Scott Pilgrim vs. the Arbitrary Objective!

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.

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This actually happened.

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

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Kevin Butler is..

Awesome. No really. Far from the inexplicable mess that was Sony's ad campaign for the past three years, this guy comes out of nowhere, is genuine, hilarious, and his tongue is exactly where it needs to be when you're promoting a company who was practically flailing to gain relevance with it's userbase for quite some time; in-cheek.

Even watching him promote what is essentially a PS3 Wiimote is a thing of beauty. I laughed, I cried, most importantly, I kinda want one now.

Keep this guy around, seriously.

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Innovative black sheep..of COURSE it'll continue!

Despite the naysayers (but really, wasn't it a bit much calling it out that early on it's October sales numbers when it was out for THREE days of the entire month?) and even somewhat underwhelming sales numbers, DJ Hero is apparently the highest grossing new IP of 2009, according to a press release from Activision themselves.

While the announcement in itself is a bit skewed given the right perspective (it's the highest grossing, not selling, and the entry fee for the game stands at $120), I for one think it's great that the game is getting the respect I feel it deserves instead of being written off as another soulless Activision-styled regurgitation of the music genre. The game rightfully earned a few 'Best of' awards last year despite its weak sales numbers, and this announcement among others just ensures that a bigger, better sequel is pretty much a given.

This is great news in my book, not just for the franchise, but in general. The IP not making any money should've been a death knell for the series, innovation be damned. Personally, I found it more entertaining than another game you might've heard of that released from Activision these past holidays, what was it...Modern Warfare 2?

Forget the profits, (even though they'll be MUCH more important this time around) here's hoping Freestyle Games can strike gold once again and come up with something even better this year that doesn't feel like a completely phoned-in, soulless add-on to what has been a fresh new start for the genre.

Yeah. I went there.

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Definition of Awesome - I

Awesome is getting a Big Daddy stuck on a desk, and having him try to charge at you for so long that the particle effects from all the dust he's kicked up makes the framerate drop to ungodly levels.

Killing him in his frenzy and having the game return to normal is the icing on the cake.

While bending a game's world to your will is one of the most fun things a gamer can accomplish, sometimes the undesired result is the most memorable. I simply wanted to bottleneck the guy in a tight space so I could wear him down. Not cause a graphical meltdown.

Bonus, eh?...


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DJ Hero vs. ExpertPenguin -- Dj Hero Review

Well, that came out of nowhere.

Though, you couldn’t blame me for being skeptical.

After all, I’ve been burned before.

The “Hero” series of music games has almost become a caricature of itself by now. With full priced releases every few months that don’t dare to innovate and incredibly expensive bundled instruments that aren’t getting any cheaper, the overall lack of enthusiasm towards the genre now is something we all should’ve seen coming. Plastic instrument games aren’t what they were two years ago (some would say that’s where they peaked) and the current economical situation makes these premium priced games an even harder sell than before. After all, if you’ve flailed around on a plastic guitar for one franchise, you’ve done it for all of them.

But what about something different, like say…a turntable?

A group of people from Europe came to the same realization and offered up their answer in the form of DJ Hero. The good news is, even though it isn’t light on expense, I don’t think anyone will feel shortchanged after taking it for a spin.



I’ll say it up front, DJ Hero is unlike any rhythm game I’ve ever played. From its unique controller, to it’s highly original and well produced mixes, the game somehow achieves a level of familiarity and overall freshness that hasn’t been seen in any music game to date.

The best thing about the game, and this may sound a bit funny, is that it doesn’t feel like what is now a traditional “Hero” game at all. It, in fact, feels more like the series used to before they started overloading on features in an attempt to outdo Rock Band, and the game itself is much better for it. This may turn some party gamers off, as the game is almost entirely centered around a single player experience, but believe me when I say the game is much better for it in the end with one small exception that I’ll mention later.

I was able to get my hands on the “Renegade” edition of the game (pictures in an earlier post), and I honestly consider it the definitive edition of the package. Inside that massive box comes a copy of the game, a special gold and black version of the turntable controller, a Eminem/Jay-Z mixtape, and a very sturdy carrying case that also serves as an actual stand/platform for the controller itself. I consider it the definitive version of the game simply because of the inclusion of that last detail, but anyone who can’t get their hands on that one will still find the game and turntable controller in the regular package.

The controller itself is very well put together, and as far as complexity goes, can range from daunting if you’ve never/rarely picked up a music game, to challenging if you’re well versed in the art of vicarious music making. There’s the turntable itself with three platter buttons for effects and skips that can be manipulated to scratch or spin a full 360 degrees, an effects knob for distorting sounds, a “Euphoria” (think Star Power) button, and a crossfader for switching between records in a single mix. The interface in-game is modeled after a record, with three tracks representing the first song, sound effects, and second song being mixed, respectively. From there, it's matching notes to the beat, placing effects, scratching or spinning where necessary, and using the crossfader to switch to the extreme left or right to isolate a single record in play.



While it all sounds complex on paper, thanks to the mandatory tutorials you have to run, and the game’s gradual but balanced difficulty curve, using this new instrument becomes second nature after an hour or so of play. Of course, there are a bevy of advanced techniques to learn and use, but the fact that it’s still useable on a beginner’s level is a great job on the developer’s part.

It’s a great thing too, because the soundtrack is phenomenal. I don’t even second guess myself in the slightest when I say it’s easily one of the best put together soundtracks in a music game to date. Each of the game’s 93 mixes have been produced from over 103 songs by various professionals, be they in-house or famous ones like Cut Chemist, DJ AM, Grandmaster Flash, or even the inimitable Daft Punk, and it shows. Genres like Hip-hop, R&B, Dance, House, Techno, and even Rock are represented here, and the fact that it’s all original music immediately makes it stand out, even having the effect of making the marriage between controller and screen more pronounced. Usually, when playing a music game, you’re simply emulating, or pretending to be your favorite stars of an established song. Since everything in this game has never been heard before, it actually feels like you’re the one producing, and the sense of satisfaction, particularly when completing a challenging song, is second to none.

If there is one misstep in this, it’s that the Guitar/DJ tracks easily stand out as the worst of the package. Given that the game is, at the end of the day, a part of the whole “Hero” canon, you figure publisher Activision was going to force Guitar gameplay in there somehow, and it feels exactly like that, forced. None of the (thankfully few) songs featuring the dual gameplay mix together well at all, and even though they aren’t bad per se, in a game full of otherwise great and inventive mixes, they stick out like a sore thumb.

On the multiplayer front, aside from the above mentioned, there really isn’t much to speak of. You have Guitar/DJ, DJ vs. DJ..and that’s about it. I can personally tell much of the focus went into the single player campaign, what with a dizzying number of setlists to complete and 255 stars to unlock prizes across the board, but the multiplayer gameplay isn’t anything to write home about. DJ vs. DJ can be played locally independent of difficulty, and the aforementioned is painful to participate in, though the Guitar tracks are challenging on their own (though a bit repetitive). Hopefully in the (inevitable) sequel we’ll see DJs battling tracks on separate mixes, some sort of tug of war mode, or even more of a custom sound element in the future, but it’s a small complaint in an otherwise solid first entry into the franchise.



Visual wise, the game is surprisingly well done. Even though the art style may be hit or miss for some people, there isn’t any denying that a ton of effort was put into it, despite the fact that your attention will be focused mostly on the notes played. Colors pop, the DJs are surprisingly well animated (though they don’t always match up with what’s going on controller wise), and each venue is a spectacle, with flashing lights, effects and camera tricks that pulse to the beat of whatever song you’re playing, with massive crowds that do well to make you feel like you truly are the life of the party.

In case you couldn’t tell before I reached this conclusion, I found Dj Hero to be fantastic. The controller is sturdy and unique, the music is mindblowing, and even though the game hits a snag here and there, for a freshman entry to a new franchise, the room for improvement is definitely there, and as an entire package, is very, very tight indeed. Of course, even DLC is on its way ensuring that the experience can only get better from here on out. I recommend everyone give this game a try, from new people unaware of what the music game craze is all about, to even seasoned players like myself who are all too quick to write the game off because of its radically different focus.

After all, I was one of them. Look at me now.



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The Unboxing.

It's here.



The beginning of a beautiful friendship..



You know what that means. Stay tuned.

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Da funk back to the punk, come on..

My return is heralded with the sound of house music.

It's no secret that I'm excited about DJ Hero, but it seems Activision is speaking to me--and by extension, everyone else slightly burned by the direction they've taken Guitar Hero--by letting everyone know just how much effort they're putting into making this game phenomenal for house/dance/techno music lovers.

The picture above speaks for itself with Daft Punk signing on, lending not only their likeness and inimitable style, but a number of exclusive remixes just for the game to pad out an already mindblowing catalog of mixes reaching past the hundred mark.

Tim Riley, Activision's VP of Music Affairs had much to say to Rolling Stone during their interview but these quotes stood out for me:

“They are known to be selective about the projects they get involved with and being able to partner with them in this way is a rare opportunity we are honored to have,” Riley added. “From the mixes featuring their music, to their character models and the amazing Daft Punk inspired venue, the guys have been meticulously involved every step of the way.”

and:

“It’s the next best thing to being at a Daft Punk concert.”

Amazing. Now that I've thought of it, what IS a DJ themed game without Daft Punk? This is love. Those of us who are dying to see the duo on stage again, you know, before 2017, I think we've been blessed. Their tracks after the jump.

Now, I really can't wait.

Tracks:

• Daft Punk “Around the World” vs. Young MC “Bust A Move”
• Daft Punk “Da Funk” vs. NASA “Strange Enough ft. Karen O, ODB and Fatlip”
• Daft Punk “Da Funk” vs. Queen “Another One Bites the Dust”
• Daft Punk “Robot Rock” vs. Hashim “Al-Naafiysh (The Soul)”
• Daft Punk “Robot Rock” vs. Queen “We Will Rock You”
• Daft Punk “Short Circuit” vs. Boogie Down Productions “Jack Of Spades”
• Daft Punk “Technologic” vs. Gary Numan “Cars”
• Daft Punk “Television Rules The Nation” vs. No Doubt “Hella Good”

Ah...October 27th..

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Rock-em Sock-em Cowgirl.

I remember seeing the trailer for this game and not being interested. I remember seeing a woman dive in slow motion, I remember seeing her acrobatic stylings on the television above at work, and writing it off.

I occasionally wonder if I'm a bit too jaded. "Another clone from the house Max Payne built", I said. I watched her outrageous, acrobatic stylings, gunplay and swordplay and remember saying to a coworker of mine - "You know, that looks awesome, but I wonder if the transitions are that smooth in actual gameplay?" I looked away and didn't pay it much mind.

It's funny, because in wondering whether or not I'm jaded, I also realize that I've been very pleasantly surprised at many of the releases this year, games I wouldn't have batted an eye towards just rushing up to me and making it known just how wrong I was.

Wet is another of those games.


Coming completely out of left field from Bethesda of all places, and being developed by Artificial Mind and Movement (A2M), Wet is a game that wants you to have fun. The game is awash in a cheesy, worn down Grindhouse style akin to House of the Dead: Overkill, is rife with blood and guts galore, has completely outlandish and over-the-top scenarios aplenty, cheesy, yet catchy music and dialogue, and the best part is, you're in control of it all.

You play as Rubi, an assassin-for-hire with the agility of the Prince of Persia and the firearm proficiency of Max Payne. From the very start of the demo, you're taught the basics. Leaping is done with the A button, Sliding with the B button, Left Trigger helps run on walls, Right trigger is to fire. Later, you gain the ability to use that huge sword on her back and your battle options increase, but it never gets more complicated than those 5 options.

Which brought me back to the point I made with my coworker about it controlling as well as the trailers made it look. I'll say right off the bat that there is a bit of a learning curve, but everything and then some is possible. Every move Rubi executes, be it a wall run, jump, slide, as soon as you move the aiming reticle over an enemy, the game slows down in order to help you aim (and looks damned cool too.) Sweeping the reticle over two enemies causes her to auto-aim at one while you focus on another, making use of both her pistols. It's actually a great design choice that takes the focus away from pinpoint accuracy and more towards how well you can maneuver her through the environments. Within minutes I was deftly executing movements that would make even Mr. Smith from the movie Shoot 'em Up blush.

Case in point: In the opening room alone, I was able to run along a wall, take out two men, flip off said wall without losing momentum catching another henchman between the eyes in midair, hit the ground sliding across the floor on my knees towards two more, taking one out by the knees before literally using him like a human staircase and backflipping off his face, not only taking him out, but the guy behind him as well.

This was all one extended movement. The moves used were literally, wall run, jump, slide. The interactions made them so much more. Even something as simple as descending a ladder will have her sliding down with her back arched backwards if you choose to pull the right trigger on the way down.

It actually wasn't until I played Wet that I realized just how much other games of this nature like Stranglehold took much of the emphasis away from your spectacle by having you focus intensely on pinpoint aiming. Here, within minutes I wasn't nearly as worried about my guns as I was maneuvering her skillfully enough to dispatch my enemies. With each battle area and stage serving as some sort of interactive playground, the possibilities actually seem endless. One area late in the demo spent a good 30 seconds highlighting all the zip lines, swinging poles, walls, and explosives in the area. My brain could do nothing but contemplate how to turn that area into an extended ballet of death. IT's something you as a player would want to do since successive kills fill a combo meter, not only giving you points but also restoring Rubi's health depending on the situation at hand.



The demo ends with a highway chase that's half gameplay, half Quick-Time-Event, having you alternately hopping from car roof to car roof while precision aiming at enemies. If the previous moments of gameplay didn't sell me, having to break away from my shooting in order to hop off one car the second it capsized , only to land on the roof of another car swerving to avoid another car flipping down the interstate had me completely floored.

If I had any complaint, it was that the camera was too close, providing a limited view or hindered one in small rooms, and that Rubi's agility can occasionally be a hindrance, with her moves either being too sensitive or not sensitive enough. The latter becomes a problem when there's always 5-6 enemies minimum shooting at you at any given time, and the wrong combination of moves can get you mowed down.

That however, didn't stop Wet from making my wanted list for Fall 2009. I don't remember any other game since HOTD:Overkill that simply wanted me to have fun because the creation itself was born from developers having a great time.

Did I mention that I also love her character design? Something about it. So renegade and not overtly sexual like most female protagonists.



Surprise from left field. Nice one.
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Pizza Time!

TMNT IV: Turtles in Time is one of my personal favorites. Based on the 4 player arcade classic, the SNES version has the reputation of being one of the best beat'em ups of all time.

Of course, with all this popularity, a remake was inevitable, and so goes the transformation from this:



To this:



Now I look at this, and while I'm somewhat excited, I also find myself a bit torn. I'm very much under the impression that no matter how impressive 3D gets, it'll never be able to capture the personality of 2d, and while this seems to capture the brawling, Foot Soldier flinging, "Cowabunga!" filled awesome of the original (arcade!) version, something seems a bit flat. May just be me though. Perhaps it's the absence of that rumbling, screen shaking effect that made every slam so tangible and meaty in the home version?

I'll likely be all over this come June 22nd, so I'll reserve any further thoughts until then. Comparison vid below..


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Oh, you wonderful game you...

LittleBigPlanet continues to be...simply amazing. But this is cute. Nice to see Media Molecule continue to pour so much effort into the game long after its release. I can't wait until they release this update.



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Doing the endless setlist tonight.

So I'm doing the Endless Setlist 2 again. After the debacle that was dubbed "ExpertPenguin's Repaired 360 Save File Delete 2009" (plus Alpha), none of my lost saved games hit me as hard as my Rock Band 2 file. Aside from the numerous 5 star performances via drums, singing, guitaring under my belt, challenges conquered, my Platinum medal was gone.

A Platinum medal, if you're wondering, is your reward for completing the Endless Setlist 2 on Expert. The ES2 is an 84 track endurance run through every song in the game, back to back, no breaks. Well, the first time I'd done it, I admittedly paused a few times, restarted a few songs, and even took a break to go to sleep.

Fast forward about 7 months, past a save file delete, a new guitar, having gotten much better since then and you'll find a guy with a newfound resolve to actually do the ES2 the way it was intended. The internet gauges its average length to be about 6 hours 15 minutes.

I'm doing it tonight. I want my Platinum back and then some.

Updates can be found in that convenient little LivePenguin bar to the right, or at my Twitter. Keep up, eh?

Here goes..

[Update - 3:33 a.m.. I did it!...and was screwed out of the Iron Bladder Achievement. Inexplicably so. Awesome. I did get my platinum back though...glass is half full?..]

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Filler - One-offs.

-Condemned 2 is an atmospheric mindfuck. Between this and the F.E.A.R. series, I can see that Monolith truly loves tugging at people's nerves through first person.

-LittleBigPlanet is a fantastical, wonderful place and I can't maintain anger while it's running in my PS3. I am under the impression that it's impossible.



-Impossible.

-My inFamous review has been in draft for the past 6 days, and is 80% complete. I'm still wondering if I should put it up.

-X-Blades reminds me of that token generic game you see playing on televisions during a low budget movie. I REALLY wish I had a screenshot of the loading screen that popped up when I started the demo, telling me "The best way to avoid fireballs is to jump over them."

-Rock Band 2 is still the best looking rhythm action game I've ever seen. The fact that the animations remain dynamic and accurate even for the downloadable music blows me away.

-Everyone in a tiff about some random from EA talking about how he feels the 360 is "maxed out" needs to remember WHERE the quote is coming from. He's from EA. EA. When did they become the de facto source for hardware analysis?

-Also, Poor Kojima. I've already spoken to a few people about this...funny to see it in a mainstream blog post.

I'll be back in a day or two..

(end)


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Nintendo - Getting Better..But...

Nintendo had quite a falling out after last year's E3. It seemed that the runaway mainstream success of the Wii made them lose touch with their core audience, the gamers who supported them through thick and INCREDIBLY thin. The console as a whole has been very divisive for quite some time, causing a rift between all the new adopters, and the hardcore fans who want actual games. It's almost as if Nintendo was trying to deliver at first, but once they realized people were content to screw around with Wii Sports for hours on end, they stopped trying.




Now, the system is caught in a pattern of streaming garbage, with very few actual gems worth sticking your hands in the muck for. Sega's been trying hard since this year began to bring gamers back to the fold with excellent gems like MadWorld and it seems as if Nintendo's taken notice. Sure the new people are great, but what about those of us who've been around since '86?

This must be the first wave of appealing to us. Not half bad, guys..

If there's anything Nintendo can do that no other company can, it's extend a franchise...to death. Off the top of my head, I can't think of any other company whose strategy revolves around reinventing the SAME dozen characters ad nauseam, but somehow...it's usually fresh. And as much as I complain, I want to play a new Mario. A 4-player reimagining of the DS hit New Super Mario Bros. doesn't sound bad to me..



Nor does a sequel to The Best Looking Wii Game(tm); Mario Galaxy 2. Is that YOSHI?!



If anyone'd ever told me Team Ninja was making a Wii game, I would've laughed harder than the judge at Vanilla Ice's infringement trial. I mean, it's a Wii! TN is renowned for being graphical snobs. The house that Itagaki built is set on proving everyone wrong though with this new title, and even more unbelievable, it's...a Metroid game?

(I wonder if there'll be boob physics...you know you're wondering too. C'mon. It's Team Ninja we're talking about here.)



Third parties are getting in on things too, and I'll be damned if EA Redwood (now named Visceral Games) isn't trying to one-up Nintendo for Best Looking Wii game with their new game Dead Space: Extraction, a rail shooter/exploration game in the vein of RE: Umbrella Chronicles..



An excellent looking 2D brawler/platformer in the form of Muramasa: The Demon Blade



...and a reinvention of the first Silent Hill in Silent Hill: Shattered Memories. I'm honestly on the fence about this one, what with there being news about the removal of combat, and tinkering with some story elements, but it looks like it's coming along nicely.




Interested in the DS titles incoming? Links:

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 days

Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story

Golden Sun DS

Other than these great announcements (which admittedly, took some time to get rolling), the majority of the show had me scratching my head. Yes, Wii Fit was a hit, but do we really need another one? Yes Nintendo, I'm glad you want to bring the family together, but Mario alone is enough. With all the accessories, add-ons, minigame compilations on the way in the form of another Wii Sports, exercise games, and THIS inexplicable thing:


(Are you serious?)

I'm really beginning to wonder whether or not Nintendo's tired of making real games, and just wants to settle into the low-risk, low-effort route of fad programming. I rarely touch my Wii as it is, and can barely look at it as a gaming platform the way I do my 360 and PS3. I wonder if this is what Nintendo really wants for us, or if they've simply become blind with success. It's no wonder the President of the company came out and said high definition wasn't a priority unless deemed necessary. If the system is going to do little other than calculate your health and distract you with fluff, why does it need to be in a higher resolution?

Also, with Microsoft and Sony busting out with their own takes on motion-based gameplay, how will they continue to compete? They're no longer the lowest price point, and their number one gimmick is about to broaden it's horizons. Nintendo's complacency is going to need a boot in the ass by 2010, and they'll have to push things in the right direction.

This year was a bit hopeful, but still reeks of the same kind of negligence. I have a feeling after this little spark, we'll be in for another drought on this console.

I'll keep my fingers crossed.
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Filler - The REAL DJ Hero.

The amount of manual dexterity required to pull this off is honestly lost to me. I've been playing this on and off for some years now.



Another after the jump..



If I can get this working smoothly...ah..the things you'll see..
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Today is..

...the greatest...day I've ever known.

(Yep, I downloaded it. Yes, I will still purchase it. It's that good.)

(Updated 5-31-2009: Now with gameplay video after the jump! Michael!)


Rock Band: Unplugged for the PSP.

Great soundtrack? (Jackson 5, The Police, AFI, Smashing Pumpkins, Weezer) Check. Graphics and sound? Quite on point. Controls? As intuitive as DJ Max's 4 button scheme, with the added task of switching between all four members of the band dynamically. I was a bit iffy about how this kind of thing would work across a 4-5 minute song with multiple parts, but my doubts were immediately put to rest once I started playing.

While it's true that all four tracks (Guitar, Bass, Drums, Vocals) are laid out and running at the same time, you only have to complete a small portion of the song, or a "phrase", and that part of the track will start playing itself. When a phrase is complete, you switch to another member and play their portion. What it boils down to is completing phrases from each member of the band in order to keep the song sounding great, and while it sounds like a handful in text, there's a certain addictive rhythm and satisfaction in successfully keeping the song going from all fronts. On the other side of the coin, messing up will cause that portion of the track to cut out, but you can easily rescue it with a few consistently well timed button presses.




I like it. Add the fact that this portable version retains the music store, which means downloadable content, which means this game could potentially NEVER end like the console Rock Band (Over 670 songs available for download and growing!), and you have a game that'll never leave my memory card--er, I mean UMD Drive.

Because I am buying it.

Harmonix deserves it. It's not like they're Activision or anything.
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Gaming Purgatory - Rhythm Heaven

I loved my DS lite.

I never thought it was anything too special on the surface, but inside it laid some of the best times I've had with gaming in years. Unfortunately, mine was the victim of one too many sessions of the Ouendan/Elite Beat Agents/Ouendan 2 trifecta, having fallen prey to a particularly rousing session of Jumpin Jack Flash on "Sweatin’" difficulty.



(Yeah..That'll do it.)

So after a good year or so without it, withdrawals having finally ended (I was starting to like my PSP, a LOT-- Yeah, I know.) I cracked and found myself a DSi, using my fallen DS as leverage.

Sadly, a certain retail chain thinking they were getting over on me with my trade-in towards it will have a very pleasant surprise when they realize they’ve essentially gotten a GBA.

Moving on...

Of course, the first thing I’d done with my new contraption was take a bunch of gloriously low-res photographs, and indulge in the regular Nintendo gimmickry until the novelty wore off and I had to acknowledge that it actually played GAMES.

So, learning nothing from my previous mishap, I played Ouendan again, but somehow, it almost paled in comparison to another game I picked up on my way out, and that game is Rhythm Heaven.

In playing it, It honestly felt like something I hadn’t felt in a while.



FUN.

It was almost exhilarating, I wasn’t worried about being swept up in an epic story, I wasn’t concerned about production values or texture quality, I wasn’t hung up on an infinite number of buttons and game mechanics that each require their own individual FAQ, I was simply playing and enjoying myself. It’s cute, it’s quirky and above all, it was SIMPLE to grasp and enjoy, yet a challenge to master were you so inclined. In fact, many games on the DS remind me of this basic component of gaming that we seem to have left behind. It works brilliantly here.

The premise is simple, with the game being comprised of minigames, each with a specific goal. many of the games have a central theme, from putting together small contraptions, to singing in tune with a glee club, to defending a spaceship from attacking aliens. The catch is that they’re all rhythm based, and many of the challenges have to be done in tune with the music. Controls are simple, with every action being controlled either by tapping or “flicking” (think making a check mark) on the touch screen.



The funny thing is, the games are already fun and charming enough on their own, but the catchy music involved adds another layer to the enjoyment. I’ve only gone through about half of the more than 50 games the game promises, and I can see myself returning to this for the next few months, easily.

If you have a DS and haven’t given this a chance yet, I recommend you do so RIGHT AWAY.

You won’t be disappointed.
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