new best thing. Interchangeable, and of questionable quality, they're all out to get our dollars now via the medium of booty shaking.

Know what that means? Of course you do!

Rumor has it, Activision is working on their own competitor in the dancing space, predictably titled Dance Hero. Now before anyone gets inflamed with rage, know that shortly after purchasing the Guitar Hero brand, Activision went patent crazy, trademarking every possible permutation of Hero they could think of, running amok with expected Guitar, Drum, Rock titles affixed to the brand for prospective games , to more ridiculous sounding ones like Guitar Villain.Dance Hero was among the crazier of those patents, and three years ago, it sounded a lot more ridiculous than it does now.

...Yeah. Don't compete too hard with the crickets.

My question is: Didn't they learn from the last time they tried to go up against an innovator with their ingenuous, exploitative ways? I can't see this going anywhere good. Dance games in general are a questionable medium, so concerned with accessibility that none actually gauge performance accurately aside from Dance Central. Even monolith vet DDR doesn't capture the actual act of dancing in the way DC does. So WHAT exactly is Activision going to bring to the table aside from something blatantly bandwagon riding and devoid of effort like Michael Jackson: The Experience?

The more information I recieve for a rumor, the more I flinch, but apparently these are the songs allegedly in the works so far:

"2012" by Jay Sean (feat Nicki Minaj)
"Out Of Space" by The Prodigy.
"The Way I Are" by Timbaland (feat Keri Hilson and D.O.E.)
"Take Over Control" by Afrojack (feat Evan Simon)

Kotaku, you'd better be lying to me. I can't see any good coming of this.

Source: Kotaku

Oscillating challenge - Pendulum Mix Pack Review

2011-03-02T12:02:00.000-08:00

"We don’t do this just to fulfil a corporate aspiration – we want to make credible music games."

I fondly remember that quote, as it’s from Jaime Jackson, creative director at FreeStyle Games. Against all odds, DJ Hero released right at the point where the music genre was peaking in its oversaturation, and many, myself included doubted the game, on one level its credibility as a legit musical experience, and another as a competent game. Fast forward to now, two games and over 200 original mixes later, and not only was the game a huge success, but it brought fans of several genres together in a way that even Guitar Hero couldn’t manage. I know it introduced me to more than a few artists I never would’ve experienced otherwise, and this is a fine example. I think—no, I KNOW part of the fun of making a rhythm game must be the opportunity to collaborate with all kinds of artists in order to keep things fresh for the audience. In that respect, I think the quote above was fulfilled. Their efforts have never spoken of any corporate nudging, and more of artists doing just that, making genuine art.

Usually, their mixes are all original mashups, but every so often, they’ll single out an artist and do a few spirited remixes, putting their own mark, and sometimes even besting the originals. Now they’ve teamed up with Australian band Pendulum for their latest, and very likely last mix pack. Did they end this party with a bang, or was their unexpected last pack a dud that ends the series with a dull thud?

DJ Hero 2 “Pendulum Mix Pack" (Downloadable Content)
For: Xbox 360, PS3, Wii (Songs sold as individual tracks)
Publisher: Activision/Freestyle Games
Price: 640 Microsoft Points, $7.99 PSN, 300 Wii points (per track)
Release: 1/18/2011
Reviewed on Expert difficulty; Individual songs on a 1-5 point scale, overall is by 10 and not an average.

Pendulum - Salt In The Wounds

Crossfade spikes are actually my weak point, and this song has a TON of them, right out of the gate. Crossfading is one of my favorite parts of the DJH experience, as moving about between tracks with precision and rhythm is an intuitive feeling that’s second to none. That having been said, this is most definitely a crossfade track akin to 5th Symphony or Groundhog, where quick switches are balanced with on-switch taps and scratches to great effect!Sat in the Wounds was already a great piece of electronica, swift, yet dirty in the spots where it needs to slow down. Little has changed in FSG’s interpretation, as it’s still a very high energy song that sounds surprisingly like it plays. While it has a great deal more effects than its original version, the augmentations only serve to “Hero-ify” the track and turn it into a tricky challenge at best, and a more than suitable remix at worst. Quite nice.

Rating: 5/5

Pendulum - Set Me On Fire

This song was one of my favorites from the album—and with good reason, it reminded me of an old-school videogame, something that wouldn’t sound out of place aside a mid or final boss character. Its chiptune-like nature aside, the intensity it would lack as a rhythm-game song has been augmented heavily with a difficulty spike the likes of which I’ve never seen. The song starts off innocently enough sounding a bit too much like the original, then around the midway point, it goes absolutely mad and descends into a mélange of crossfades, scratches of unknown density, taps during holds, taps during scratches during holds—it’s madness. What all these elements do to the song is once again commendable, as the added scratches and voice samples to the track sound quite welcome, but be warned. You won’t walk away from this song with the same feeling you had as when it started. I know it threw me for a loop.

Rating: 5/5

Pendulum - Watercolour

Subdued compared to the other electronic, dubstep flavored offerings, this sounds more like a traditional electronic rock song, complete with “cry for help” lyrics. This isn’t a negative though. Being able to relax after the first two seems like a blessing…until you realize that it has the SAME difficulty spikes as the last track. It’s jarring, and a nice wakeup call to perhaps polish my skills a bit. Several segues into playing the drum or bassline are a nice touch as well, and really gives the feeling that you’re controlling the song, and simply not just playing along with the track. Again though, it’s really not for the easily frustrated. Why do they keep making me scratch and tap and spike at the same time? Blindsided twice in the same mix pack. Who would’ve thought..

Rating: 4/5

Being a bit late to the party doesn’t mean it’s over. With these tracks, FSG has solidified their position as some of the best developers ever to grace the rhythm action scene. It’s a shame that their last pack couldn’t be another fantastic addition to their library of original mixes, but this is nothing to sneeze at, because their remixes were of a similar quality, and is embraced all the same. This Pendulum pack is something great, a proof-of-concept in retrospect, and I do hope that at some point, we’ll have the opportunity to hear them out once more. It’s a shame to see their light burn out at the perceivable height of their popularity (Have you seen the DJ Hero 2 Facebook?), but all hope isn’t completely lost. The fate of the studio hasn’t been decided yet, and talks are underway as to how things are going to turn for them. Perhaps even though my dream of a Deadmau5 pack has been dashed, the ability to rock on with FSG in future endeavors will be eagerly anticipated, turntable controller or no.

Overall: 8.5

Lost in a Dream - DJ Hero 2 Trance Anthems Mix Pack

2011-02-28T06:28:00.000-08:00

Following news of my favorite rhythm series’ demise, It’s difficult not to write this with a bittersweet taste in my mouth, or at least pangs of regret and latent annoyance. By now, it’s no secret that Activision has officially shuttered all “Hero” game development moving forward in 2011, and with what is either a sick sense of humor, farewell gift or recouping of losses (I’m betting on 3), the existing DLC will still be available. This pack was the second to last pack released, and even though I’m admittedly a bit late, can you see why the sentiment is so bittersweet? I’ve always thought that the DJ Hero series just needed the time Guitar Hero did before the greats of its respective scene would recognize and contribute. If the release of the sequel wasn’t telling, what with its Deadmau5, Tiesto, RZA, and even Chemical Brothers shenanigans, then this Trance Anthems Mix Pack would’ve moved even the most stubborn artist. How far it’s come! Here we have Armin Van Buuren, Ferry Corsten, Paul Oakenfold, ATB, and even Paul Van Dyk in my DJ Hero. Excitement doesn’t describe. Pride doesn’t encompass the feeling.

..and yet, it’s a feeling that is hard to enjoy because the franchise is technically over. But is it any good? I’ll chew through my personal bias against their publisher’s tactics to find out, though I have little doubt..

DJ Hero 2 "Trance Anthems Mix Pack" (Downloadable Content)
For: Xbox 360, PS3, Wii (Songs sold as individual tracks)
Publisher: Activision/Freestyle Games
Price: 640 Microsoft Points, $7.99 PSN, 300 Wii points (per track)
Release: 1/18/2011
Reviewed on Expert difficulty; Individual songs on a 1-5 point scale, overall is by 10 and not an average.

Armin van Buuren - Imagine vs. Ferry Corsten – Punk

Punk is a dark, sinister sounding track with a raspy voice threatening to drag you into its abyss. By contrast, Imagine is a wondrous track that feels elevated and limitless, akin to soaring in space. I have a feeling FSG felt the same way, as the track sinks low in the beginning by rasping Corsten’s Digital Punk phrase early off, juggling its beats until Imagine intrudes, then nearly dominates the song completely until its climax. The feeling of sinking only to soar later can’t be savored however, as the song is not only high tempo, but loaded with simple scratches and fades rapid fired at you with nary a chance to breathe. Some oddly creative scratches (Down, Up, Drag down, Up, Down, Up?!) manage to sneak their way in as well, and the song really can keep you guessing by firing scratches and taps at a relentless pace from start to finish. Overall a pretty fun track, and definitely one for the reflexes as well as the sound.

Rating: 5/5

ATB - 9PM (Till I Come) vs. Paul van Dyk - For An Angel

Evoking more thoughts and feelings of wonder from me is this track. Even though it seems to favor the heavier, more side of the equation from ATB, the songs sound so similar that they practically complement each other to a tee, For An Angel actually softening the blow of 9PM’s beats. The crossfading in here is insane, choosing to bounce between tracks like mad, establishing their individual sounds before making you forget that they’re even different at all. Another interesting note is that despite more than a dozen challenging parts of its own, it never feels out of control of the player. In fact, this song has a chance to become unique between players as its LOADED with freestyle effects and crossfades, all of them sounding as superb as the turntablist can muster. The only question is really, whether or not you’re willing to endure a bit of a challenge for some creative freedom.

Rating: 5/5

Paul Oakenfold feat. Ryan Tedder - Not Over

It’s something to fear every time you’re dealing with a straight up remix in this game, but while the ethereal nature of the song is retained (helped greatly by Tedder’s lyrics), it loses a bit of that in favor of a higher tempo and wide range of effects that make the song much snappier. Distortions and samples abound, the song has an immediacy to it now that translates into its above average difficulty. For me, part of the fun of DJ Hero comes from occasionally being surprised by a difficulty spike akin to the quality of the track, and this one is one of the best examples of the rule. At every turn where you think you’ll be able to rest, there’s another tricky scratch, or series of spikes that will correct you in an instant. It’s that quality that’ll have me returning to this one again and again, honing my skills. If only the song spoke of the franchise..

Rating: 4/5

Even though I started this one one a bit of a somber note, not even the impending death of the franchise can’t dilute the amount of life it contains, and this pack is proof. Similar to the way that trance translates emotion into sound as proven by its auteurs, FSG proves time and again that they have the ability to take the works of the greats themselves and put their own mark on it, creating something amazing. Even with the music genre in a decline, it’s nice to see that similar to the way Guitar Hero put rock music back into the limelight and gave it a new audience, that DJ Hero can do the same and place turntablism in the light it deserves, recognized by the artists themseselves. Here’s to the ascent.

Rating: 9.0

Of Heroes and Bands

2011-02-10T08:17:00.000-08:00

First Rock Band, now this?

I can't say I'm surprised, Activision's merciless exploitation of the music genre in the height of its popularity may have something large to do with this, but as of right now, the Guitar Hero franchise is dead. Much to this writer's chagrin, this means DJ Hero is gone as well.

Sigh.

Losing the former isn't much of a concern to me. The series descended into self-parody and a caricature of it's former self the minute Harmonix jumped ship and chose to innovate elsewhere with Rock Band. Activision spent an unusual amount of time trying to play catchup, in turn choosing to oversaturate the market with titles and costly controllers instead of innovate on a fundamental level, and consumers responded by closing their wallets. For me at least, the Guitar Hero series died in late 2007 when the Neversoft developed Legends of Rock came out.

Even Slash can't completely cover up mediocrity. See what I did there?

I digress though. Losing the latter franchise? Hurts a bit. I saw the DJ Hero series as a fresh new start for the music genre, and one that was sorely needed after overall music sales began to decline. It was innovative, fun, and most of all, it had a boundless sort of creative potential that could've lasted. This didn't change the fact that it suffered an expensive controller of its own, and even I felt something was amiss when despite how excellent I felt DJ Hero 2 was, none of my friends or even customers I've spoken to shared my enthusiasm. Overstocked game/turntable bundles selling for $59.99 at my local Best Buy didn't soothe my nerves any better, though I saw it as an opportunity for the game to reach a wider install base. Baseless optimism.

Regardless, with these cuts come statements of intent from the mega-publisher, and they're already making me laugh:

"..In 2011, the company will allocate the majority of its resources and focus toward opportunities which we expect will afford us the greatest competitive advantages and the greatest potential for best-in-class quality, high-margin digital growth, and long-term success.."

Loosely translated? Continue collecting revenue from World of Warcraft and continue to exploit the Call of Duty franchise. It's funny watching this happen repeatedly. At the start of this generation, Activision was busy wringing the once-untouchable Tony Hawk franchise for every last drop. This was a process that doomed the series with consistent mediocrity leading up to the ill fated Tony Hawk: Ride and its plastic skateboard. Guitar Hero was a revolution, but after Harmonix's departure and success with Rock Band, Activision elected to release so many Guitar Hero titles that consumers wouldn't know which one to buy, and now the series has been killed following the story based rhythm "quest" Warriors of Rock. Men made mice. Gods made mortals.

The success of a franchise is not a go-ahead to beat us around the head with it in various untelligible shades until we're sick of your chicanery, Activision.

"Hey man, I don't know what they were thinking either."

Get ready, Call of Duty, with your $15 map packs and annual releases. You're about to be killed too.

I know I'm already sick of military shooters because of this franchise. How about you?

Sources: Neoseeker,Eurogamer

Does it stand for No Game Plan?

2011-02-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

So the NGP has been announced, finally. The rumors of its power, of its capabilities, how far off, etc. can be finally put to rest. All the original concerns seem to have been addressed, and even augmented with even better features. Quad core CPU and GPU, twin analog sticks, Touchscreen on the front, touchpad on the back, new flash storage media, and a new online store promising a focus on more digital content has been promised, and even demoed before the excited press. This thing isn’t looking to merely compete in the portable space, it feels like it’s designed to take over, providing a PS3 experience like for like, but in the palm of your hand, a claim that no other handheld device can make.

So why am I not excited?

I don't see anything promising in the announcement of a NGP, because all I see is a PSP 2. The original name is quite apropos, because I don’t see a new device. I see an amalgam of what’s popular right now. Touchscreen. Motion Control. Application store. ANOTHER proprietary format. The promise of the Playstation experience outside the home. Sound familiar?

I see the same empty promises, I see the same quest to be technologically superior, I see nothing other than the draw of taking my home console out of the house with me. I don't want to do that. While the allure of playing something akin to an Uncharted or Killzone is an excellent one indeed, those are PS3 experiences. This means a few things to me in this world of high definition displays and complementary home-theater-in-a-box setups. It means I don’t want it condensed. I want it every bit as grandiose and epic as the developer intended, because high definition assets are at a premium these days.

Killzone is a satisfying sci-fi epic that blew me away with its exceptional graphics and sound, a cushion that made its merely average gameplay a bit easier to swallow. Uncharted 2 is a blockbuster movie-like experience that took full advantage of my PS3’s ability to pump 720p visuals and 5.1 DTS into my brain. Why would I want to shrink that down to a small screen? Have my thumbs obscure screen real estate? Listen to it in stereo? It’s a waste of tech.

It's like James Cameron said, Watching Avatar on an iPhone is dumb.

This is Sony’s problem. They just keep rapidfiring portables at us, iteration after iteration of a Portable Playstation, trying to best everyone, with absolutely no idea why others continue to be above them in the portable space. No idea why all this graphical horsepower doesn't translate into instant success. It’s missing the realization that a portable gaming experience doesn’t need to replicate the experience of playing on console. It should, for all intents and purposes provide a different experience than what you can get in your home. Ports will be inevitable, but they’re a welcome convenience for a system that ISN’T trying to be the exact same one I have hooked up to my LCD. A 3DS is an interesting prospect because a 3D capable, dual screen, touchscreen device with internal and external cameras opens the door to all kinds of exciting prospects as far as game design. Even something older like Super Street Fighter 4 in 3D is an interesting revisit due to the 3D feature and its persistent challenge mode that utilizes the 3DS’ network capability.

What expierience does a NGP offer up that I can’t already do on my PS3? Take it out of my house?

I already said I don’t want to.

It’s a misappropriation of power as well.

Why couldn't this have been a PSN download as well?..

How many people have played MGS: Peace Walker, or either God of War game, or Grand Theft Auto on their PSP and wished it was on a console instead after the novelty of having a PS2 caliber game in your hands wears off? There’s always a bittersweet taste that comes with playing a high fidelity portable game, and it’s the fact that it would be better served on a console instead. Cost is yet another issue. If I’m going to pay a high cost, why not just shell out the extra dollars and get it fully uncompromised? Yet another boon of portable gaming has been trounced by the fact that my portable wants to be my console, and it's called being cost effective. DS games are affordable, very rarely touching the $40 range. Console competitive iOS games range from $5-10 dollars. Just how much are these PS3 caliber games going to cost on the NGP? The thought makes me flinch, along with the thought of how much the unit itself will cost.

Quick question: What happens when people are forced to pay premium prices for a digital experience they feel isn’t? Piracy.

The abominable situation surrounding the original PSP is proof of this.

It’s a situation I see being replicated in this one, if they aren’t careful. The NGP will come out, and when the novelty wears off, it will hard if they don’t have anything compelling lined up besides “Lol MGS4 portable”. When it gets jailbroken, and it most certainly will, I see this thing being used for more evil than those quad core processors were meant for. I see homebrew, hacks, and exploits aplenty as people push the boundaries that Sony themselves put in place, just because they can. I don’t see this being an NGP. I see it being a PSP2, being hacked, exploited, and ultimately used for the opposite reason Sony released it in the first place, just like the last one. The worst part is, there is legroom to carve out a unique portable experience yet. I just have a feeling it won't happen due to this endless chasing of a technological peak on their end.

It's frustrating to watch. Sony seems so out of touch with what its customers want at this point that it’s maddening. We just keep taking each new thing they throw at us, each time becoming more alienated in the process. Cool gadgets though?

I just hope I’m wrong in the end.

Outside the box

2011-01-30T12:01:00.000-08:00

I keep trying to figure out why I like watching Street Fighter so much.

Perhaps it’s the constant set of checks and balances I can see through and analyze, having played the game for years. Similar to those who watch sports and can drop statistics at the drop of a hat and know the players of the league, I know this game. I know the players. I can hardly see the difference between an NFL fan and myself in this respect.

Street Fighter in particular has always had a bit of a unique balance in my opinion. It has a set of rules that were instituted over two decades ago, and has only expanded—not completely changed, but expanded—as the years went on. Projectiles clash only with projectiles. A crouching mid may get you out of a sweep. A throw requiring some kind of input will easily beat out most attacks. These are intuitive constants that have stood the test of time and made Street Fighter into the fighter mainstay it is today.

However, no amount of foreknowledge can anticipate that upper echelon of players. Those that, against all odds and reason, know how to extrapolate the game in unforeseen ways, doing things the developers never thought possible. This extends to the community as well, as they discard yet another tier list and learn the hard way that a fighter’s base ability is nothing compared to the person using them.

This is the brilliance of Street Fighter, in my opinion. The allowance of just that much leewway means that the game you purchased may not be the same game you're playing next year, due to an ever expanding repetoire as more and more skilled players come to grips with the system.

I stumbled across this video while paging through the internets, looking for some decent footage to analyze. There are some profound things going on in this video, but whether you’re well versed or not, it’s quite the show indeed. I don't think even Capcom thought this was possible when they designed this version, but they better be proud..

After all, circumventing the system is what we gamers do best. Bravo!

Becoming Skynet

2011-01-13T03:00:00.000-08:00

There's no doubt that the Kinect is a fascinating piece of tech. But how does it work? Unsurprisingly, there's a lot going on under the hood of this thing. A very informative post on the Xbox Engineering Blog can clue you into that, if you're interested. Truly, it's really compelling stuff. Who knew something as simple as a hand gesture could be so radically complex to program? Algorithms? Thankfully, the tech speak is kept to a minimum, so even if you're not tech saavy, it's a great read.

I tell you, with every day I own this thing, the more I think $150 was a great bargain.

Think I'll go unplug it now before I get to bed. Feels like it's watching me.

How You Become The Controller (Xbox Engineering Blog)

Not Quite Numb – Linkin Park Mix Pack Review

2010-12-28T14:50:00.001-08:00

Well, this is strange. While there’s no denying the band’s popularity, I admit I’ve fallen a bit off of the Linkin Park bandwagon. I was there for Hybrid Theory, as was everyone else and loved it, and Meteora was groovy. Their fusion of alternative, industrial, rap and rock has always been an easy pill to swallow, and I still believe that no one can do it quite the way they do and have it sound great, with crossover appeal that extends into the ‘tough to crack’ urban community. That having been said, after Meteora, I fell off. I really liked Collision Course though it was an album of mashups, but my complete knowledge of Minutes to Midnight begins and ends with What I’ve Done, and I’ve barely listened to A Thousand Suns. In fact, prior to this pack’s release, I found myself questioning their relevancy to date, and was surprised they were even still making music. Embarassing? Hardly. But their album release this year (and relative popularity spike) likely prompted this pack, arriving casually and unexpectedly in my DJ Hero. With a hint of trepidation,I started to download. But I still found myself asking: “Is this even going to be remotely cool?”

“Who really asked for three Linkin Park remixes?..”

Fortunately, I’ve heard the songs featured in this pack. Should be interesting..

DJ Hero 2 "Linkin Park Mix Pack" (Downloadable Content)
For: Xbox 360, PS3, Wii (Songs sold as individual tracks)
Publisher: Activision/Freestyle Games
Price: 480 Microsoft Points, $5.99 PSN, 300 Wii Points (per track)
Release: 12/21/2010
Reviewed on Expert difficulty

When They Come For Me (Remix by Diplo)

A very cool remix with a middle eastern twang to it, it’s an easy, surprisingly bumpin track that’s as much fun to play as it is to rap using vocals…Really, why can’t more of the hip-hoppish songs flow like this one in vocals? The song has an undeniable rhythm to it, and its one that’s easy to get into and stay in the rhythm of once the song begins. Now, everyone may not like this new, almost reggaeton sounding like mix of the song, but I enjoyed it a great deal, and it really fits in with the style of the game a lot more than it would have in its original direction. It’s a tad on the easy side, but that isn’t an issue with this reviewer. Making it more difficult may have made it more hectic as a mix, and I think the nice mixture of taps (on cue with the drums!), lengthy freestyle sections, and generous crossfades are just tricky enough to keep even vets from turning their brain off for too long.

Rating:4/5

Pts.OF.Athrty (Remix by FSG)

An oldie, but goodie. Oddly, it’s very similar to the original remix (produced much later), but with a DJ Hero twist in terms of a variety of turntable effects to break up the action. Honestly, the song was already sick. Featuring Mike Shinoda’s commanding lyrical cadence on one end, and Chester belting out the hooks in a way that makes you stand up and take notice in another, it already felt like a hard hitting song to begin with. Now that the track has been augmented with a ton of on-point, rhythmic scratches and long stretches of bass and electric distortion, it has a sound that escalates and elevates above the original. It isn’t even the meatiest song in the world, but FSG took the multiple choruses within and made them so much fun to play, you don’t even notice. Bonus points for bringing me back to Hybrid Theory though, this track literally reminded me why I started liking the band in the first place. Jeez.

Rating: 5/5

The Catalyst (Does It Offend You, Yeah? Remix)

Overly preachy “lol anarchy” lyrics aside, this is The Catalyst with an Electro/DnB twist. Somehow, this makes it sound more like a Daft Punk song than is reasonably comfortable, but it’s still a fun listen, and as far as challenge goes, it’s the most difficult of the three, but that’s hardly a negative. It has a difficulty curve that’s spread evenly and nicely, with long note sustains and strange scratches thrown about, and the low tempo keeps things from being overwhelming until a nutty conclusion that sees fit to have you alternating between tapping and scratching while holding other buttons on the platter. Overall a pretty good mix, but in my opinion, it’s overshadowed by the first two tracks, likely because the tone of the song keeps it from being as fun as the first two, at least in my opinion.

Rating: 3/5

Man, was this pack a wake up call. Not just because it’s Linkin Park on display here, reminding me why I did like them a TON at one point, but because they did it without taking the easy way out and mixing One Step Closer or Numb. Linkin Park was so far off my radar that even a personal recommendation would’ve been met with trepidation, but I took the plunge here and walked away not only surprisingly unscathed, but without a shred of disappointment as well. Really, what took so long for their music to be featured here? Not only did it fit like a glove, but like the Jay-Z vs. Eminem pack before it, it took several tracks thought untouchable and made them work in ways I couldn’t have imagined. I mean, really. This pack singlehandedly made the band relevant to me again! There should've been an achievement for that along with this content, if you ask me.

Score: 8.5

I don’t know what’s coming next, but with 2010 as a reasonable gauge for expectations*, let’s hope the mixes keep on coming, and with even more variety and creativity than what’s already out.

Easy request to fufill, huh?

*Sure, the Old Skool Pack disappointed, but it was still bumpin’..

Old Schoolin' - Dj Hero 2 Old Skool Mix Pack Review

2010-12-20T15:04:00.000-08:00

It’s a good time to be a DJ Hero player.

Not only do we have what is considered the best game soundtrack released this year, but the usually unruly and stingy Activision has been supporting this game through the roof! No, really. Even Guitar Hero hasn’t seen this kind of support this year, and with FSG’s immense talent, it’s easy to see why they’ve thrown all their support behind this one. Hip-hop fans however, get shown a ton of love here. A great deal of the mixes in the game have much to do with that genre and R&B, and while the techno/electro fans complained that they didn’t get enough of what they loved, several excellent DLC packs did well to keep them at bay for a bit. But what of the crowd that needs their 32 bars? Sat idly by while the techno downloadables were too far out of their genre to even consider? Crossed their fingers and hoped this tidal wave of that which bumps and shocks would subside?

Their wait is over.

FSG’s back with the Old Skool Mix Pack, and just in case you felt like questioning their street cred, they’ve brought Tone Loc, Fat Boys, and The 45 Number among others with them.

Is it what we've been waiting for?

DJ Hero 2 "Old Skool Mix Pack" (Downloadable Content)
For: Xbox 360, PS3, Wii (Songs sold as individual tracks)
Publisher: Activision/Freestyle Games
Price: 480 Microsoft Points, $5.99 PSN, 300 Wii Points (per track)
Release: 12/14/2010
Reviewed on Expert difficulty

Beastie Boys - “Triple Trouble” vs. Tone Loc - “Funky Cold Medina”

It wouldn’t be “old skool” without the Beastie Boys, would it? While this is indeed a fact, the song Triple Trouble isn’t exactly their earliest work. This is a notion that quickly disappears once you realize what it’s being mixed with, the inimitable Funky Cold Medina! Since both songs use almost exactly the same instruments their mix is a deft one, with the Boys dominating the lyricism, and Tone Loc’s trademark drawl saved for the samples. While it is a funky mix, and there’s a hint of Loc busting out during the scratchfest that dominates the latter 3rd, it seems like a bit of a missed opportunity as far as a mix goes. I was hoping for a bit more FCM in the mix than there was on display, but I realize, it would’ve changed the tempo of the song drastically. Overall a moderately challenging song that displays hints of true greatness, but merely settles for being a cool track.

Rating: 3/5

Fat Boys - “Human Beat Box” vs. Mantronix - "King Of The Beats"

Now THIS is what I’m talking about! I knew I was in a treat the minute the song opened with the Fat Boys’ memorable beatboxing line (STICK EM!), and the song quickly segued into Mantronix’s amazing electronic beatmaking. Almost as if this is a fight between human and electronic beatboxing, the song constantly switches back and forth between the two in a way I can only describe as mindblowing. Each tap is a sample cued on rhythm, each freestyle section lets you mess around in a way that truly makes you feel in control, and I have to say, this is the closest feeling I’ll ever get to being a DJ of the 80’s. This is not only because the freestyle sections are abundant and cleverly placed, but it’s also due to some of the most creative scratch patterns I’ve ever played in a DJHero song to date. I even dropped my streak several times during the mix because I’d gotten so into it, I couldn’t help but throw in an extra tap or two along the way. Amazing.

Rating: 5/5

Tag Team - "Whoomp! (There It Is)" vs. The 45 King - "The 900 Number"

..and we’ve settled back down, with a mix that somewhat again reeks of a bit of missed opportunity. While Whoomp! is a definite classic, the decision to mix it with the slick (but repetitive) The 900 Number is what ultimately holds the mix back. You can only do so much with an amen break, and FSG did the best they could, augmenting Tag Team’s lyrics with the signature loop while chopping and screwing the lyrics for a good 1/3 of the song before letting it flow smoothly. The end result is a track that’s more fun to play than listen to, and the abundance of scratches and mad crossfades abound don’t do too much to distract from what is really just a lukewarm track. Not hot, not cold, just somewhere inbetween. Is that a bad thing when FSG’s production overall is better than most of what’s out there? No. But it is a bit of a rub, especially after that stellar second track.

Rating: 2/5

I entered this pack with the highest hopes, and a momentum that showed no sign of slowing, and I honestly walked away a bit underwhelmed by this one. It shouldn’t have been this way though. We had the Beastie Boys, we had Tag Team, even Tone Loc was along for the ride. This should’ve been a recipe for amazing like all the other tracks, but surprisingly, it’s the track selection that I feel did most of the damage here. While all the songs were definitely beloved classics, they just didn’t fit together as well as I hoped they would, nostalgia be damned. With the highest point being the amazing Fat Boys/Mantronix mashup, it makes the other two tracks stick out like sore thumbs, and it shouldn’t be this way when a great deal of Freestyle Games’ work is consistently excellent throughout. It’s good for what it is, but by no means a rush out and must buy..and for once, I envy the Wii owners’ purchasing scheme. Purchasing the second track alone would’ve made me feel much better about the money I spent this time around.

Overall: 6.5

(With a loss of upward momentum comes nothing but worry for the forthcoming Linkin Park pack.Here’s hoping this was a momentary misstep, and that it turns out excellent, instead of merely just good.)

Screw off. LittleBigGyp.

2010-12-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

So….let me get this straight. You have a nice little game prepared for your peripheral of questionable success, and to you guys, the logical thing to do is to make it Playstation Plus exclusive? A subscription fee for a “Free” download that could’ve easily been a $5-10 downloadable release?

WHO has Playstation Plus? Last I checked, it was a resounding failure on par with Home’s limited audience, and with questionable features like “early demos”, or “PS store discounts”, what did you expect? It was a attempt to stab at what made Xbox Live successful without actually knowing what made it successful (see PSPgo and the iPod Touch), and since they decided to keep giving away the online multiplayer for free, it further invalidated the $50 a year fee to all but the most dedicated of Sony blind followers.

If I can thank Sony for anything, it was giving me a choice NOT to have it, because it really is a worthless service. Pay…to get discounts? Some of which are usually only a savings of 2-3 dollars? Early demo access? I can wait a week. Free PSone download of THEIR choice every month? I’ll pass. Automatic game/system updates? How is that even a PAID feature?

By offering the entire infrastructure with negligible contrast between paid and free, they shot themselves in the foot right out of the gate. Also, their constant parroting that it’s “free” to play and communicate online with your friends (potshots at XBL) locked them into this position. They couldn’t have started charging for it even if they wanted to. It’d be a harsh betrayal of their fanbase. Kind of like the Qore subscribers that were screwed over because of PS Plus’ similar feature set.

Same thing going on here.

I understand that they REALLY need subscribers for the fledgling premiums. But this is stupid. They did it with High Velocity Bowling around launch time to a resounding backlash, and here we are again. Instead of making it available to the millions of PS3 owners, ESPECIALLY the ones who have bought the Move, they’ve bottlenecked the userbase to what I’m sure is a few hundred thousand (if that). The lot of early adopters who bought the Move this year and are still really wondering what the HELL to do with it are screwed as well. Good job.

The worst part of it all is, really. I like the Move. I think it’s forward thinking technology in the vein of the Wii remote’s physical input, and is in some ways better. I also like the way it’s marketed as a controller I can play real games with despite the inevitable presence of shovelware. That’s definitely something that appeals to me. But I don’t think Sony wants me to like the Move. Not like this they don’t.

I don’t want an EyePet. I want a Kinectimal. Echochrome II isn’t out until the end of the month. Despite the extra legroom the motion sensor gives me, I literally played the hell out of RE5 on my 360 and Heavy Rain is only worth going through another time BECAUSE of the Move integration. Sports Champions is tangibly pleasing but aesthetically dry, and really, The Shoot is the only game keeping me from shoving the controller up my nose in a WoW cancellation style freakout. They’ve got me shooting, ducking, spinning and all sorts of tomfoolery, making it easily one of the most tactile lightgun games I’ve ever played.

I can still remember the look on my face yesterday morning:

“A LittleBigPlanet Move game?! I didn’t see this coming..”

*clicks*

(Playstation Plus Exclusive)

“Surely they mean the ‘free’ price tag…eh, whatever. Good for them.
(Nope. No “Buy” link to be found.)

*incredulous stare*

Good job, guys. Minimum $17.99 just to play?

I’m good.

Rough and Tough - Hard Edge Mix Pack Review

2010-12-08T06:00:00.000-08:00

I remember questioning this seemingly endless momentum that FSG seemed to be on when I reviewed Electro Mix Pack, moments before I received the email from Activision announcing the Tiësto Mix Pack. Before I can even settle into the warm fuzzy place I’ve carved out for my turntable and I due to such a wonderful gift, this thing lands in my lap too. It doesn’t come alone either. It comes with news of two OTHER packs slated to release this month. To say I’m excited is the largest understatement I can muster, and I can’t really profess my love for this game any more than I already have. I’m excited. There. Said it again for effect.

December 14th marks the arrival of the “Old Skool Mix Pack”, dropping the tracks Human Beat Box vs. King of Beats (Fat Boys & Mantronix),Whoomp! (There It Is) vs. The 900 Number (Tag Team & 45 King, and Triple Trouble vs. Funky Cold Medina (Beastie Boys & Tone Loc)

On the 21st, The “Linkin Park Mix Pack” releases, featuring The Catalyst (Does It Offend You, Yeah? Remix) (FSG Remix), When They Come For Me (Diplo Remix), and Pts of Athrty (FSG Remix).

Crazy, right? For now however. Let’s indulge the one released on November 30th. The Hard Edge Mix Pack.

DJ Hero 2 "Hard Edge Mix Pack" (Downloadable Content)
For: Xbox 360, PS3, Wii (Songs sold as individual tracks)
Publisher: Activision/Freestyle Games
Price: 480 Microsoft Points, $5.99 PSN, 300 Wii Points (per track)
Release: 11/30/2010
Reviewed on Expert difficulty

Beastie Boys - "Body Movin'" vs. Lenny Kravitz - "Rock And Roll Is Dead"

What?! Why didn’t anyone think of this before? Beastie Boys’ classic hip-hop dance song Body Movin’, smashed into Lenny’s inverted praise of Rock? Sign me up. From the start, the snare and guitar kick in, immediately contrasts with the Boys’ loud lyrics, and the song just continues to elevate itself from there, with both songs almost in a call and answer style as far as lyrics, and Lenny’s band dominating the rest of the sound via instrumentals. This song is a fun to listen to as it is to play, and even rapping along to it is a blast, provided you know the lyrics beforehand. It’s not particularly hard, but when it sounds this much fun, I’m actually glad it wasn’t too challenging. This keeps the focus on the song at all times, and everyone in the room is much better off for the experience. Check off another favorite for me. If I could give my star ratings a gold version ala Rock Band, this song would definitely have it.

Rating: 5/5

Pixies - "Debaser" vs. The Prodigy - "Invaders Must Die"

Honestly, mixing anything with the Pixies is a recipe for success. Mixing The Prodigy can make anything golden. Now that I’ve got that initial bias out of the way, I can be objective and say “Damn”. Try and imagine. Invaders Must Die is definitely the most prominent sound here, and it’s completely in full effect here, with the insane lyrics of Debaser being chopped, screwed, and scratched frantically and seemingly to the whims of The Prodigy’s beats. It’s such a strange and unique sound that it’s instantly startling and instantly likeable when you realize just how much talent is on display. Of course, playing nice with such an insane combination is an insane challenge as well. The entire chart repertoire of taps, scratches, and their variations are all on display here, and they’re all thrown at you at a fast pace that doesn’t give your fingers time to rest (or transition if you aren’t quick). Really, I’m not trying to sound intimidating, because I want EVERY player to give this track for a spin. I’m just saying, be prepared.To break it down lightly, it’s about 796 notes in 3 and ½ minutes. Prepare to be rocked.

Rating: 5/5

While a bit skimpy at only two tracks, the Hard Edge Mix Pack still stands with FSG’s best offerings. Hard rocking, meaty and bass driven, and full of energy plus challenge, its price may be a bit hard to swallow, but really. It’s The Pixies, The Prodigy, Lenny Kravitz, and the Beastie Boys all in the same place! If you are a fan of Dj Hero 2 at all, you need this as part of your collection. It represents some of the best it has to offer, and like its best work, defines why we play the game. Fun, creative, unexpectedly bumping mashups that look just as awesome to play as they sound. Crank up the bass, grab a mic. There’s greatness afoot.

Rating: 10

Dividing By Zero - Tiësto Mix Pack Review

2010-12-06T19:01:00.000-08:00

'Cause there ain’t a thing wrong with free music…

The Tiësto Mix Pack is here, and it’s funny, because I didn’t expect another mix pack so soon, but to get it this fast, and free no less, was something amazing. You can imagine my surprise and disbelief as I signed into the rewards site, got my promo code, and used it to download this one. “Could this be any good?” I thought, as I read through the tracklist. Characteristically, when it comes to Tiësto, I have a particular taste for his music. I don’t care too much for his original music, but I’m in love with his remixes. But here, in this DLC, we have a pack of Tiësto music…remixed by Tiësto himself. Dividing by Zero? Twilight zone? This is exactly what I felt like. Not knowing what to think, I watched the bar fill up and crossed my fingers.

What. It’s free. This is a win/win/win situation, no?

DJ Hero 2 "Tiësto Mix Pack (Sponsored by Coca Cola)" (Downloadable Content)
For: Xbox 360, PS3, Wii (Songs sold as individual tracks)
Publisher: Activision/Freestyle Games
Price: Free during promo period
Release: 11/23/2010
Reviewed on Expert difficulty

Tiësto feat. Tegan & Sara - "Feel It In My Bones"

Ironically proving my earlier statements, it’s funny that my remix philosophy about Tiësto comes to life with the first song in this pack! This version definitely has a bit more kick than the original (making it a better sounding song all around), but “Feel It In My Bones” is still the soothing, bouncy love anthem it always was. The charting kind of reflects this, with a moderate challenge that has a great deal of fun crossfades that indulge each side of the track with a bouncy rhythm, and a gradually increasing challenge that goes a bit wild in the end, but remains level throughout. It’s not a particularly hard song, but it’s one worth returning to not only for its sound, but for its charting. If you need to practice fast switching and spikes, this song has plenty, and the toe of the song makes it run to play around with as well.

Rating: 4/5

Tiësto feat. Emily Haines - "Knock You Out" vs. "Young Lions"

Tiësto songs and their taps! FSG seems to love charting his mixes with a boatload of taps to mix his rhythms, and this song is no different from anything on disc, with this mix staying true to title and threatening to knock me out. Emily Haines’ vocals dominate while the beat from Young Lions guides the rest of the track along and keeps it danceable. This is, of course, provided that you have time to dance between long stretches of rapid taps and wildly placed crossfades. This song becomes a bit insane by the halfway mark and can be hard to keep up with, but that seems to be half the fun intended; keeping up with all the taps while struggling to keep the platter still. It’s a better than average track, and even though it isn’t better than the one before it, there’s plenty of reasons to return for the track later. DJ battles are a must with this one, and really, if you feel like spraining a finger or two, that’s an option as well.

Rating: 4/5

Tiësto - "Louder Than Boom" vs. "Traffic"

I have a bit of a history with Louder Than Boom. Being no stranger to Rhythm games, I remember looking at this song in the “Extreme” category of Tap Tap Revenge (iPhone) and thinking, “Oh! This’ll be fun..” before being assaulted by what I can only describe was a torrent of skittles (and finger death) pouring down my screen. I still believe that song is virtually impossible to play perfectly, but thankfully, this version is a lot more manageable. High speed taps, easy scratches placed in tricky places, and middling crossfades are the order of the day here, as two high tempo high speed tracks collide with surprising energy. Traffic’s influence on the entire mix is defeinitely present though, as it makes the song sound much heavier, and more robotic, a feeling I shared as I played along with it. Many of the sections are similar as well, which kills the variety, but it’s a blast to play, especially when you’re on a roll and begin to feel the song (a given with a good Tiësto mix) Just beware of the final third. It’s a doozy.

Rating: 5/5

Tap tap revolution! It’s something I didn’t notice until I managed to finally play a bunch of Tiësto in a continuous block, but his songs are INCREDIBLY tap heavy. This is a very clever move on the developers part, as most of his music is Trance/Electro, and thus doesn’t have much need for scratches or even varied crossfading, depending on the track. It feels very much like running your own effects and sound equipment, and that’s a great design choice on their part. Overall, I enjoyed this one a great deal. It does reek a bit of advertising madness, being sponsored by Coke and all (along with just about all of these tracks being from his most recent album, Kaleidoscope) But at the low price of free, (if you caught it during promo week) combined with the fact that he always fits like a glove in this game, it makes for a great, listenable pack that I’ve taken to throwing on when I’m even just lounging around my house.

Tres excellent.

Overall: 8.0

Electric Boogaloo - DJ Hero 2 Electro Mix Pack Review

2010-11-24T06:27:00.000-08:00

If you’re a fan of DJ Hero,you’re likely asking for two things. More music, and a larger presence of electro/techno. Fortunately, Freestyle Games acknowledges that there are two types of people in this world. Those who like Electro, and...everyone else. But the fans, (especially those overseas) demanded it, Freestyle Games listened, and now for our listening pleasure (or horror), the Electro Mix Pack is finally here. Countering the preponderance of amazing hip-hop and R&B mixes this game contains is no small feat however. Does it stack up in a way that’ll make our European and electro fans happy, ALONG with the somewhat alienated American audience?

Hmm..

DJ Hero 2 "Electro Mix Pack" (Downloadable Content)
For: Xbox 360, PS3, Wii (Songs sold as individual tracks)
Publisher: Activision/Freestyle Games
Price: 640 Microsoft Points, $7.99 PSN, 300 Wii points (per track)
Release: 11/16/2010
Reviewed on Expert difficulty

LMFAO "I'm In Miami" vs. Green Velvet "Shake & Pop"

I have a bit of a funny relationship with LMFAO (read: indifference) and nothing has really changed..until now*. The key difference between then and now is the addition of Green Velvet's "Shake and Pop". Both songs have a similar beat structure, a heavy, dirty electro sound, and the result is a pretty danceable mashup combines the best of both while throwing a pretty decent challenge around as well. There are strangely off-beat taps to deal with, a decent number of rhythmic crossfades, and plenty of freestyle sections that allow you to mess around with each track as you please.

Overall, a pretty fun, nonthreatening track that's more memorable for it's off-key challenge than its sound.

(*..I still don't like them.)

Rating: 4/5

Steve Aoki feat. Zuper Blahq - "I'm In The House"

While it doesn’t sound terribly different from the original, this beat juggle of Steve Aoki’s I’m In The House actually in my opinion surpasses the regular version with a heaping dose of crazed turntablism. Crossfades aplenty, taps inside of crossfades, scratches inside of taps inside of crossfades, plenty of freestyle sections, and an elevated pace make this not only one of the most challenging songs in the game, but an incredibly fun track that makes you feel like you’re in control of its high speed sound. Though it’s a great listen, this track actually became my favorite in the entire pack to play, no small feat considering the mixes in the final track..

Rating: 5/5

Simian Mobile Disco - "Hustler" vs. Technotronic - "Pump Up The Jam"

This is brilliant. No, really. Similar to the first mix, both songs were picked with an expert ear—the tracks sound similar enough in structure to segue into each other with nary a hitch, and they’re blended so incredibly well here, it almost makes you wish the original sounded this good. Pump Up The Jam’s shoulder moving rhythms flow perfectly into Hustler’s periodic lyrical injections (I'm a hustler, baby) during verses and saves the louder, more energetic parts of both songs for the hooks. The chorus lines are also the parts where the turntable is going to see the most work, with heavy scratches dominating most of the rhythms, and taps filling in the blanks where the unpredictable crossfades won’t fit. If I have any complaint, it’s that the challenge of the song does at times distract from it’s great sound, but it’s still highly enjoyable and a fun track to play in battle mode because of its unpredictable rhythm.

Rating:5/5

Overall, I can’t say I had a problem with this pack. I’m not the biggest fan of electro, but the songs chosen were iconic and fun enough to play, and the challenge is still up there in a way that still keeps the game fresh, even if you’ve already 5-starred most of (or all) of the game already. Yes, it's true that the gere may not appeal to you, but I'd encourage most fans of music to check it out due to the fact that you may experience the Guitar Hero effect (fandom gained by playing new music instead of just listening) and gain yourself some new artists to add to your roster.

Rating:9.0

It’s funny, between release and now, we’ve seen 6 all-new mixes, 14 returning ones from the original, and one can only wonder, what’s next? It’s been 20 extra songs in a little over a month! They’ve got to keep this momentum going as long as they’ve got it, right? I know I’m prepared for--

...Oh.

Well! This might be worth checking out..I looks like it’s free and only going on for a week..

Return of the Pack - DJ Hero 2 DLC Review

2010-11-10T20:24:00.001-08:00

This is late.

Arguably, I've been busy, or you could say I've just been busy playing this.

The love affair with DJ Hero 2 continues. Even a month later. The music's still amazing, the mixes are still fun to play, and I've even picked up the mic more than a few times to go along with what my friends are doing on the wheels of ...plastic?

Ahem. It's a great time.

But we aren't so easily satisfied. With the learning curve and amazement of innovation missing this time around, returning players and pros are already clamoring for more music. Most of all this particular reviewer has bee scratching his neck feverishly, and can you blame him? They've promised to consistently deliver, with the first pack hitting two weeks after release.

If what I experienced last week was any indication of what's to come for the next 12 months, then...oh man.

DJ Hero 2 "Hit Makers Pack" (Downloadable Content)
For: Xbox 360, PS3, Wii (Songs sold as individual tracks)
Publisher: Activision/Freestyle Games
Price: 640 Microsoft Points, $7.99 PSN, 300 Wii points (per track)
Release: 11/4/2010
(Pack was reviewed at Expert Difficulty)

The first thing that immediately stands out about DJ Hero 2 are the high production values. Not talking about the graphics, but the music. Just about every track is so well produced, so seamlessly cut and mashed it's almost startling to play. It's something that has to be seen to be believed. Everything feels so professional, so alive, it evokes an almost incredulous moment of disbelief that you're experiencing them through a turntable controller instead of an actual deck, or in a club.

This feeling carries over into the DLC almost to a tee, with three mixes hitting all the right notes in a way that feels like FS Games are asking us--

"What, you thought we were done?"

Usher feat. Will.I.Am - "OMG"

Going off this track alone, the answer is no. The only remix of the pack that isn't a mashup, it sounds largely the same, but definitely has a higher tempo and feels even more like a Black Eyed Peas track than it did before. The upside is that this song's lyrics make sense, and it's hell of a lot of fun to play. Challenging taps, some fun freestyle parts, and some fun rhythmic scratches make a very danceable track even better.

Rating: 5/5

Big Boi feat. Cutty - "Shutterbugg" vs. Mark Morrison - "Return Of The Mack"

Easily the standout track of the entire pack, this mix of Shutterbugg with the classic Return of the Mack is not only the best mix in the pack, but it's one of the best mixes in the entire game. Big Boi's boisterous lyrics fit in perfectly with Morrison's returning player theme, and what results is an excessively smooth track that even manages to incorporate En Vogue in one part. Disappointingly, it doesn't have many freestyle crossfade sections, but it's a minor complaint.

The song just reeks fun and old-school flavor, and is a blast to play as well, with clever crossfades, well placed samples, and one (aww) freestyle crossfade that lets you blend Shutterbug's jumpy beats and RotM's smooth draw to great effect towards the end. It's just superb.

Seriously. I dare you to listen to "Return of the-- B.I.G. B.O.I." and not shift in your seat with excitement.

Rating: 5/5

Rihanna - "Umbrella" vs. Marvin Gaye - "Let's Get It On"

It sounds strange in a preview, and even as a complete song, it still sounds odd. But there's something about the closing track of this mix pack that just -works-. It may be because mixing Marvin Gaye with anything may be a recipe for success, but Rihanna's come hither lyrics slowed down running over MG's song just feels nice, and makes Umbrella listenable (I can't stand the original). The excessively slow tempo may throw one for a loop, but it's a decent challenge, if only the freestyle sections were more unique, but there's hardly anything to play with on the few times you do get to have control. Pretty solid, pretty cool, but definitely the odd one out.

Rating: 4/5

Saving the best for last, the backwards compatibility update is out as well, and more than just a simple import track option, they've also been updated with all of the freestyle moves and new gameplay additions from the sequel! Sometimes the new additions work well, sometimes they just sound strange, but the undeniable cool that comes with playing the DLC tracks from the original and scoring into the stratosphere negates said rough patches (mostly related to samples). Also, call me crazy, but it seems as if more post production was done on each track, because they sound MUCH cleaner than they did before. It's just a shame you can't "like" the track like the on-disc songs, but it's hardly a deal-breaker. Even though this update took a while, it was well worth the wait.

Rating: 5/5

I'm always happy to announce when Freestyle Games has done it again, and they have. This pack is a great way to kick off all the new DLC, and because the backwards compatibility update is out as well, now couldn't be a better time to be a DJ Hero 2 player.

Here's to the Electro Mix Pack on Tuesday, yes?

Actualized Love Pixels

2010-11-10T08:40:00.000-08:00

I've been a bit busy these days.

Not too long to game, however. Well, portably.

So inbetween the cracks of my daily life, I find myself checking the APP store weekly, and I happened across a retro ditty by the name of Pix'n Love Rush.

It's pretty cool.

Clocking in at a fine .99 cents and featuring no narrative, clear objective, or goal, you're tasked with guiding this funky creature (think a Space Invader who sprouted legs through an endless gauntlet of random platforming challenges set to the best of pixel lore.

If you read that last sentence and started scratching your head, let me explain. Via running and jumping, you have one objective: Collecting coins. As you collect more, avoiding enemies and obstaces, your multiplier goes up. As your multiplier increases, the entire visual makeup of the game morphs (along with the music) from a high definition, almost Geometry Wars like aesthetic to a look more inclined to a GameBoy Advance. Collect more, and it switches to a Virtual Boy like display, with Tetris-esque imagery and a red, pixilated tone.

This continues until you're at your most basic, which starts looking more akin to a 1989 gameboy. Not only is the visual effect extremely cool and seamless, but with each change, the stages get tougher and more varied, with red herrings like disappearing platforms, and vertically scrolling stages ala Ice Climber It almost feels like you're going backward through portable console generations, and with only one hit required for you to lose momentum (and one multiplier), it quickly turns into a frantic twitch affair, both in its 5 minute and endless modes.

The package is pretty barebones, yes, with little to unlock other than the aformentioned infiinite mode, but it doesn't change the fact that what little you do get is addictive. There's a certain charm in its old-school feel, and things get just frantic and shaken up enough in the later levels to keep things interesting. There are also Game Center achievements, and leaderboards to extend the frenzy a bit, but really, this is the kind of game that doesn't need to bribe you to come back. After all, who doesn't miss the times when our sole purpose was either running or jumping?

Oh yeah. It's also a dollar. Seriously. :)

Retinasizer does.

2010-11-01T13:48:00.002-07:00

I have a bone to pick with certain developers on the iPhone.

To be honest, post June 24th, 2010, no one has any excuse to make a game that doesn't support the Retina Display. None!

If you are a developer who has a AAA title that you update periodically (looking at you, Capcom, SF4?!), you have no excuse. Why do you want your games to look bad on the new display that you know everyone else will be using?

We have moved on. We have since doubled our display resolution from 480x320, to 960x640.

This means that games fitted for the older resolution are being blown up for the newer display, with a disgusting pinch of edge smoothing for good measure.
I have personally refused to pay $9.99 for Sonic 4 in the App Store until they fix this. Many games, like Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars , also share the same fate (the latter being a slap in the face because R* took the time to upconvert it for the iPad)

But in the interim, we have jailbreaks. A free update through Cydia called Retinasizer by Sticktron does exactly what Sega and those other companies refuse to do in the form of a tweak that forces game content to run at the iPhone 4's higher resolution. It doesn't work with every game yet and is still very rough around the edges, but there's no denying that if someone can come up with a general purpose tweak and force it, then these companies are just sleeping on purpose.

If you have a (jailbroken) iPhone, I implore you to check it out, as the difference really is night..

..and day.

They spinnin' - DJ Hero 2 Review

2010-10-28T21:26:00.000-07:00

DJ Hero 2 is amazing.

You knew I was going to say that though, and it's funny how long I've come in a little over a year. Originally a detractor, turned fan, turned high ranking leaderboard jockey (I was in the top 5 on the leaderboards for a spell), it's safe to say that the unique, aurally innovative title got it's hooks into me and refused to let go.

When say that it refused though, I mean it. I've been across the original's 93 song list on Expert with 5 stars and beyond, purchased every DLC pack doing the same, and spread the love amongst my friends, hooking them as well and letting them know that an oversaturation of plastic instruments in the market did -not- mean that the music genre played not by only one note but by several, just cut and mashed to perfection. It wasn't the most social game however, with most sessions being limited to 1 on 1 battles people didn't want to engage in (especially with me), and an incredibly steep asking price turning others off (It went for $129 and $199 respectively..)

A year, and a reduced price later, the release of its sequel boasts not only a near equal number of new mixes, but a new career mode, expansions on the old gameplay, and a new social component that not only brings with it a new way to play with friends with new multiplayer options, but adds a Facebook-esque persistence to the whole online endeavor as well. Does it hold up though? Or--

Wait, are you kidding?

This is really how a sequel should feel.

Several stylized corporate logos in, and the sense of "new" is immediately evident. A new, sleek porcelain menu replaces the gaudy graffiti-like club flyer interface of the first game, a Facebook-like news feed pops up and replaces the ignorable RSS-like feed from the first game, and everything just looks and feels nicer. The visuals, the animations, everything combines to pull off a convincing club atmosphere, down to the crowd chiming in during mixes. This complete visual package carries over into the UI as well, as notes pop off the screen more than the original, the gauges and icons are larger and more prominent, and the star meter has recieved an upgrade as well. In some ways, because of these changes, it feels like more of a reboot than a sequel to the original.

The game starts you off asking if you'd like to view the tutorial, veteran or no, and with good reason. At first glance, the gameplay at first glance looks mostly unchanged, but slowly, the differences start to creep in. Vocals replace the terrible Guitar Hero mixes from the first with special attention to pitch for harmonizing and cadence for rapping/speaking, but it's really playing second fiddle to the main feature. In DJ Hero, with turntable in hand, you're tasked with crossfading, sampling, and scratching between two tracks to the beat of the music as gems and icons fall down a track shaped like a record. Much of that is still the same, but with all new held taps and long arrows during scratches that require you to hold a button and drag the turntable in a certain direction. If that sounds too boring and familiar for real change, fret not, because a whole new degree of user freedom has been injected into the mix.

At first, it's something strange and awkward, but after a few mixes, experimentation kicks in and you're left wondering why something so open ended and natural wasn't added before. Every track now has freestyle crossfade sections that let you mess around with one or both tracks at the same time, along with samples that change dynamically during the song (no more out of context YEEEEAAAAHH BOOOOYEEEE in every mix), and scratches whose tempo and duration are left up to your own creativity. It's something that makes the songs sound like they're truly under your control and practically ensures that any two people playing a mix won't have the exact same result. As you can imagine, all these new additions rear their heads constantly and to a point, simultaneously on higher difficulties.and if you thought "Groundhog" in the first game was difficult, prepare to have your fingers and wrists destroyed by what they have in store here. It's no stretch to say that the difficulty has increased, but with all the new additions feeling more natural than overbearing, the songs are still a blast whether you're a tried and true vet, or just a beginner.

Navigating the sleek new menus, there's a new option right underneath quickplay, and it's the meat of the single-player experience found within. Dubbed "Empire", it's starts you off naming your own party spot, picking a DJ, and traveling around the world mixing and battling others in a bid to build a virtual empire with you at the center. Along with some very cool intros from each venue seguing into phenomenal new megamixes (continuous sets of 3-4 songs blended together into one huge mix), there are setlists to complete, one on one battles to win, and many, many new things to earn on the way to the top. If only the "top" didn't lie in theory.

I say in theory because really, if there's any complaints to be had about Empire mode, it's that the feeling of being an up-and-coming DJ building a superclub from scratch is surprisingly absent. Yes, you start out picking a DJ, naming your club, and starting out in Ibiza of all places for your first set, but it's a red herring of a setup that ultimately doesn't deliver. You end up spinning in several venues across the world, go toe to toe with DJ superstars and amateurs alike, but it simply doesn't feel like it goes anywhere by the conclusion. There's no management to be seen, no money to earn from playing sets, no crowds to manage as a barometer for your own club's success, hell, even customization of your avatar is limited to a few predetermined costumes. It's a bit of a missed opportunity, and it's not something that ruins the career, but the potential in customizing and expanding your own party spot (or being able to create your own venue) is hopefully something that'll be explored in future DJ Hero games. As it stands, Empire is little more than a new coat of paint on the challenge based structure of last year's game.

Somewhat making up for this though, are the varied community options available. Every significant action you take, from making into a certain bracket on the leaderboards, to completing a challenge in empire, gets reported in a "Hero Feed" that shows up on all your friend's screens via pop up like Twitter. Challenging a friend's dominance in a particular song is a button press away from a notification, and the upgrade to the star meter I mentioned earlier? It now dynamically lists your friend's gamertags in order of high score, and you can either come close to or knock them off their pedestal in real time. It's a small tweak that goes a long way in making the game's userbase seem consistently alive. Fansites like Scorehero have been doing this since the release of the original Guitar Hero, but to see it seamlessly woven in here is a sign of progress.

The multitude of modes injected into the multiplayer do well to inject some much needed life into the original and its boring score battles, addressing a chief complaint about the first having very little to do when a second turntable is in play. There are star battles as before, though now you can steal rewinds and freeze the other player's track, accumulator and streak battles for you to compete on a technical level, DJ battles on special versus tracks that leverage speed and skill over scores, and more. Better still, a Call of Duty like experience and rewards system was added as well, and there are a ton of levels, icons, and titles to unlock on the road to the top. Playing constantly to get a higher score was the most addictive thing about the original, and with all these new features (including issuing challenges to friends after a mix), it ends up feeling more like an Empire mode than the actual game.

My small complaint about the career doesn't detract from the true backbone of this game though, and it's in the game's phenomenal soundtrack that DJ Hero 2 ultimately delivers. The first soundtrack was mostly composed of hip-hop, R&B, and a smattering of electro and techno. Things haven't changed drastically for the second,but things are more eclectic this time, with a broader range indulging disco, trance, house , reggae, and even current pop hits for this intallment. There are overall less mixes than the last game, but it's a moot point. Ever wonder what Kanye West's "Heartless" would sound like mixed with Lady GaGa's "Lovegame"? How about Sean Paul's "Get Busy"mixed with Harold Faltermeyer's iconic "Axel F"? Busta Rhymes vs. House of Pain? Once again, the game boasts an absolutely amazing soundtrack of mashups that'll have you scratching your head when read on paper, then dancing when you actually end up hearing them. The aformentioned megamixes of several of these tracks are a welcome addition the package as well, not only do they nail the seamless transitions between tracks that's normally common in turntablism, but they are an absolute knockout as well. One can only hope that they make it into the next game in a broader form, or that they at least become front and center during the deluge of generous DLC the developers have planned in the upcoming months.

It was a bit tough writing this review to be honest. I have a very strong love for this game, and it took a great deal of effort to simply not fanboy myself all over the place, but at the end of the day my original statement still stands. This game is amazing. The additions and refinements echo a developer who clearly listens to their fanbase, the game was made more challenging without sacrificing fun, the multiplayer is fun, and somehow, they managed to trump the first game's soundtrack with one that's even better, and arguably without peer in the genre.

Yes, even with Rock Band 3 on the horizon.

It's that real.

Why are you still here? You should be playing this. Now.

Say what you will about Sonic 4..

2010-10-23T07:09:00.000-07:00

But this is something impressive. With spot-on gameplay, vibrant colors, an intense (though possibly a little too busy) visual style, and music that faithfully represents the original yet has a style all its own, a three act demo for the infmaous Sonic Fan Remix is finally here. The best part is, without a shred of fanboy bias or hype behind my words, I can admit it is damn fine. While I won't go as far as the rest of the internet and say that the two(!!!) guys who worked on this have beaten Sega at their own game and bested Sonic 4, it is certainly impressive, and gives me chills just thinking about what they could do to the Chemical Plant Zone or Mystic Cave.

The three act demo of the Emerald Hill Zone can be found here, and it's definitely worth checking out if you even have a shred of Sonic fandom left in you.

Even if you don't, LOOK AT THIS THING. Here's hoping no one's lawyers try and put a stop into this gorgeous labor of love, eh?

Hot Rod Time Machine - Sonic 4: Episode 1 Review (iPhone)

2010-10-13T22:55:00.000-07:00

Also on Chocolate Lemon!

From the outset, Sonic 4 wants to win you over with nostalgia.

It's evident in the opening splash screens, Sonic running back and forth before that iconic and instantly familiar "SEGA" scream rings out. It's front and center as Sonic pops out of his crest and shakes his finger with a 'tude. Pressing start yields the sound effect from the original Sonic Adventure. All the pieces are in place, it seems, and after numerous delays, controversial fan backlash, and the ever-present notion that this attempt to be a reboot/remake/sequel could just completely jump the shark (problematic mine carts notwithstanding), Sonic 4 is finally here, and before the console releases to boot. The #1 question in fans' minds though, is: Sixteen years after the release of Sonic 3, is it the sequel we were all waiting for?

Well....let me just say I understand "hardcore" Sonic fans a bit more now.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating the abrasive, heavy-handed way that the more dedicated of Sonic fans approach every new game in the series. Pitchforks and stakes in hand, they're ready to completely trounce every new attempt to bring this series anywhere past 1992, both aesthetically and gameplay wise.

I am not one of those people. I'm in fact a huge fan of Sonic since the series' beginning and couldn't care less about their petty grievances, but immediately upon starting the game, something does stick out like a sore thumb.

The series trademark physics, something very easy to take for granted, seem off here.

Sonic games have always had a tangible, weighty sense of speed and inertia, and what developer Dimps have come up with here is a system that works, albeit inconsistently. Navigating Sonic is rarely a serious problem, But rarely does he feel like he has inertia, as he often just feels heavily programmed. It leads to jumps being floatier than they should be, speed getting marred by an almost erratic acceleration that's simply too fast to start or too slow to peak, a strangely magnetic attraction to flippers and bumpers, and things like ramps and loops occasionally defying gravity by making Sonic lose all momentum when curled into a ball.

This should NOT be happening.

It's as if a heavier sort of physics system from Sonic Rush was in play, but where the former had almost an entire focus on speed and moving forward with very little platforming, Sonic 4 shares level design quirks with the Sonics of old. Given that this was the general spirit, having controls that are slanted towards his new gameplay design is a bit ill advised. It works, but it's something to adjust to. If I had any abrasive fanboy whine of theirs to subscribe to, it would be this one, yes.

With that immediate gripe out of the way, I can finally let you know that despite that odd quirk, Sonic 4 is an absolute blast.

From the outset, the game's four Zones outright let you know this is a sort of retro revival, as the Splash Hill, Casino Street, Lost Labyrinth, and Mad Gear zones all have the distinct look and feel of previous stages in the series. Splash Hill has the rolling hills and corkscrew loops that made the previous Green and Emerald Hill Zones iconic first stages, Casino Street has the neon, oversaturated feel of Casino Night Zone, Lost Labyrinth is a trap filled maze akin to the Labyrinth Zone, and Mad Gear has all the tricky platforming and infuriating enemy spawns that made the Metropolis Zone one of the toughest Sonic levels ever. The music filling each stage is great as well, emulating many of the original 8-note compositions from the Genesis originals, and sounding truer to the spirit of Sonic than the horrible butt-rock that has plagued the series since 2000.

But make no mistake -- while these levels are clearly a homage, their designs are completely original, matching and in some ways even besting their inspirations. Massive, and filled with alternate paths, shortcuts, and secrets aplenty, they very closely nail that perfect balance long forgotten since the franchise's heyday. Well timed jumps and tense platforming sections are rewarded with stretches of speed or alternate (usually faster) paths through a stage, and each stages three acts are all detailed enough to warrant multiple playthroughs, especially for the boss battles that balance looks from the past with surprising new moves. (Special stages have returned as well, with a special surprise for anyone who collects them all) There are also clever gimmicks thrown into a few of the stages, and while they don't all work, tilting the phone to direct a minecart through a high speed maze, or keeping up momentum as a grinder bears down on you are nice diversions from the action.

The control, something I didn't mention until now, is very nice as well. The d-pad and single button given are very accurate, and very responsive (save for the occasional crouch), which is something considering the fact that you're forced to use a touch screen. However, as great as it is, a lot of this wouldn't feel as tight without the newest addition to Sonic's arsenal: The homing attack. It seems like a minor convenience at first, but what you'll find is that it lends a subtle rhythm to his usual run 'n' jump formula, something you'll notice as seemingly innocuous strings of enemies become paths to a shortcut, a botched jump gets corrected, or previously impossible jumps become manageable with just that small boost. It's a fun, logical addition to Sonic's classic gameplay, and its one of the many factors that make this truly feel like a real sequel.

All of this does not make for a perfect game however, and Sonic 4 is not without its flaws. Some levels still feature the series much maligned bad enemy placement and cheap shots, and while some can arguably be avoided with sharp enough reflexes, others simply have to be tripped in order to be aware of their presence. Some of the gimmicks are suspect as well, with one in Lost Labyrinth that doesn't explain itself until you've spent a life or two, and a particularly nasty one in Casino Street that makes the level impossible to finish if you mess up a homing attack on a string of enemies towards the end. The homing attack is a bit suspect as well, sometimes not locking on to targets right away, or locking on when they can't be reached (sending you flying into a wall or to your death) There's also a funky screen rotating effect when going through loops that you'll either love or get motion sickness from, depending on your cup of tea. I thought it was cool, frankly, while it drove a friend of mine crazy.

Motion Sickness!

The graphics are nice too, featuring colorful backgrounds and a great looking 3D model for Sonic himself, but the game inexplicably lacks retina display support, which means that the game looks great on anything but an iPhone 4, where the low resolution becomes more apparent and the game takes a bit of a washed out tone more akin to a DS title. For a iOS game released after June 24th, this is not just a minor oversight, it's inexplicable. The console versions feature some of the most gorgeous high-res CG I've seen in a downloadable title, it would've been nice to say the same here.

A list of complaints is a bit moot however, when the overall package is so well done. Despite its minor and occasionally major flaws in the design and gameplay department, Sonic 4 on the iPhone is not only a sequel that successfully updates classic Sonic gameplay for the next generation, but is a great sneak peek of what to expect from the HD versions as well. If the small bugs and annoyances are ironed out of the next installments of this planned episodic series, then we are all in for a real treat indeed, as Sonic Team (with help from dimps) seems to have tapped what made Sonic successful in the first place, and man, are they on the right track.

Just like '91.

Here's to many more.

Shut up long enough to make a good game.

2010-10-12T07:15:00.000-07:00

My god, they've been running a smear campaign on the power of the 360 since the damn hardware was revealed (Xbox 1.5, anyone?), and 5 years later, against all odds (measured by Sony), the system has been able to hold its own, in many ways matching and even besting the PS3's lineup technically as well as artistically.

So why am I still reading lines like this?

"Well, yeah. Yeah. I mean we're still a way away from launching so we're probably going to throw more stuff on that Cell processor. So yeah... Do you think [Xbox 360] could pull off Uncharted 2? Everyone's comparing us to Uncharted 2, so if you think you can make Uncharted 2 on Xbox then OK maybe you can make Infamous 2 on Xbox."

--Darren Bridges, Sucker Punch

Nevermind the fact that inFamous wasn't a technical marvel to begin with and its sequel is really less than groundbreaking in the visuals department (compared to Uncharted 2? WHERE?)It's always the same thing. Somehow, some way, if you're making a PS3 game, it's absolutely imperative that you annouce it isn't possible on any other console at some point during its development.

I realize that mudslinging is a favorable part of any console makers strategy, but when does it stop being clever and start being shortsighted? I keep seeing this trend exemplified in first-party titles like Ratchet and Clank, God of War 3, Killzone 2, and most infamously in Assassin's Creed 5 years ago, with an all-too-catty Sony ready to declare that the game's advanced animation system and physics were too detailed for the 360 to handle. (The game later released with negligible differences.)

Anyone ever hear of Nintendo constantly defending the Wii's honor, touting its motion control like some kind of safety net? How about Microsoft? As far as I can see, they or Nintendo don't care, because at the end of the day, people either buy the games or they don't. Sony devs however, feel it necessary to prove themselves through statements and graphical or hardware specs instead of gameplay. Does PS3 have more raw power? Yes. However, all the potential in the world means nothing if no one's tapping it, and so far very few developers outside of their vaunted first party on PS3 has used it in a unique or compelling way.

Haven't I seen this before?
What WOULD be appreciated, are statements rooted in fact about actual limitations, and how they relate to a game's direction. Not some mini seminar about the PS3's SPUs, or the Cell processor, or the blu-ray disc, and how it adds up to some unassailable miracle formula. There are a ton of factors that go into a game's development on console, from how their CPUs delegate tasks, to their GPU and the amount of redering techniques possible (zzz), but at the end of the day, they are JUST SPECS. They aren't physical, or legal reasons a game can't be multiplatform, they are numbers, and numbers were invalidated the minute consoles became so complex we couldn't define them by bits anymore.

64-bit game. Seriously.

It's really unfortunate, but Media Molecule (LittleBigPlanet) has been the only exclusive Sony developer I can think of to buck the trend, citing that the game was not possible on another console not because of a technical reason, but because of the unique way they were using the PS3 hardware in regards to user-file sharing and other factors unrealated to the RELATIVE power of the console. In fact, they said it was very possible on a rival platform, given enough time and leniency of Microsoft's policies.

And that game is gorgeous.

I can't put my finger on it, but I think the thing that irks me the most is the fact that these baseless comments are being made from a limited, marketing perspective. If you are only using one kind of hardware, how exactly can you be absolutely sure that it's impossible anywhere else? It's cowardly, prattling on about how your game can't be done elsewhere when you have no plans to attempt bringing it aywhere else. It's akin to zealots declaring their religion the one true following, while turning a blind eye to even the slightest opposing idea. Any developer using both systems has stated that the systems both have their strengths and weaknesses (NOT that one is explicitly 'better'), and when a like-for-like game releases on both consoles and looks simply amazing, it only makes those who spoke up seem less talented than they actually are.

Post-Castlevania, No one has any excuse now.

"You'll look at it and see that there's no way we could have done this game on 360."

Really, Sucker Punch. I know Sony needs to market their first party titles and this tradition is a huge part of it. I know there's a need get the fanboy fires raging and the tin hats in play, but I really don't think I'm alone in saying that maybe they should focus less on how their game compares to Uncharted 2 (read:it doesn't), and more on just making a good enough game to be noticed in the glut of highly anticipated releases next year. Because I must say. inFamous barely held itself up when being relentlessly (unfairly?) compared to Prototype, and that was a new IP. In fact, I'd go as far to say that if it weren't for Prototype, it probably wouldn't have sold that well, relative quality be damned.

Many things in 2011 are sequels and reimaginings of some -very- strong titles.

With that in mind, and the prerequisite PS3 dev braggart quota filed, I hope it's back to work.

Accurate depiction of your friendlist on 9-14-2010.

2010-10-11T15:27:00.001-07:00

Yep.

Annoyances of the Mainstream - Visual-Tactual Discrepancy

2010-09-30T23:30:00.000-07:00

And thus, the maligning of the mainstream continues, with this passage focused on the sticking point of sticking point: Graphics. More and more, I'm seeing games come under fire for their visual prowess, but is it warranted? I don't think so. I've changed much from my youth, where visuals simply didn't matter as much as the game at hand (ah, to be young), but this was largely due in part to the fact that games didn't HAVE technical issues of this sort when I was younger. Take slowdown for example. Every game had a perfect framerate, and if it didn't, you were simply in awe of just how much a developer was willing to push the console in order to get the look achieved on screen. These days, a game slows down, and it's something to be ridiculed--how could a developer let such a thing come to pass? What was once regarded as the pinnacle of technical merit (pushing a console over the edge) now has the worst reputation imaginable.

So the times have changed, and what was once revered is now bottom of the barrel, as is the nature of technology. But why? The building blocks of what consititute good visuals hasn't changed. While we're leagues away from the 2D ideals I just described (in 3D, slowdown is bad, bad, bad), the difference between a game looking bad and simply good or adequate really hasn't changed. I think our way of looking at them has, and once more reviewers, I'm looking at you. Yes, I realize that everything's in HD and that saying "This game looks great!" may start to feel a bit redundant for the 'Graphics' portion of a review, but things are getting off track. So in trying not to get lost in a redundant sea of praise, I think a bit too much information is getting out there as an awkward placeholder and it's warping people's perception of what makes something look good.

(someone actually told me this looked bad)

I'm still of the belief that if a game can pull off its visual accent well, then it is a game of good graphical quality. But these reviewers have morphed somewhat into tech analysts, dissecting everything from techniques used to even resolution as a sticking point. They'll go on and on like a DigitalFoundry article, throwing around programming jargon until you have less of an assessment about a game's visuals and more of a spec sheet. This misdirection of information goes straight past their reader's brains, and into their subconscious. Then, they too prattle endlessly about effects like depth-of-field and ambient occlusion. They start throwing around engine names like Unreal Engine 3 or Frostbite without an understanding of what they're capable of. Some cases will start complaining about gaffes they don't understand like LoD (level of detail) glitches and v-sync tearing.

(a split second of this is not going to condemn this game to the depths of graphical hell)

Suddenly, it's become less about the combination of these techniques and how they contribute to making a great game, but more about how many there are. I explained to a friend absolutely hailing the new Kingdom Hearts that I felt FFVII: Crisis Core was a better looking game than Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep because it has a more detailed look, as opposed to a starkly cartoonish one.

Now, I am not saying Kingdom Hearts looks bad. I am also not implying that it looks worse than Crisis Core. But to see his ears initially flare up spoke volumes. I was immediately leveled volleys about screen effects, animation, AI, textures, and it would've been more had I not stopped him and clarified: Where CC went for a more detailed, industrial, psuedorealistic look (requiring a multitude of detailed textures indoor or out), Kingdom Hearts by design doesn't carry a ton of detail, sitting squarely between Disney-style cel animation and a radical anime aesthetic. "It isn't so much the look, but the intent. KH simply looks sharp, CC looks more detailed", I said.

Then his eyes glazed over.

Was he really up for a graphics debate (given all the bullet points he threw at me), or was he likely following the spirit of a glowing review? My bet goes to the latter.

Call me crazy, but I thought we solved the graphics problem a while ago. Somehow though, the debate rages on, and really, the player loses as a result. Especially if we're going to get caught up in these faux-technical debates, when really I've seen plenty of games with a wide stamp of graphical trickery still fail to impress compared to games working with much less, practically invalidating these claims.

(Silent Hill 3 STILL looks better than any game in the series released after it. A PS2 game. From 2004.)

Generally these days, every game looks technically great. So with every game this generation sporting at least a 720p resolution and textures to boot, it should all boil down not to technical prowess, but art direction. It isn't a resolution, or an eye-light-shadow effect, its how a dev can effectively combine these things to make something that looks virtually incredible. The Wii is already proving in spades that you don't need advanced technical prowess for great visuals, and I'll be damned if someone else walks up to me and tells me Super Mario Galaxy 2 doesn't look amazing:

or that Conker: Live and Reloaded looks aything less than fantastic 5 years after its release on the original Xbox,

Or even that because Grand Theft Auto 4 doesn't look like God of War 3 or Uncharted 2, that it doesn't have the capacity to be just as breathtaking.

Surely you catch my drift by now, and it's exactly my point. The one thing that should have anyone comparing the visuals of one game to another is how well the style is pulled off, because obviously, a technical gap isn't the only obstacle a game has to overcome on its way to our eyes. More and more I'm seeing other games unfairly come under fire for not matching up with the best of the best out there, and for such bad reasons? It's almost like we forget what Namco, Konami, and Square are able to pull off on the PSP, against all odds.

Moving forward, and especially as games begin to blend into each other due to varying degrees of realism, you may want to leave the analysis behind, and focus simply on how great a piece of software looks as opposed to whatever insane machine is powering it. A game with fantastic graphical tricks but no art direction to support it is about as useless as a game with simply bad visuals, and if the critics on top don't stop copening their craws with terminology beyond the average consumer, we'll end up with a whole slew of people refusing to enjoy the finer points of our medium for what they are--that is, absorbing and enjoying our expansive vistas instead of picking apart their texture seams.

..and really, when it comes down to it, no amount of advanced 3D can produce something this intricately detailed and hilarious:

...if you have proof of otherwise, I'd love to see it sometime.

Captain Obvious RETURNS.

2010-09-17T05:44:00.000-07:00

ONE MO' GAIN!

(Mouseover for full effect!)

Again, I'm just saying..

...Goddammit, Ninja Theory.

2010-09-15T08:40:00.000-07:00

Ninja Theory + DMC = (Stephen)Dorff May Cry?

Devil May C(ash in on current vampire marketing trends)?

No thanks. No really. I can appreciate the refusal to continue where DMC2 left off, but dammit, we can't keep making him younger. While I have no problem with yet another prequel, I have an issue with the way he looks. We went from the handsome boyish charm of DMC3 Dante, to this travesty? Brandon Lee is probably turning in his grave due to misappropriation of his likeness.

Seriously. He looks like something a Crow direct-to-DVD movie shat out while squatting in front of Hot Topic.

I'm looking at these screens, and I'm wondering what the hell happened here. As a fan of DMC since the beginning, I'm well aware that at the conclusion of DMC 3, Dante was around 19 years old. Just HOW much younger is he supposed to be here, and...why in the hell is his hair black?

I don't trust Ninja Theory. Enslaved looks really nice and everything, but after a track record that is literally limited to Kung Fu Chaos on the original Xbox, and Heavenly Sword, sue me if I'm just a LITTLE skeptical about the direction they're taking DMC in with this alleged reboot. This is even with the promise that this new title will, in their words: "retain the series’ signature mix of sword and gunplay but add additional weapons, all new powers and a revitalised gameplay system as players encounter the game’s devilish mix of enemies and navigate the rich, interactive environment."

...Hopefully that "revitalised" gameplay system includes a jump button.

As far as I could tell, DMC didn't NEED rebooting, and the fact that Dante looks like he's as goth as his surroundings is unsettling. As an angsty rebellious action hero with platinum white hair, he was just cheesy enough to be self-depreciating and cool at the same time. Here, I just don't know what to think. What was wrong with continuing from where 4 left off, in a comfortable place between 1 and 2? I for one enjoyed (relatively) mature Dante, and wanted to know more about Nero, including his connection to the Sparda family. Now, like the Prince of Persia reboot that Ubisoft gave up on, it looks like I'll never see that new thread fleshed out.

Lost in a sea of marketing and..oh hell I don't know.

Fuck this game so far. They'd better flip this faster than Cole's unnecessary re-redesign in inFamous 2, or I can't see myself playing this at any point in the future.

GOD. Why the hell does he look like Edward Cullen?

Yep. Just as I can't unsee it, neither will you. Crab in a bucket, we're all goin' down.

Source: Destructoid [TGS: New Devil May Cry starring a younger Dante revealed]

Just to drive it home a bit..

2010-09-02T11:21:00.002-07:00

Someone at Apple must be reading. That, and they must really like numbers.

Numbers make the shareholders happy, define a consumer's reliance in a product, sometimes serving as a tipping point in new purchases, but more importantly, numbers give Apple a reason to crow above their competitors.

At their most recent press conference, they had a ton to show yesterday. Namely, that there are over 120 million of their devices using iOS out there in the wild. For the uinitiated, that would be referring to the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. With over 230,000 activations (or device purchases) daily.

To put things in perspective, The Nintendo DS has a worldwide tally somewhere around the range of 132 million. Someone's catching up.

Not only catching up, but outselling both Nintendo AND Sony with a rate that speedy.

A rate speedy enough to give them 50% of the portable market now.

Wow.

I've sung my praise of the iDevices as a gaming platform before, but even I couldn't anticipate numbers like this, and certainly not this fast. But am I surprised? No.

But I know who should be. If they know what's good for them.

It's a frightening prospect, a portable platform with the ability to evolve and grow as the market or technology demands, but Apple's got it. Previously, a portable could be released with the lifecycle of a console and enjoy a healthy 4-5 years before an upgrade was necessary. But with the ever evolving smartphone market, especially as a portable gaming platform with Apple at the forefront of such a revolution, we're seeing their hardware upgrade once a year. With better hardware, comes the prospect of more and more emergent software, and it's what's making their devices sell the way they do. The question of just what an iPod can do next is much more compelling than a handheld whose capabilities are clearly defined for the upcoming 4 or so years.

If you had told me two years ago that I would be seeing the Unreal Engine on my phone, I would've snickered heartily.

Now?

I just finished taking these shots from my phone. They're from Epic Games' tech demo Epic Citadel that shows the iPhone 4's ability to run their Unreal Engine 3 tech.

If only you could see the amazing water effects, dynamic lighting, textures, and overall stability (to put it very lightly and not tech heavy) in a still shot. I have chills, and I'm simply a consumer.

The entire portable gaming market has changed. With their ability to update their tech anually, it makes them a force to be reckoned with on a level that even Nintendo can't match. I doubt it's in an effort to keep up with Apple, but you can see Nintendo and Sony attempt to jump on the update bandwagon with incremental upgrades with questionable success (the multiple revisions of the DS and PSP cluttering store shelves and confusing consumers is proof of this), but the difference is, they aren't true revolutions of the hardware before it. As such, it's difficult to justify the frivolous upgrades on display when they're hardly integral to the core experience (built in cameras, microphones, better screens) in the same way Apple makes their revisions. I can't stop saying it. It's scary.

This is without me mentioning the digital distribution model that fuels the device, something the entire industry wants anyway as an ability to combat the sale of used games and pirated software, and the fact that the low cost and high profit of iOS development is very attractive to many a developer.

It's going to be a very interesting road ahead. Nintendo has the 3DS coming, and while no one on this planet has seen a true stereoscopic 3D handheld with the alleged power of a GameCube..no one knows what Apple has in store for us next year, or even the year after that with the newer runs of iPads, iPhones, and iPod touches.

Redundantly, it's scary to think about.

I apologize if it seems like I'm drinking the Apple kool-aid along with the rest of the masses, but the fact of the matter is, the numbers don't lie, their strategy is sound (and WORKING), and as a core gamer? Because I always have my phone on me, and the quality of the software on the device is comparable to my portable systems with half the hassle of operation? I rarely use my other handhelds now. Remember when we all laughed when Steve Jobs said he was going after the DS some years back? Who's laughing now?

Does Nintendo finally have a solid competitor in the portable market? Yes.

Sony? Well..we've gone over that already.

Time to get to work, boys.

Source: Engadget
Apple Claims 50% of Portable Gaming Market
Apple ships 120 million iOS devices since iPhone's launch

Wait...Really?

2010-08-23T00:30:00.000-07:00

I was incredulous upon first viewing, as I usually am whenever I view a Sony trainwreck for the first time. It's so much like a "Wait....Really?" vibe that I'm surprised every bit of advertising that comes out of their department doesn't get approved at least 3 or 4 times before they start shooting.

Are you kidding? I suppose it'd be funny to anyone with their head in the sand like Sony apparently is about their own device, but last time I checked, critically (and from the perspective of yours truly), I think it's funny that the iPhone versions of games like Need for Speed Underground, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (which combines the graphics from the PSP version with the touch features of the DS rev), and Prince of Persia: Warrior Within are all better than PSP versions of the same name. I also find it of a particularly amusing pedigree that it also does FPS games and the like better, as its responsive touch-screen allows for all manner of faux dual-analog setups that work much better then they ever ought to.

Hell, even your sad attempt at a bite sized game store with "PSP minis" is a resounding failure, as most of the games on the service offer much too little for a little too much. Kind of sounds like the PSPgo, your failed stab at the success of Apple's App store without an inkling of what -exactly- has made the service usurp your position, accomplishing in two years what you have struggled to do for five.

Perhaps instead of attempting to make scathing "jabs" at Apple's device, you should be figuring out how in two years, they managed to trump you in the portable gaming market.

Then you can get back to figuring out how to make the platform relevant this week, needless revisions, failed experiments, and desperate rumors notwithstanding.

Also....PLEASE stop using the little kid from Role Models/Land of the Lost/Whateverthehell. He really isn't funny when he's not swearing a mile a minute. Every single bit of his routine feels forced not only because someone his age wouldn't bother, but also because the PSP is such a stopgap between failure and moneysink that the irony of their fun-poking ads only causes one to shake their head in disbelief. Sega took potshots at Nintendo back in the day and it was funny, and all in good fun. This is just obnoxious. He is just obnoxious.

Seriously. Screw off.

Whatever. I suppose ports would be a step in the right direction though. Hey, if you can't beat 'em, join em, right? This seems to always be your policy. I wonder how much fun it'll be in a lower resolution, without the dual analog control scheme that made it such a hit on its original platform (not to mention its $4.99 price point). At least it'll get decent games on the platform at a rate faster than once every 6 months.

Really, if anything at this point, they need to consider the potential threat that the 3DS represents, as they will no longer have the raw power advantage to assert their "superiority" over the DS anymore. If the original DS model represented innovation at the cost of technology, then the 3DS, with its Gamecube esque processing power and glasses-free 3D technology represents a successful marriage of power and new frontier.

How they can continue to ignore something like that, and continue to out out these baseless ads is beyond me.

But then again, I'm used to something like this coming from Sony, the only company with their heads so far into the sand that it reaches their nether regions.

If that sounds amusing, it's only because it's true. They tried to write the Xbox off, and look at what happened. Keep doing the same with the iPhone.

I dare ya.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the Arbitrary Objective!

2010-08-17T00:30:00.000-07:00

So it's no secret by now, but I loved Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game. The game's retro sensibilities, combined with it's purposely pixelated sprite art look and 8-bit soundtrack won me over in a way that many games that attempt to be "retro" fail to. I mean it without a shred of hyperbole that I've literally been addicted to the game since its release, and while I can point out any aspect of its design in bullet points as the reason for this (great fighting engine, wealth of secrets, addictive leveling system), it wasn't just the graphics, or the gameplay that really brought out that old-school feel in me.

It was the return of the completely out-of-left-field institution that dominated most of my early gaming life:

The arbitrary objective.

We've all been there. You love a game to death, you play it to death. Somewhere inbetween purchase, mastering, and fondly archiving it for good, players go through this phase. A game gets completed, mastered, and because we don't want to let go of it just yet, we start making up new rules in our head. Racing games can be beaten without nitro. A fighting game can be beaten without special moves. These pointless, unnecessary, dare I say..arbitrary tweaks to a game's established formula can extend its relative value long past is shelf life, and it's exactly what happened to me here.

The funny thing was, I didn't even need to finish the game in question. It happened while I was playing through the game by myself as Scott, I realized that essentially, aside from some very unique attacks, everyone played the same, and because they had openly customizable stats, simply powering them all up to maximum would just make them homogeneous. The gears in my head began turning almost immediately. I knew I was going to play through the game with each character, but how could I indulge my hardcore sensibilities and still keep the game fresh 4, maybe even 5 playthroughs later? I thought of one of the game's many inspirations: Streets of Rage.

I remembered how each character, despite having the exact same moveset, had different attacks, and not only that, but they also had stats giving them all a distinct feel in addition to this. Axel was a power character with great moves, Blaze was the balanced type, Max was slow but powerful, and Skate was small and fast, if lacking in stamina. I wanted something like this for this game. After all, what better way to highlight each character's individuality (and give players something to call dibs on during multiplayer) than to give them completely differing strengths and weaknesses?

It took a bit of time, but I got it. Thinking of each character's personality/ability in the comic, I went about balancing them all out, albeit in RPG-grinding fashion:

Scott became an all-rounder, given his reputation as a fighter (and his uncanny ability to adapt), Ramona, being the "American Ninja", became the fastest character, yet relatively low on strength and high on defense. Kim, resident drummer (and situational damsel-in-distress) became above average on technique, strength, and speed(drummer qualities!), but has absolutely no defense, and Stephen, aka "the talent", became a tank, sporting relative strength, but maxed technique (talent, natch) and defense (he did date Julie, after all) at the cost of speed.

If the stats seem kind of high, it's because I balanced them all to be used on either medium, or hard difficulty..and for the most part, it worked out wonderfully. Scott is as powerful all around as he should be, Ramona's speed goes well with the range offered by her weapons, Kim's strengths go well towards a solid offense that masks what she lacks in defense, and Stephen is the strangest feeling one, having the lowest speed but a wealth of special techniques at his disposal.

The funny thing is, none of the hours I spent doing this felt wasted at all. I just finished the game with Scott yesterday, and now I can't wait to go through it again with Ramona. She's much faster, with much lower attack so her juggles are a lot more fun to indulge. I singlehandedly introduced character balance and an extra layer of strategy to this game, and while I didn't have to, the experience for me (and the people I've played with) was that much richer because of it.

Labor of love as it was, It brought me back quite a bit. I remember my tenure in Sonic 3& Knuckles, having separate files for having completed with or without all emeralds. I'm still proud of completing Super Mario Bros without touching a single fireflower (never touching a mushroom was beyond me). This sentiment extended past "old" games as well. In high school, action games like Ninja Gaiden weren't spared, as a friend and I finished the entire game on "very hard" without upgrading ANYTHING, and my girlfriend, notorious for her Need for Speed exploits, did everything short of finishing Most Wanted by driving backwards before she was satisfied. The arbitrary objective knows no genre, and no limits, being clearly defined by a gamer's ability, and imagination.

Hell, I've even become fond of what I named "stock mixing" in DJ Hero, playing a song through for 5 stars with no (extra) multipliers or modifiers.

If any of this sounds crazy, it's because well...it is, but it's something we gamers are well acquainted with. Microsoft may have capitalized on this old art by giving it a mainstream name in the form of "achievements", but at the end of the day, they have no real value, and it's the pride that we put into them that defines their value. Putting a score on it doesn't really change the fact that we've been assigning arbitrary objectives to ourselves since the beginning, and it'll continue as long as we have the drive to push the limits developers have assigned us.

Now if you'lll excuse me, I'm off to practice M.Bison in SSF4 by beating arcade mode on hard using only his normals.

Gorilla-Proof

2010-08-12T16:47:00.001-07:00

Akin to the legend of the Gulf War Game Boy, things like this just constantly reaffirm my stance that products from Nintendo are designed to withstand nuclear fallout. I mean, there are several written accounts of the little handheld that could surviving everything from avalanches, to rollercoasters, to well...WARS, and if this is any indication, we will NEVER be done recounting crazy tales of Nintendo's voodoo craftsmanship.

...Or ability to appeal to EVERYONE.

The story's almost too good to be true. Some knucklehead boy at the San Francisco Zoo accidentally drops his DSI XL into a Gorilla habitat. Noticing almost instantly, a massive honking gorilla approaches it, and instead of flattening it out of sheer animal madness, actually picks it up and inspects it. He then proceeds to open the thing and flip it around, presumably looking for the power button, but after several attempts, ends up looking just plain confused.

But it gets better! A smaller one approaches, and tries to show the big one how it's done...and fails as well after attempts culminating with trying to "see" through it. Presumably frustrated that he cannot get his DK on, big dude snatches it back, tries to flatten it, then finally EAT it before being lured over by a trainer, who traded him the DSi for something more edible.

I don't know what's more amazing. That the gorilla actually tried to play it, or that aside from some drool and scuffs, the DS was fully operational when it was returned.

How sneaky of you, Nintendo. Your announcement that this thing was for "old people" and "people with bad eyesight" was just a smoke screen. It's clear to me now who the intended audience was. Giant screen, giant stylus, it all makes sense now! Target audience get!

GORILLAS.

Who would've thought?

Source: You Got Donkey Kong On This Thing?

Wait, don't you know what today is?

2010-08-10T12:16:00.000-07:00

The hint begins (and ends) with this trailer. Like the comic, this game just gets better and better the more I see of it..

...and were it not for the absolutely BOOTY release schedule on the PSN, (where the date of release doesn't correlate with midnight, instead "sometime" in the afternoon of said day) yours truly would be playing it right now, basking in all of it's old-school, Final River City Double Dragon Ransom Fight in Time : 1989** glory.

STEP YOUR GAME UP, SONY.

No really. I don't know what vegan voodoo Todd Ingram is on to have a TETSUO FUCKING ARM ATTACK, but I want to find out. NOW.

(**Bonus points go to those who pick out the references on a first try!)

Dream Match 2012?

2010-07-29T11:46:00.000-07:00

With the announcement of Street Fighter x Tekken, the fighting game community is in a frenzy. Endess speculation and discussion about gameplay, endless fan rants about balance and why it should or should not happen, but arguably the most fun part of any crossover are the dream matches. For the first time ever, a lot of rivalries have the potential to be put to rest, and since both recent games in each franchse retained their classic characters in each roster, the possibilities are not only there, but potentially endless. I've of course, had a ton of conversations among friends about who should fight who and why, but these are the ones in particular that I found the most interesting. Matchups after the jump!

Fei Long vs. Marshall Law

While this is the most obvious pairing, it's also the one I want to see much. Even though they're both obvious homages to Bruce Lee, their similarities lie in technique and look alone. In reality, they're both a pair of kung fools, the former being a cheesy action star who seems to speak in bad dubbing, and the latter being a scheming...doofus. No really. After watching this ending, I dare you to tell me that the clash of martial arts technique and slapstick that would ensue from their battle wouldn't be a sight to behold.

Christie vs. Elena

While this one seems a bit far fetched in theory because Elena isn't actually IN SSF4, one can only hope one of the new characters added to the arcade version of SSF4 is Elena. Not only is she the only SF character who practices Capoiera, (making her unique enough for consideration) but it'd be an excellent segue into a SFXT matchup catalyst. It's as much a display of showmanship as it is a fighting style, and while Christie is an incredibly realistic rendition of the discipline seen in movies and popularized by breakdancing, Elena's is simply more elegant, more over the top im my opinion. I think it's an unnderstatement when I say that a fight between them would be likely a mindblowing (not to mention stunning) show. Woo!

Bob vs. Rufus

Both incredibly agile despite having meatball like frames, both are obsessed with being the best at what they do. Both are implausibly, confusingly, hilariously skilled with their respective unconventional fighting styles. Fighting devs have a knack for making fun of the competition with some of their fighters, but in this case, I can't tell which one is making fun of which. With Rufus being an unknown newb, and Bob being a formerly respected fighter in (percievably) terrible shape, I think a spat between the master and the mook has to have come up during brainstorming. I mean, LOOK at them fight.

This is inevitable. It has to be.

Nina vs. Cammy

This may have been neglected in the reveal trailer, where Nina's counterpart in battle seemed to be Chun-Li, but I think that was due more to their iconic status than anything else.

This is a real rivalry.

When the game finally does release, why wouldn't a duel between two gorgeous deadly government agents be anything but a limb--no--potentially NECK-breaking CQC fest? There's something to be said when you're an individual whose learned so many fighting styles through training, you walk away with a mish mash style people can only describe as deadly. Cammy's recent special moves highlight just how effective an assassin she is, and when put up against Nina's highly trained exploits, it isn't too hard to imagine an epic fight of (Daniel Craig) Bond proportions.

Besides. Cammy had the better game.That's got to be something else to be bitter about.

Paul Phoenix vs. Guile

I'm going to admit, I chose this one solely on the merits of inexplicable hair suspension techniques more than anything else. Scientists still can't figure out how these two keep their respective coifs intact during a fight, and as silly as Paul can be (He is after all, Law's partner-in-crime), I can see him clashing with Guile's one track minded sentiment (which often gets him into mistaken identity fights) nicely. Imagine a scenario where Guile runs into Paul, believes he may know something about Charlie, and due to his boneheaded nature (and Paul likely overreacting in defense), ends up inadvertantly starting a fight?

Seems plausible, no? I'd anticipate a very interesting match, seeing as both practice effective grappling and striking fighting styles with a mixture of strange self-improvised moves..

T.Hawk vs. Julia

...Actually, on second thought, these two actually need each other, being an endangered species and all.

Perhaps they should team up.

...

There were a bunch of other ones that didn't make the cut, (E.Honda vs. Ganryu, King vs. Zangief, you seem BORING), but these were the ones that appealed to me the most. I'm pretty certain as the months pass, the reveals will likely be shocking, some even disappointing, but I know a few of these have to make the cut. We have after all, grown up playing these games, and if this project isn't a labor of love with the fans in mind, how could any of these not see the light of day? They're simply just too priceless not to.

Looks like Twitter's good for something..

2010-07-16T08:50:00.001-07:00

I know Abe, I can't believe it either.

A few weeks back, I found out about a Twitter account apparently started by Abe, and while it claimed to be official in some way, knowing the internet, I took the small rumblings within to be nothing more than a fan having a good time. This didn't stop me from keeping a close eye on it anyway, and now, it seems as if it's paid off! A small development crew by the name of Just Add Water games has apparently been working closely with Oddworld Inhabitants on a new Oddworld title across multiple platforms.

Screenshot from my phone after the jump, and man. I know I'll be on eggshells until they announce whatever it is. The gaming landscape NEEDS something as soulful as Oddworld right now, and I've been waiting to dive back into all those charming personalities and beautifully twisted worlds for some time now.

Heck, I'm still sitting here trying to achieve a perfect 300 in Abe's Exoddus on my PSP (297's my best!)..and that's REALLY saying something.

Welcome back, sir. You were missed.

LittleBigRevelation - Bringing a Solo Gamer Back to the Fold..

2010-07-15T02:23:00.000-07:00

Also on Chocolate Lemon!

I'm not a multiplayer kind of guy.

No--scratch that. For as long as I could remember, I've always enjoyed playing games with others. Fighting games, shooters, adventure games, if a game had some sort of multiplayer, I was game. This went on until around 2004, when I'd gotten Xbox Live for the first time. After years of Halo, and Need for Speed local sessions, food and insults being passed around, it was all slowly coming to a close due to the advent of online gaming. Why play Burnout with half the framerate? Why play Halo on my (then) cramped screen when I could have one all to myself? It answered itself.

But with this revelation, with this newfound convenience, came it's own form of double edged sword. My friends and I started hanging out less, and more online. My beloved Halo--the first FPS I'd taken seriously enough to learn its nuances and play at a competitive level-- had a sequel with a insufferable campaign, and was seemingly focused only on its (newly broken) multiplayer. I started seeing great games being neglected for lack of multiplayer (Oddworld:Stranger's Wrath), or being played solely because of it, despite strong campaigns. I've even seen a game lose its integrity in favor of a strong multiplayer component (Conker: Live and Reloaded). It was a problem. It seems, for every great experience I had playing Doom 3's fun co-op, or even Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory in counter-ops, I had a bunch of other reasons disenfranchising me from the whole endeavor. Annoying online brats, braindead allies, shoddy mechanics, apathy towards individuality, and lag were at the top of a very long list of reasons to just let it all go.

Flash forward a year or so, and it stuck.

I don't buy games for multiplayer anymore. In fact, it's the very last thing I'll buy a game for, and my years since have been spent indulging in the campaigns of various games, playing them to completion at my pace, on my terms. I've also very much enjoyed my solitude, sparingly indulging in strong co-op centric expriences like Crackdown, or Gears of War, but largely maintaining my stance. After all, games that had multiplayer seemingly tacked on despite quality elsewhere (The Darkness), games still with insufferable campaigns but robust multiplayer (Halo 3), and games still losing integrity in favor of strong multiplayer components (Resident Evil 5) continued to exist. Sure, I still played the odd racing or fighting game here and there, but my days were still long since past. I can't even stand the thought of multiplayer, and attempts to the contrary with games like Modern Warfare 2 still just cement the notion in my head.

You know, that insufferable notion of buying a game against one's judgement solely for it's online modes, playing them for a while, and never even finishing the campaign due to latent disinterest? I've been there.

But something still nagged at me, because, it isn't as if I didn't enjoy playing with people. I just think I was simply tired of the compromise that online gaming had saddled me with. If a game had a strong single player component, the multiplayer usually suffered. If it was strong in multiplayer, it's easy to see in single where the compromises were made. Even mediocrity was being settled for if the multiplayer was functional (Aliens vs. Predator). The stigma more than anything else got to me, got under my skin, and left me with an extreme distaste where there should've been joy at being able to enjoy rounds with my friends and company. I had no problem with multiplayer as a whole, but when it started to compromise the way games were being made and appreciated on a fundamental level, I took offense. Even so, while I was still up for even a good co-op experience at the very least, my heart wasn't fully in it. Even the most recent Transformers: War For Cybertron, with its co-op component front and center, is something I'll admit to be great fun, but it's something I won't rush to invite friends to right away.

Then, a bit of change..

I bought my girlfriend LittleBigPlanet a while back, and even though I'd personally had the game for well over a year, I'd never finished it because it was simply one of those games I'd bought to play with friends, and eventually dropped out of unintentionally because other experiences simply took precedence. Getting it for her however, made me pick it up for a bit, and while I never denied the game's strong design all around, playing it filled me with a different kind of feeling than before.

I invited her, a friend of mine, and we were off. It was a great, fun night, one we running around, solving puzzles, pushing each other into pits and amicably competing for points. That night, I went to bed that night with a few pictures, memories in hand, and an odd feeling that I initially ignored. The next night fared better, I jumped back on and played with her for a few hours, logging more adventures in my head, and after we parted ways, I jumped onto my 360 and played Blur. While it was strange and odd to me at first, I was suddenly bombarded with great thoughts that helped clarify. I was actually looking forward to more nights of LittleBigPlanet, more nights, more games where I could gather a few friends and have a good time. I also started to reminisce.

I remembered running around Pacific City with my best friend in Crackdown, watching them toss gang members with ease, and fondly remembered leaping across rooftops. As weak as I considered Resident Evil 5 to be, I couldn't have named it "Chris and Sheva's Racist African Handcannon Tour 2009" without the help of friends. How did I ever forget Castle Crashers, and its old-school, 4-player mayhem? Did I forget the hysterical fun that rhythm games like Rock Band have brought me? Blur and it's impossibly stable 4-player mode?! Had I taken them for granted? There was a certain tangible, lively energy that went along with this kind of gaming that I'd long since forgotten during my tenure of solitude, and I felt almost as if I'd unfairly snowballed my bad experiences into the whole of the genre. There were worthwhile co-op experiences. I'd just been too cynical to notice or appreaciate them fully since I'd been so put off to playing with others for so long.

(My lady's LBP pod, adorned with pictures of our adventures does much to help this sentiment as well..)

While it seems like a very abrupt shift, and I can't completely undo years of anger and bias against the entire endeavor (though, I did forget to mention, I do respect those who have the stomach for it), I certainly do think very differently now, and look forward to sharing experiences with my friends moving forward. While competitive multiplayer likely won't be something I'll seriously devote myself to moving forward, I definitely still have a soft spot for the co-op experiences. To think I'd almost forgotten the memories, stories, and even the run home enthusiasm that comes with social gaming!

It is, after all, a large part of what helped this industry grow. Shame on me. :)

Cry if I want to - DJ Hero Party Mix Pack Review

2010-07-08T03:20:00.001-07:00

Tis another day, and suddenly, out of nowhere, DJ Hero Content! While I was completely sated with the Domination Mix Pack and the great Preview for DJ Hero 2, the Party Mix Pack is a complete surprise, and it can't come soon enough, as I don't think I can really wait until October to keep the party going anyhow. After seeing the tracklist in the description on Xbox Live, I worried a bit. With beat juggles (arrangements) of The Pussycat Dolls "Buttons", Rihanna's S.O.S., and a mashup of Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" with Duran Duran's "Girls on Film" (wha?), it signaled a more MTV pop direction that left me not knowing what to expect. While the first two I could tolerate, given that I didn't exactly hate their original versions, it was the mashup at the end that really had me going. Those two songs? Really? How could that possibly work?

I hit the download button with a hint of unease, but remained faithful. You know, I never would've thought "Feel Good Inc." would mix with "Heard It Through the Grapevine" so well until this game, and surely, the same applied here, as the high quality of their mixes thus far left little room for doubt.

Was I right?

DJ Hero "Party Mix Pack" (Downloadable Content)
For: Xbox 360, PS3, Wii (Songs sold as individual tracks)
Publisher: Activision/Freestyle Games
Price: 640 Microsoft Points, $7.99 PSN, 300 Wii points (per track)
Release: 7/4/2010

To put it lightly: No, I wasn't right with my assumption at all. But it isn't all bad news. While the Party Mix Pack features an daring track selection and a decent challenge, its lazily put together arranges and questionable third act, not to mention its oddly placed difficulty spikes ensure that seasoned veterans have little to return to, and the casual fan has yet another pack of songs to add to the collection, but it will stay in rotation for only so long before interest is lost.

But, to my verdict, yes?

Once again, songs are rated on a 1 to 5 scale, with an overall grade given at the end.

Pussycat Dolls - Buttons (Beat Juggle)

I was half awake and nearly had a perfect sightread on my first try.

Despite that ringing in my mind as a bad omen rather than a testament to skill, there wasn't a complete trainwreck left in my wake, but not anything too special here either. It's a slow, wispy track that mimics the same energy and tempo as the original, (why not make it energetic and interesting?) but sounds so close to it that you'll wonder why they've bothered to call it a beat juggle at all until the final moments, where a clever use of samples and scratches do a bit to liven things up at the end. It isn't enough to save the song from it's squarely middle of the road challenge, but it's a decently fun run that could've stood to be more interesting to play overall. Bit of a missed opportunity. (Rating: 3/5)

Rihanna - S.O.S. (Beat Juggle)

The same can also be said about this arrangement of Rihanna's song S.O.S. Carrying a higher and a more playful steady tempo than the song before it, its strange inclusion is only exacerbated by how boring it was to play. While I could stomach Buttons due to it's fun lyrics, heavy middle eastern-esque twang, and entertaining, yet unremarkable chart, I couldn't wait for this mix to end, and even started dropping notes and neglecting rewinds towards the climax because I didn't want to extend the song any longer than it should've been. Again, it was a bit skimpy on challenge, and I probably would've gotten another impromptu perfect if I hadn't gotten so bored 3 quarters in. Maybe a true Rihanna fan would enjoy it more than I, but that seems to me like it'd need to survive on made up excuses, rather than it truly being a good track to play and listen to on its own merits. (Rating: 2/5)

Duran Duran/Lady Gaga - Poker Face vs. Girls on Film

Well, this is strange. Watching the video, you can get a glimpse of what I mean. This way, you won't find it strange when I wonder aloud as to what the hell they were thinking with this one. While I enjoy "Poker Face" (the Cartman version sits proudly as a part of my Rock Band 2 tracklist), and "Girls on Film" on their own (Yes, Duran Duran has played MORE than "Hungry Like the Wolf"), whoever thought they would work as a mashup needs their ears, and brain checked. Very little of Poker Face is present besides the lyrics, and using GaGa's vocals with Duran Duran's synth results in a strangely awkward sound that requires a tempo increase on the former's part, turning the song even more poppish than it was before while managing to make it sound rushed and NOW!-ish at the same time. While the song has admittedly grown on me in subsequent playthroughs, I think it's more because of the song's unique blend of tapping and crossfading, rather than it's strength as a pretty good, but below standard mashup. I was disappointed, but still return for a challenge here and there. (Rating: 3/5)

So there you have it. While I was expecting something with a little more heart, and definitely little more challenging (especially after the amazing Domination pack), I didn't get that at all, and ended up feeling a bit shortchanged. The worst part was, the mixes themselves weren't terrible, per-se, but instead so middle of the road that in a game that insofar has had EXCELLENT downloadable content, it ended up feeling mediocre by comparison. It isn't even their fault for setting the bar so high in the first place, but rather their fault for not matching it with this uninspired effort, because for the first time wince release there's finally a pack that I didn't enjoy much at all. My advice for experts is to not expect too much from an unimaginative set, and midrange players, appreciate the oddly paced challenge, but don't expect to play it more than once or twice at best. Bummer.

Rating: 6.5

Skills for Kills - Crackdown 2 Review

2010-07-06T09:02:00.000-07:00

The original Crackdown was a bit of a sleeper hit. Deftly combining a Grand Theft Auto esque sense of freedom and scale with an empowering, stat building mechanic that mimed the addictive, collect-a-thon nature of Rare's best titles, it seemingly came out of nowhere, gave players an sandbox, and told them to run around and have as much fun as possible, either alone or with a friend. The fact that the game came packaged with the Halo 3 Beta was also a boon, as it meant that many gamers who wouldn't have played it otherwise were exposed to it's unique blend of platforming, shooting, and open world mayhem, and it's a design that games like inFamous play off of to this very day. The aformentioned co-op was also unheard of at the time, and it ensured that the game would have a dedicated following, many of which were clamoring for a sequel.

Three years later, we've gotten our answer. Crackdown 2 is among us, boasting a new developer, new aesthetic, and all around more content. A new 4 player co-op, more weapons, more enemies, just MORE all around. It's risky after three years to go the route of refine rather than redefine, and while I'm not one to mess with an already winning formula, does it work a second time around?

In short, YES. Crackdown 2 may not be radically different from its predecessor, but its list of upgrades and expansions do well to augment what was already a great game.

Read the rest of the review on CLgamer.com!

Outdoing Stuart Black.

2010-07-01T07:27:00.000-07:00

It's funny, to this day, Black is still one of my favorite shooters of all time. Originally from the previous generation of gaming, but definitely not FEELING like it, it deftly combined gratuitous "gun porn" aesthetics with a tactical underside that bested even the hardest of the hardcore. Unsurprisingly, everyone loved Criterion's take on the modern FPS and wanted more, and it's no surprise that a sequel was expected and anticipated. What was a surprise however, is the fact that said game did NOT get a sequel of any kind, leaving the masses to only imagine what could've been. If Black was able to be the spectacle it was on outdated hardware, imagine what it would be like now?

The creator of Black stepped forward and announced his new project, a spiritual successor in the form of Bodycount and triumphantly announced his return to the world of shooters, and how we would all be rocked by what he has in store for us. Exciting!

...To be honest, it sucked. A bit bland in some spots, a bit spotty in others, it's as if his hubris at having created one of the most intense shooters of the last gen has overshadowed his sight. There are so many shooters now that equal or best the intensity that Black displayed four years ago that his successor feels dated by comparison. These are just alpha impressions though, and while the game does have time to improve, if it keeps looking like this:

I have no choice but to assume that he's lost it, and I need to move on.

However, someone seems to be getting it. Polish developer People Can Fly (most famous for their stellar balls out shooter Painkiller) and Epic Games (Unreal, Gears of War) are putting together a shooter that looks to turn the action shooter on its head. Joystiq has the scoop with a brief walkthrough of one of the game's levels, and I have to admit..It looks like so much fun, it's prospective 2011 release date is going to be agonizing. Relentless destruction, a focus on creative kills and mayhem (with a combo and point system for an extra layer of tactical planning/childlike glee), and visually superb? Sign me up.

No,really. The points system is so robust that you get special bonuses for shooting a man in the ass. This game needs a release date already.

Mr. Black? Do step your game up.

E3 Postmortems Round 1: Microsoft - Resting on casual laurels ?

2010-06-22T07:56:00.000-07:00

Sitting comfortably from their second place perch, Microsoft is booming, a bit high on their own success. Exclusives here, pre-emptive releases there, it's funny watching them now, 5 years into the current generation, in a position no one expected them to be in the first place. They've spent the previous years capatializing on their competitors mistakes to great effect, but now things are starting to get interesting. In the face of Sony's strongest year so far, and Nintendo's slow and steady caterings to the hardcore, MS now needs to prove that they can still hold their ground.

Did they? Highlights and thoughts on the jump.

Practically solidifying the annnoying stigma that the Xbox is the console of choice for all shooting men in the face enhusiasts everywhere, they kicked off the conference with a bit of Call of Duty: Black Ops, and I'm not gonna lie, what I saw was indeed impressive. I'm not a fan of ANY of the Treyarch developed Call of Duty games (I don't own ONE.), but what was here was impressively cinematic, intense, and looks to be the first CoD game they've made with some soul. The pervasive explosions and muted rock music blaring in the background may be the crow I eat for giving them this muc credit over a 5 minute demo...but if the campaign can keep up this level of polish, I won't mind breaking tradition.

Later came an announcement that all the DLC for the forthcoming years will be released first on 360, with other consoles to follow whenever they get around to it. Nice, but not world shattering. Shooter console stigma bolstered.

Kojima took the stage next, and it's something that still surprises me. They have such a good relationship now, if you'd told anyone at Sony that a new Metal Gear game would debut at Microsoft's conference before theirs, you might've been met with bouts of laughter. Now, for the second year in a row, Metal Gear Solid: Rising takes the stage, and I'm tempted to say, this was the most exciting trailer of their show.

He really did cut an Astro in half! While I have no doubt that this will look nothing short of amazing, I hope they can keep up the gameplay end of the deal. MGS4 had notoriously complex controls, and if they can dial that back for this game and make this extremely intuitive (looking) cutting mechanic simple and fun to use, I'm there on day one.

Some dude calling himself uh..Cliff Blez-

Cliff Bleh-

Blazkow--

..So CliffyB took the stage, and we already know what that means.GEARS OF WAR 3. Arguably more Halo this generation than Halo has been (in terms of relevance), Epic's trailblazing action title shows no sign of slowing down in terms of intensity or spectacle, which looks to push this system to its limits, vast improvements to the core combat (bayonet rush?!?) and 4-player co-op notwithstanding--

What can be said, really? This game is going to be ridiculous. New, grotesque enemies, impressive sense of scale, RIDICULOUS graphics..it's going to rock. This isn't hyperbole, either. Epic always executes with an extreme level of polish, and even when they falter slightly with choices we may not agree with (GoW2's multiplayer, looking 'atcha.) you can't ever accuse their games of being unplayable. This is one I'll follow closely.

..Peter Molyneux even came out and talked about Fable III...but my brain shut off as soon as I saw his face. Yeah, it looks cool, but I'll eat my own hat** before I indulge his grandiose empty promises again.

Then the Kinect rolled out, and I stood up.

But don't let the obviously focus-tested shenanigans at play fool you. This video is corny, yes, but it's a good representation of what they were able to show off. Impressively lithe, and functional in ways that neither the Playstation Move or a Wii Remote can match, any non-believers in Microsoft's motion control answer were quickly converted once the software came into play. No, it isn't entirely perfect at this early stage, but it was impressively so, down to its seamless integration of controlling the dashboard, Minority Report style. The Kinect's full body tracking camera also lends itself to an entire suite of possibilities game wise, and if standout titles like Dance Central, Kinectimals, and Your Shape: Fitness Evolved were any indication, we're in for a REAL treat come November 4th.

(Well, aside from the slimmer, cooler, more functional 360 upgrade that followed its announcement. 802.11 N WiFi built in, 250 gb HDD, 5 USB ports, Built-in Kinect port, and all for the same price as the existing Elite, with a $50 price drop for all existing models? Available NOW? Nice. Very.)

The big question remains though...was I blown away by this year's keynote?

Not really. While I'm all for promoting the Xbox 360 as a massive social networking and home entertainment device, I think things may have gotten out of hand. While bonuses like an improved Netflix, and full ESPN integration into the console are nice, they have nothing to do with the console's core strength; why we chose to play in the first place -- the games. Don't get me wrong, there were some nice titles on display, but I couldn't shake the notion. This year saw an increased focus on the Kinect and the system function and less on the games, and it gave this show a bit of a foul air for me. I really like the Kinect and what it represents for our gaming future, but it also points to a more casual, non-gamer audience that the Wii has seen fit to attract for the past four years. I've said it before, but believe me when I say the future isn't heading in that direction, and with this year's show, I walked away impressed, but also wondering what exactly the 360 has in store this year for the hardcore audience, if anything substantial at all.

I don't think I've ever felt like that before.

**I don't wear hats. Haven't in nearly a decade. Exactly.

Groovy!.....IN HD.

2010-06-16T18:22:00.000-07:00

I have fond memories of the original Earthworm Jim. In a Sega Genesis-laden childhood formerly dominated by the Sonics and Disney characters, EWJ was a breath of fresh air. Featuring quirkky, odd characters, a strangely disjointed yet bizarrely cohesive collection of worlds, and a difficulty level that I struggled to keep up with as my friends fell prey to it one by one, I'd found my new favorite game. As someone who doesn't regularly play favorites, this is significant to me. I've played the original Earthworm Jim so much, I practically know it backwards, and welcome any opportunity to play it again.

So when an iPhone version was released, I was there, and was blown away by what developer Gameloft had done; this wasn't just a quick and dirty port, this was a redrawn from scratch, enhanced, high definition version of the game I'd grown up loving. Imagine my surprise when I heard it wouldn't stop there, and that a fully HD version would be released for the home consoles. Moreover, I'd heard that not only would it be based on the most amazing version of the game (Special Edition - Sega CD), but that it would not only have extra stages, but multiplayer!

How could I resist?

I COULDN'T. DIDN'T YOU READ THE FIRST PARAGRAPH?

Earthworm Jim HD
For: Xbox 360, PS3 (PS3 Release: tentative, July)
Price: 800 MS Points, $9.99 PSN
Released: 6/9/2010 (Xbox 360)

I'll get the obvious out of the way first, I enjoyed Earthworm Jim HD. Was it the definitive, ultimate version of the game I was hoping for? No, that title still goes to the original Sega CD version. Is it a painstakingly remastered, remixed, content filled version of the game I know and love that isn't perfect, but will draw in a load of new fans? Most definitely.

The story hasn't changed any, and in a very welcome change to the original, moments after pressing start, you're treated to a redrawn version of the original Earthworm Jim origin comic as an intro movie. While it never really did provide context for the world hopping madness that is Jim's quest to rescue Princess-What's-Her-Name, it's a welcome setup for the rest of the game, which is remarkably intact for the most part. I say for the most part, because while the game does feature many things from the Sega CD version, two levels; "Big Bruty" and the secret "Who Turned Out The Light" are surprisingly absent. It isn't a dealbreaker, as the game still retains its trademark schizophrenic approach to platforming--one minute, you're navigating an underwater maze in a pod created by a fish, the next, you're bungie battling a booger--, but it's a loss that will sorely be missed, as the latter level was one of the most unique ones in the game.

What won't be missed however, is the original game's resolution. Seemingly not content to just upscale the game and throw a blurry filter on top, Gameloft actually redrew the game from the ground up, and it shows. Not only do the stages look sharp and crisp, but they found time to add new details as well; New Junk city has a light fog tracking the ground, Down The Tubes has bubbles and several schools of fish swimming around (look for a VERY special cameo!) and Andy Asteroids wouldn't look out of place in a 3D game. Unfortunately, some of the remastered animations aren't as well done as others, and you can tell some corners were cut, likely because the original was SO well animated, it would've been too massive an undertaking to redo every single frame in HD. People new to the series won't notice, but fans of the original definitely will, and it has the unfortunate side effect of occasionally making the game look unpolished, because some of the original frames ARE intact. (Giant Hamster, I'm looking STRAIGHT at you)

Sound was paid a similar amount of care as well. A ton of new sound effects and added voice work were added to the game, and in some respects it makes the game funnier. Strangely, some iconic ones have been lost (where's Jim's high pitched scream?) or replaced (PLASMA! instead of WHAM!). Tommy Tallarico's fantastic score also remains mostly intact, though some liberties were taken with some of the older tracks (title screen) and similarly what's been done with the new tracks sometimes stick out like a sore thumb. This isn't to say they're bad, but it's more a testament to the original score and how strong it was that the new tracks actually throw things off a bit. Music can really make or break atmosphere, and a few of the new songs actually throw off the psuedo-serious and dark, yet lighthearted humor of the original, making things just a bit goofier (Read: The EWJ2 humor problem**).

Control however remains flawless, and feels surprisingly tight, even on an HDTV. Weapon switch from the SNES version was also added, making the game even more fun to play, as managing your plasmas actually becomes a possibility, opening the game up to new strategies. Jim's helicopter no longer requires a thousand button presses, and the whip swing is faster too. These changes are not only well recieved, but welcome because even though new difficulty levels were added, the original's brutal difficulty is still a selectable option.

Multiplayer was also a pleasant surprise, and while the initial reaction would be to hiss at the fact that yet ANOTHER game has had multi shoehorned into it, it's actually pretty well done. With support for up to 4 players, and redesigned levels from the single player game featuring all sorts of clever co-op puzzles and situations that force teamwork, it's a real hoot. It's a real shame that hardly any people are playing it over live, but local is a blast, and definitely will distract for an hour or two.

Many of my comments on this game keep going back and forth, similarly praising and criticizing each aspect of the game, making it sound like a mixed bag, but it isn't as polarizing as seems. Overall, I was satisfied with EWJ HD. The high definition upgrade makes an artistically great game even better, the updated sound effects and voiceovers add a ton of personality to a title already brimming with it, and even though it wasn't necessary, the multiplayer is an absolute hoot and extends an already great title. I can't recommend it enough to fans of the original, and for new ones, I hope they're prepared to play one of the most challenging, personable platformers around.

**The EWJ2 humor problem is simple to explain. The original Earthworm Jim, and part of its charm was being a game that didn't take itself too seriously, though it's intimidating boxart would've had you thinking otherwise.

The game starts with Jim's pants falling as he showboats for the camera, and moments after you've pressed start, he's on-screen sporting the angriest "GET TO THE CHOPPA" look you could ever possibly imagine on an annelid. But this was the balance--for every clever 'serious' red herring the game threw you, there was a clever joke waiting not too far away. Jim fights his way through a rabid junkyard, then he's in hell listening to elevator music. One second he's working his way through an underwater labyrinth constructed by a fish, then he's caught up in a freefall battle with a robot chicken. The best part was, Jim for the most part did it stone faced, and carried himself like a champion, like he was embarking on the greatest rescue mission ever, and like he was going to succeed...somehow.

Then in the second, it seemed as if it were all about the punchline. Gone was the deathly serious Jim surrounded by absurdity, he was now consistently bug-eyed and jogging in place. The levels were clever, but one huge punchline. The enemies were punchlines. The puzzles, onscreen words--everything seemed like a setup for a joke bigger than the next, and while it's fine in the grand scheme for a character like Jim to occupy the role of Jester--it was the fact that he wasn't in the original that made his quest so endearing. He was ridiculous--but not as ridiculous as what was going on around him, and that's why the humor worked so well. The second felt juvenile and undercooked by comparison.

(This article's also on CLgamer.com!)

I've waited for this..

2010-06-09T10:40:00.000-07:00

Do the words "Pirate Baby" or "Kings of Power 4 Billion" instantly bring a telling, self-indulgent nerd grin to your face? If so, then you're already well acquainted with Paul Robertson, creator of both aformentioned (and critically acclaimed) sprite movies.

However, he doesn't make 'actual' games.

Anyone who has seen his movies can all unanimously come to a conclusion: That they would be AWESOME as actual games. His art style and execution reek of Metal Slug, Contra, Final Fight, River City Ransom and even Guardian Heroes. Over the top, impeccably animated, and showing an attention to detail and personality to even make SNK blush, it isn't hard to imagine that Robertson himself is an avid fan of videogames, being that it shows in every inch of his work.

The same can be said for Bryan Lee O' Malley's Scott Pilgrim comics. Drawn in an endearing Americanime style and filled to the brim with videogame inside jokes and references cleverly woven into its narrative, with an upcoming movie that seems like it will do the film (great) justice, surely a game tie-in is inevitable.

Oh to hell with it. Paul Robertson's doing it.

I'll pause for a second. Let that digest. Yes. There is a game coming out to coincide with the release of the Scott Pilgrim movie, and it's being made with Paul Robertson's artwork! Game Informer has the scoop on what looks like it's shaping to be an awesome beat-em up of awesome awesomeness. (see what I did there?) Masquerading around as a beat-em-up (perfect!), sporting a delicious old-school look and booming with chiptunes by Anamanaguchi (!!!!), I think we're all in for a treat come August on the PSN and 360 Live Arcade.

For now, I have no footage, only a shaky cam video of the intro, and a few screenshots, courtesy of the Fort 90 blog..Be amazed!

I'm crossing my fingers for more info post-E3. Stay tuned!

And really...if you haven't seen these by now, you need to. BOTH of his movies in easily digestible form. Watch and daydream about how great this is going to be.

Pirate Baby's Cabana Battle Street Fight 2006

Kings of Power 4 Billion%

I'll be back for the pieces of your skull that are surely all over the floor.

Impressive Visuals = No Local?..

2010-06-03T00:05:00.000-07:00

It isn't the craziest notion, in fact, it's one I had gathered while going over the new releases this and last year.

Nearly every time we've had a graphically impressive title with multiplayer potential, it's been lacking a major component : local multiplayer. Online multiplayer is usually included, sometimes even LAN, but it can't replace the simple fun of sitting next to a friend (or significant other) and playing the afternoon away. There are also other factors: Not everyone has internet, or are willing to deal with the lag, glitches, screaming and service fees that can associated with online multiplayer. Everyone I'm acquainted with unanimously agrees that playing offline is the superior experience, from the reasons above to the overall atmosphere.

But why give that up? The arcade experience is massive and can be "simulated" to a point online, but nothing can replace the interpersonal experience that is the small gathering of 2-4 friends.

I honestly just explained it away with logic; of course, it's a given, as graphics tech gets more advanced and games become more visually dense, the prospect of running two simultaneous instances of one is very low. Seeing a game as graphically impressive as Grid, or Midnight Club: Los Angeles cements this notion; in single player alone, these games can hang with the best, regardless of genre. They already look like they're pushing the console with only one screen; asking for two screens of it simultaneously is absurd, unreasonable even. At least, from a developers' perspective.

But why not make concessions? Last generation, and even the one before that, it wasn't uncommon for a game to pair down its graphics for multiplayer. A reduction in resolution here, a framerate slash there, but it was a sacrifice players were willing to make in order to punch each other in the arms over a botched win, or a clutch victory. It isn't like anyone cared either -- dare I say, we understood that it needed to happen. Now, we're so inundated with online, and so frightened of breaching the uncanny valley that we've accepted the copout over XBL or PSN.

Now, traditions like the triumphant stand, the Crushing Controller Fling(tm), all of our victory celebrations and heated rivalries have fallen by the wayside because of this trend. Sure, they still exist, but now they're confined to our lonesome. Before the advent of the internet, programmers had to figure out how to make multiplayer work by any means necessary. Now that you can have a single screen to yourself, the concern has fallen by the wayside.

It bothers me a great deal. I'm not the biggest multiplayer gamer around, but I'm starting to feel that as graphics improve, the push to online instead of local multiplayer due to technical constraints will only continue. Something like Killzone 2 begs to be played locally, and I've seen many a person pass it up because it's lacking this feature. Need for Speed: Shift is an excellent racer...but as a series, NFS has been missing local since Prostreet, again, much to the chagrin of the audience. The only games that seem to eternally retain this feature are the ones that literally cannot do without it; namely fighters and sports titles. How long will it be before we (or devs) decide we don't need to play those in the same room either?

There may be light at the end of the tunnel yet, as some companies still see the value of this dying form, no matter how graphically impressive their titles are. Games like Lost Planet 2 cleverly get around the issue with some strategic cropping in split screen, and others like Blur are simply programmed so well, the disparity in visual quality is something you have to squint at in order to notice. I don't think it's too much to ask to have games as well prepared for local multi as your average Nintendo title, and more devs need to take cues from them among others before it's too late. I'd hate to see local multi go the way of the dodo due to a lack of effort, and while It's fine that the graphical landscape is changing, good looking games aren't exactly hard to come by anymore.

Our excuses for leaving the house are becoming so.

(This article's also on CLgamer.com!)

Shaq Fu 2010

2010-06-02T09:12:00.000-07:00

I have nothing. There's a joke here, but great editing already beat me to it. While I think it's hilarious that Shaq was even let near another fighting game (or any other game lacking a basketball), I can't in good conscience hate on him when he makes Brock Lesnar and Kimbo Slice look puny. Well played, THQ. You've successfully revived Shaq Fu.

MMA is still going to be better.

Oh?!

2010-05-25T14:30:00.000-07:00

So I'm piecing my way through the Green Day: Rock Band demo released today, and it was fun, to say the least, I mean, after the attention to detail and care lavished over The Beatles: Rock Band, there was no doubt in my mind that Harmonix could do one of the bands who revived punk justice.

But this isn't about them. Or the demo. I'm sure you notice the picture.

It raises a few thoughts. Guitar, drums, bass, vocal...harmonies? Okay. It was in B:RB, I can let that slide. Saw that coming.

There's also a keyboard there. More thoughts. How is this going to work? What is the note chart going to look like? On Expert? Does this mean we now have a max number of SEVEN band members at once, and a minimum of 5 as a full band?

Will we finally get a most triumphant version of Bohemian Rhapsody to play at parties? Piano Man? Love Train? Party Hard?

Can I really fit 7 people in my house? Should the police be called in advance?

The mind boggles.

Because really, It's one thing to say, "Yeah, it's coming out", and another to come to the table with actual material.

I think Rock Band 3 finally has an announcement it deserves.

Thanks to JoeCamNet's Dtoid Blog for the picture, your camera was muuuuch kinder to the image than mine.

(This article's also on CLgamer.com!)

What do you want me to say?

2010-05-17T00:32:00.000-07:00

I have no words. I wish I did, I wish I could be jaded, I wish it didn't matter because we're already used to TERRIBLE and sometimes AWFUL adaptations of the games we know and love, but even this is a bit much for my digestion.

I even hate to write off these two, because under any other name, this could've been an annoying, generic black-meets-white-lol-easy-racist-joke buddy comedy (already filled this year by Copout), but with the Kane and Lynch name on it, I have nothing but visions of the future, and they are NOT good..

I mean, how in the HELL am I supposed to realistically believe that These two..

Are these two?

I know our medium still hasn't gotten its due respect, but I'm a gamer. My suspension of disbelief can only be pushed so far..

..before I start to feel like I'm being mocked.

I don't think I'm being too extreme, either. I know that more often than not, we have characters who couldn't POSSIBLY exist in the real world, so their design gets compromised a bit, maybe even altered but...have they really stopped trying to THIS extent? Hell, Kane and Lynch wasn't even all that as a game, and it looks like the same care is going in here for the adaptation. I want to give it the benefit of the doubt, I know all I've seen is this fuzzy poster, but I keep thinking about this, and I don't even see a movie here, I just see a huge paycheck.

And man, does it sound like someone is laughing all the way to the bank.

Oh no...I haven't forgotten about you.

2010-05-09T18:47:00.000-07:00

I'm just starting to filter the content that spills into here..less business and more personal, as we started.. just a bit of time. Great things are being written. :D

DJ Hero: Domination Mix Pack Review

2010-04-29T20:35:00.000-07:00

Everyone reading this blog knows how much I love DJ Hero. Everyone. Especially if you've seen me play, and how I have without hesitation, downloaded each DLC pack without hesitation. But after the Eminem vs. Jay-Z pack, I'd assumed they were going to rest on their laurels for a while.

Color me surprised when Freestyle Games and Activision announced that there would be ANOTHER DJ Hero content pack released this month! Sure, the game doesn't exactly have a Rock Band level of DLC saturation, but the fact that Activision continues to support the game, despite the steep price and despite the (typical for a new IP) sales numbers, they keep putting them out. So far, they've been of an extremely high quality, not only in the choice of songs themselves, but in the amazing ways they've been arranged, and the technique required to master them. But does the newly released Domination pack keep up the tradition of unique, unconventional gameplay that DJ Hero is known for, or is it finally time for their first DLC disaster?

DJ Hero Domination Mix Pack (Add-On Content)
For: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Wii (PSN Release : May 11)
Price: 640 MS Points, 300 Wii Points, $7.99 Playstation Network
Released 4/29/2009

For starters, it's clear why they've called this the "Domination" pack, because of each of the three mixes; Beat juggles (arranged versions) of Red Mist VIP (Danny Byrd), and Wolfgang's 5th Symphony (Wolfgang Garter), and a mashup of Sandstorm (Darude) vs. Higher State of Consciousness (Josh Wink) are what's being served, and they're all going to kick your ass. Each song in this pack hosts not only a daunting length, but they all use just about every advanced technique in the game in some fashion to create a pack obviously tailored towards people who think they're the shit in this game. You'll be humbled by the time you're done, trust me.

Now to the mixes! (Ratings for each mix are out of 5, and were played on Expert difficulty.)

Red Mist VIP is the first of three mixes, a DnB/Hip-Hop song that starts off slow, gets more challenging with a tempo increase, then slows down again. It's almost like an introduction to the patterns you'll experience for the rest of the pack in terms of difficulty, like scratching amidst crossfade spikes(!!) and stretches of 2 to 3 button simultaneous taps . While it's almost completely unexciting as a mix (personally, I think it sounds too close to the original), gameplay wise, it's an above average challenge that's good for a warmup, or even honing technique. (Rating: 3/5)

Wolfgang Gartier's 5th Symphony ditches the easy introduction and immediately kicks off with frenzied crossfading and rhythmic scratching eerily reminiscent of the Groundhog (Noisia) beat juggle from the climax setlist of the original game. Hard hitting and bombastic, it's a very technical song that starts off slowly, just like the original, then completely descends into a madness that'll have you employing every technique in the game to great effect. Unpredictable crossfades, spikes, changes in tempo, believe me when I say this song had it all, and then some, It also holds the honor of being the first DLC song I didn't 5 star on a sightread, because it was just TOO MUCH, especially during the last 1/3 of the song. Easily the hardest song in the pack, and one that'll even have the most seasoned of players break a sweat. (Rating: 5/5)

The crown jewel in this pack however, is a high energy, thumping mashup of Sandstorm and Higher State of Consciousness. Aside from being a GREAT listen (I really had to stop myself from moving my shoulders, it was messing me up!), it's also a blast to play as well. It nails that perfect balance of scratching and crossfading that forces a rhythm into your hands that soon spreads to your entire body. Well placed taps, rapid multiple button scratches in succession, and minimal use of samples make for a song that not only sounds great, but feels great as well. Anyone whose ever played "Paper Planes vs. Looking At Me" from the original knows exactly what I mean by this. When balanced right, a song can feel so intuitive that the directional arrows on scratches are irrelevant because you're already moving to the beat on your own. This is it. (Rating: 5/5)

As a whole, I was very satisfied with the DJ Hero Domination Pack. The mixes are challenging, well laid out, and the fans that have been clamoring for more House/DnB in the game will be happy as well. If you're an advanced DJ Hero fan who cannot wait for the sequel to get his fix, then this content is a no brainer for you. Intermediate players may want to think twice before jumping in, though lowering the difficulty does (and will) make the experience less of a trip through DJing hell. If you've fallen off the wagon and have grown tired, this may not win you back, as it's more of the same, but with elevated difficulty. I really do have to say that the mixes again are exremely well done, and I can only hope that Freestyle continues to raise the bar even higher moving forward. To answer my question from earlier; it most certainly does keep up the series tradition of great music and unique gameplay.

(This article's also on CLgamer.com!)

In defense of Infinity Ward..

2010-04-22T01:26:00.000-07:00

So Infinity Ward has been hemorrhaging employees for the past month or so, and it’s something that not only makes me wonder about the future of Call of Duty, but more importantly, what's to become of Infinity Ward themselves. Chewing through the constant name calling, litigation, and drama over the past two weeks, the fact is that not only has the renowned studio lost its co-founders, but it has also lost a suite of other employees, including but not limited to a number of its key designers, animators, artists, and programmers, many of who had been with the company for a number of years.

In short, and to provide a hyperbolic statement, a great deal of the talent that made the CoD series what it was over the past 9 or so years is gone.

Which is strange, because I don't think ANYONE saw this coming. Generally, in gaming, we watch the rise and fall of many a franchise, and a developer buckling under the pressure of their publisher/owner is nothing new. After all, we watched Halo experience lapses in quality while Bungie worked directly under Microsoft, and the same happened to the Call of Duty series after the success of the second game. However, the way Infinity Ward consistently put out great content, I never would've thought there was an undercurrent of dissent brewing.

Then again, how could there NOT have been? The more I thought about it, the more it made sense.

It’s bad enough that the studio had to deal with Activision’s policies. CoD being as popular as it was, meant it had to fall into the Activision business model of releasing one every year. But, we would’ve thought that the fact that developer Treyarch had to bear the burden would be the end of it. I mean, I did. As long as IW didn't have to spread themselves thin annually and could continue making a great product, I had no problem buying a CoD every other year, and avoiding the inevitable mobile/handheld versions. It seemed like a nice arrangement, but of course, as is the case with Activision, that simply isn’t enough. I mean, why have a bi-annual series capable of garnering over 310 million in sales in a single day when you can poach it to high hell and destroy consumer faith in the brand?

It's a good question to ask, because reportedly, Activision is planning for a Call of Duty MMO, is currently considering premium, subscription based pricing for CoD’s multiplayer, and then there’s the the “3rd person action title” in development under the CoD name by their new studio Sledgehammer Games, set to release at an unspecified date. That's a lot of ambitious plans for a franchise, and they all leave an especially sour taste considering that they didn't even come from the mouths of anyone who actually developed the game.

When thought about carefully, can you really blame Jason West and Frank Zampella for wanting creative control of their award winning franchise back? If this writer didn’t know any better, I’d say they sensed a destruction of their franchise similar to what Activision managed to do to Tony Hawk and Guitar Hero. I saw it coming the minute IW tried to distance themselves from the CoD brand by simply calling the title “Modern Warfare 2”. They were aware of the wildly fluctuating level of quality between titles, and didn’t want their work to be lumped in, or confused with Treyarch’s. As you can see, it didn’t eactly work out as planned, and the Call of Dutybrand was slapped onto MW2 regardless. But anyone paying at least a little bit of attention could see that things are getting a little out of control with the brand, overpriced DLC not withstanding.

So the fact that the two founders were meeting with other publishers does not surprise me. The fact that they're trying to retain some control of the "Modern Warfare" brand in addition to unpaid royalties for Modern Warfare 2 with their lawsuit does not surprise me. If you're no longer in a position where you can decide the fate of your creation, AND you aren't being compensated fully for your hard work, isn't it about time to leave? The truth of the matter is, Call of Duty has grown too large for creative sentiment, and now, it solely speaks to corporate whim. I know I'm not the only one that thinks MW2's lack of multiplayer features on PC (dedicated servers, lean, console, mods, etc) was a decision imposed on them and not one they personally made. In fact, I'm pretty sure that splitting their fanbase and starting a mini-internet uprising against their highly anticipated follow-up title wasn't in the original design specs.

Now they're gone, and honestly, it's a shame that this even had to happen at all. When Microsoft realized that Bungie was about to eat itself away from the inside due to the burden of their acquisition, they backed off. Microsoft owns Halo and could've said good riddance, but they knew there couldn't be Halo without Bungie. So they gave them their independence. These two were forced to take it. Now they've formed a new studio (with EA of all people!) called Respawn Entertainment, with the added bonus of retaining control of any intellectual property they create. No one really knows where the other defectors of Infinity Ward have gone, but it'd be hard to imagine that they aren't going to be signing up with them at some point in the future. I hope they do, because I know they're going to make some amazing games, FPS or otherwise.

Activision may not be worried about the future of Call of Duty in light of this, as they still have 90 or so members of the team left, but they ought to be. I'm sure that all the remaining members are very talented, but arrogance that Call of Duty can survive without the key people who made it great was a hubris they committed when they made the mistake of separating Harmonix from Guitar Hero. Treyarch in my opinion can barely hold the mantle of CoD without riding on IW's innovations, and if rumors that about the next game can be believed, they're going back to Vietnam, and subsequently, the crutch of WW2 (groan) for the next installment. While there isn't any doubt in my mind that Call of Duty is going to keep making Activision money regardless (my baffled reaction to the masses that enjoy World at War outside of Nazi Zombies still stands), to see them lose a great deal of that established userbase to EA and Respawn would put a smile on my face. Think about that, it's the year 2010, and I'm rooting for EA, while Activision seems to now be in control of that Death Star hovering over the industry.

My, how times have changed.

This actually happened.

2010-04-19T09:07:00.000-07:00

Poor Sonic. It wouldn't be so tragic (or hilarious) if it weren't so TRUE..

Captain Obvious.

2010-04-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

.

I'm just sayin'.