The 'Tude is....back?

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.



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Tangible Excitement.

Estacado's back, baby.
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Social Notworking.

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/

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Mortal Technique?

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

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

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Oscillating challenge - Pendulum Mix Pack Review

"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
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Not Quite Numb – Linkin Park Mix Pack Review

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’..


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Screw off. LittleBigGyp.

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.

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Rough and Tough - Hard Edge Mix Pack Review

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

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Dividing By Zero - Tiësto Mix Pack Review

'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

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Electric Boogaloo - DJ Hero 2 Electro Mix Pack Review

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..


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Return of the Pack - DJ Hero 2 DLC Review

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?

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Captain Obvious RETURNS.

ONE MO' GAIN!

(Mouseover for full effect!)

Again, I'm just saying..

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Dream Match 2012?

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.

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Looks like Twitter's good for something..

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.






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

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

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

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Groovy!.....IN HD.

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!)

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