"Fear The Claw's" Video Game Blog

Those who can't beat, cheat!

2010-08-20T22:30:00.000-07:00

↑ ↑ ↓ ↓ ←→←→ B A START
↓ R ↑ L Y B
A B A C A B B
↓ A R B Y ↓ A Y
(R + ←) (L + ↓) ← ↑ ↓ (R + C⇐) (L + C⇐) (L + R + ←) (L + R + →)
(L + C⇐)

Cheat codes have been a part of console gaming for over 25 years. Some cheat codes have even become a part of video game history. Some games, like Konami's Contra, were nigh impossible to beat without cheat codes. Beating these games without cheating gave players infinite bragging rights.

That all stared to change in the last few generations of games. As games have become easier, longer, and less linear, with more focus on story and exploration, cheats have become decreasingly necessary, and new features are usually unlocked by performing unique tasks, collecting and spending in-game currency, or simply progressing through the game.

Cheat devices, like the Game Genie, GameShark, and Action Replay, combated this trend. These unlicensed add-ons essentially allowed the user to hack and modify the game code to create their own cheats, such as infinite life, special weapons, and even access features that had been switched off in the final product. These cheat devices fell out of favor as online gaming and scoring became more popular, the consensus being that gamers who cheat ruin the game for everyone else. So what if you want to unlock features, but don't have the time, patience, or skills necessary to complete the required tasks? You still paid full price for the game. Shouldn't you have full access to its features?

For example, when Perfect Dark came out, I bought it day one, full price. Over the next few months, and even years, I played the game a lot and got pretty good at it, but never got good enough to play at the Perfect Agent level, let alone complete the required speed runs, which meant I would never unlock certain cheats and features I had been wanting to try. I had the same problem with GoldenEye 007, but in its case, Rare released well hidden cheat codes a few years after the game's release for those of us who could not do it ourselves. Perfect Dark had no such codes. I ended up buying a GameShark and unlocking features "illegally" after years of frustration.

The first Rock Band had a similar problem. In order to unlock all the songs, you had to unlock them in World Tour mode. The problem was, World Tour eventually forced you to play songs on hard to progress, which for me at the time meant a guaranteed fail. It wasn't until Rock Band 2 came out and I was able to export all the RB1 songs that I finally could play some of those songs that to me were unlockable. Rock Band 2 also had an "ALL SONGS" feature, but that came with a concession: online play, score keeping, and certain achievements were deactivated when "ALL SONGS" was on.

That seems to be a common exchange for the option to play the game in a way other than intended. Grand Theft Auto IV does the same thing. Use a cheat during your play session and not only does it deactivate online play and certain achievements, but if you save, it shows on your gameplay stats. This prevents players from cheating for more than personal enjoyment. That seems pretty fair to me.

So why is using cheats still such a taboo? If I am cheating on my own game by myself and not getting any rewards other than fun out of it, what's wrong with that? I would even go so far as to say that if I want to set up an Xbox Live Party using cheats, just for me and my friends, I should be allowed to do just that. There is no reason why I can't activate "NO FAIL MODE" in Rock Band 2 for the sake of my more rhythm or coordination impaired friends, then join a Party with my online friends in Florida. As long as no one minds, who cares? The Party could just post a disclaimer like, "Fear The Claw wants to activate NO FAIL MODE. This will prevent high scores from being recorded, and certain Achievements from being unlocked for the entire party. Is this okay?"

I bought Saints Row 2 several months ago, solely for the purpose of messing around in the open world, and was annoyed to discover that using any of the couple hundred cheat codes at any point during the game deactivates all Achievements, even if the cheat I am using would not affect the requirements for the Achievement I would have unlocked. ( For example, if I use a weapon cheat, it still deactivates Achievements pertaining to vehicle stunts.) This also does not reset when I turn the cheat off. That seems unfair to me. On the other hand, Burnout Paradise does not have any cheats, but you can pay 800 Microsoft Points, or $10, to unlock all the cars in the game, an option I wish more games had.

It seems unreasonable to me that more games do not include or allow cheats. Whom does it really hurt, other than arguably the player? I paid for the game. Let me enjoy it the way I want. There are some games I probably would never enjoy fully if it weren't for cheats, because they are either too difficult, too long, or have gameplay aspects that I find annoying. Cheats allow me to reduce, or even eliminate, many of these problems, allowing me to complete games that would normally continue collecting dust on my Shelf of Shame. Now, if you don't mind, I am going to go back to my PlatStation Network port of Final Fantasy VII with the hacked game save I downloaded from GameFAQs.

Game Nutz Podcast Episode 44 - E3 Roundup 2010

2010-06-22T09:45:00.000-07:00

Check out our take on the news from this year's E3 on the special, hour-long Episode 44 of the Game Nutz Podcast, complete with an epic, game-related orchestral score!

You can also subscribe to us on iTunes by clicking here!

In search of the perfect 10

2010-06-08T19:26:00.000-07:00

I began to think about this a couple weeks ago, when I recommended Red Dead Redemption to a customer, citing a perfect ten-out-of-ten review as evidence of its quality. His response was dismissive: "There's no such thing as a perfect ten," he claimed. Touché, I thought. Even I can only think of a handful of games I would give a ten-out-of-ten score. Does that mean those games are perfect? Are they without flaws, glitches, or frustrating moments? Do they exceed expectations in everything they attempt to do? Put simply, no, they do not. So how do I justify giving a 10/10 to a game that is not absolutely perfect? Because it really is not that simple.

Looking at a game objectively, it is impossible to make it perfect. There will always be a pixel or a polygon out of place, AI that behaves questionably, sections of gameplay that take a few too many tries to complete, or any other potential problems you face when dealing with user-controlled media. The unpredictable nature of video games makes it impossible to prevent every scenario that could detract from the experience. But video games are not objective, are they? Unless you are reviewing a puzzle game or a simulated card game, there are very subjective elements that are necessary to game design. (One could even argue that the aesthetic of a puzzle game can affect the player's enjoyment.) A video game should be visually pleasing, a factor that cannot be considered objectively. In addition, most games strive to generate an emotional response in the player — a feeling of joy, fear, excitement, etc. Certainly emotions cannot be judged objectively.

My point is, there is no such thing as an "objective game review." You cannot judge a game based solely on its technical aspects any more than any other media. When you read a movie review, do you want it judged solely on the run time and type of filming equipment used? Do you want music judged solely on chord progression and time signature? Do you want literature judged solely on spelling and grammar? Of course not. Then why do gamers demand a purely objective review of a video game?

When a reviewer scores a game 10/10, he is not claiming the game is absolutely perfect. Rather, he is asserting that, from his experience, the game's technical blemishes are so sparse and minute that they do not significantly affect the quality of the overall experience. A 10/10 can also imply that, despite advancements in technology, years from now the reviewer may still find the same amount of enjoyment in the game.

GameSpot once utilized as part of its scoring process — along with gameplay, graphics, sound, and value — a "Reviewer's Tilt." This was a score ranging from one to ten that was averaged into the other scores to give the reviewer an influence over the final score. It allowed the reviewer to account for unquantifiable factors such as aesthetic appeal, emotional response, or in some cases, the cinematic qualities like story and acting. If a game was average in all of its technical aspects, but had a charming presentation and high replay value, the reviewer can reflect that in his "tilt." In contrast, if a game had exceptional technical aspects, but an unengaging story and unoriginal gameplay, the "tilt" can be lowered to reflect that. I think it was a great system and really exemplified the point that gaming is a very personal and subjective experience, and not a purely technical one.

Many movie buffs consider films like The Godfather, The Empire Strikes Back, and Psycho to be "perfect films," earning the conventional four (out of four) star ratings typically given to films of their caliber, despite long lists of continuity errors and technical goofs. Heck, even Citizen Kane, universally hailed as "the greatest film of all time," has its own list of flubs to challenge its place at the top of the list. If film critics are permitted to heap such praise on technically imperfect movies, shouldn't we grant video game critics the same privilege? After all, a ten-out-of-ten game is like a loved one: you know they have flaws, but you love them so much it doesn't matter.

By the way, in case you are wondering which games I'd give a "perfect 10," they are Super Mario Bros. 3, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Super Mario 64, Metal Gear Solid, and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

Rock Band 3 teased in Green Day: Rock Band demo

2010-05-26T23:20:00.000-07:00

There's not much to tell here, so I'll keep this brief. I downloaded the Green Day: Rock Band demo today to hold me over until the full game arrives at my door next week. After playing both available songs, Welcome to Paradise and Boulevard of Broken Dreams (both on bass, of course), I exited the demo and, just before returning to the Dashboard, I was treated to a black screen with the Rock Band instrument logos, and the number "3." That's all. I told you there was not much to report.

But wait… What's this…?

There are the four standard logos: bass, drums, guitar, and vocals; but the vocal one has three mics. Well, no huge surprise there. Harmonies have been featured in both Beatles: and Green Day: Rock Band…

But there's a fifth logo… Is that…? YES! A keyboard! One of the most requested features for a band game. Honestly, I'm curious, and a little bit skeptical, about how it is going to work, but this could be a real game changer for the genre.

At the very least, it will make Pete Townsend's minute long keyboard solos more tolerable in the game!

Nintendo needs a Touchstone

2010-05-04T15:14:00.000-07:00

About eighty percent of (the five of) you reading this are probably saying "What's a 'Touchstone'?" So first, a little history lesson: In the late '70s, early '80s, Walt Disney Pictures released a few movies that earned a PG rating from the MPAA. This was unheard of for the typically kid-friendly company. Some of these movies were released under the Disney label, while others were farmed out to other studios for release. In 1984, Disney CEO Ron Miller created Touchstone Pictures, a rebadge of sorts for adult oriented Disney movies. Under the Touchstone label, Disney released hits like Splash, Ernest Goes to Camp, Good Morning, Vietnam, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Nightmare Before Christmas (later rereleased under Walt Disney Pictures), and several of Jerry Bruckheimer's films.

(Disney also founded Hollywood Pictures, and purchased Miramax Films and Dimension Films for similar reasons.)

So what does this have to do with video games? Well, Nintendo has a similar image in the video game industry to Disney's in the film industry: colorful, cartoony, family-friendly, and innovative; and, like Disney, this image has occasionally had a detrimental effect on how they are perceived by "mature" audiences. "Hardcore" gamers don't want to play a game with a doe-eyed boy in a green tunic any more than they want to watch a 90 minute long cartoon about a singing, dancing frog; no matter how good it may be.

While Nintendo has tried in the past decade-and-a-half or so to shed this kiddy image with more mature games, unusual partnerships, and grittier versions of classic stories, their attempts thus far have had meager results. The designs for their systems have not done much to help this, by opting more for simple and functional, rather than stylish and powerful, their systems look and perform less like a Sony PlayStation, and more like a My First Sony Walkman.

This is fine with me. I believe that there is a place in the gaming industry for the simple fun of "casual" games alongside the complex challenges of "hardcore" games. Unfortunately, while Nintendo's systems offer a wide assortment of experiences, it is this casual style that permeates everything they do. No matter how many "hardcore" games like Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, MadWorld, or Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Reflex we may see on a Nintendo platform, they never seem to sell as well as games like Grand Theft Auto IV, Gears of War, or Modern Warfare 2 on Sony and Microsoft platforms; or even as well as Nintendo's own "casual" offerings like Wii Sports, Wii Play, or Brain Age.

The problem here is that Nintendo is so ingrained with its own family-friendly image that even third party developers can't break through its connotation. What is needed is a brand that is disassociated with, but still controlled by, Nintendo. Imagine going into a game store, and you see on display the Nintendo Wii, a tall white box with a Remote controller and a cartoony sports package, and the Sora Revolution*, a flat black box with a Classic Controller and a dark fantasy adventure about a young man who gets turned into a wolf (we'll pretend for the sake of this example that you can play Twilight Princess with a Classic Controller). Which of these do you think would appeal to the "hardcore" gamer? How about the Nintendo DS versus the Sora Nitro*?

My point is, a game like Grand Theft Auto might sell better on a system called the Nitro, while a game like Nintendogs is better suited for the DS. The two systems can be identical in hardware and interface, but the Nitro have a more "hardcore" name and design. While the Wii has targeted casual gamers with its simple, unique controller design, the Revolution can attract the hardcore with a more conventional one. Both SKUs would be fully compatible with each other's games and accessories, but cater, at least aesthetically, to different audiences.

Admittedly, this does pose some problems, like what do you put on the game cases? Wii, Revolution, or both? Maybe they could make a decision based on the target demographic. For example, they could have the key buyers' system name on the front, and "also compatible with [other system name]" on back, or in smaller print on the front. Who knows?

These are all my own personal musings, of course. It will never happen. Nintendo are proud of themselves; and they should be, as they are currently dominating both the console and portable gaming markets. However, their success has come at a price. They have lost many potential sales and licenses due to the perception of their audience. Perhaps a rebrand may be what Nintendo needs to recapture the "hardcore" gamers, many or whom have moved on to the PlayStation 3 and/or Xbox 360. It worked for Disney. Con Air, Clerks, the Scream trilogy,... These are all Disney movies. Maybe the next answer to Halo or Grand Theft Auto could be a Nintendo game, under a different name.

*"Sora" is taken from Sora Ltd., a Nintendo second party developer founded by Super Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai. "Revolution" and "Nitro" were Nintendo's project names for the Wii and DS prototypes, respectively.

Features I'd like to see in Rock Band 3

2010-04-15T21:25:00.000-07:00

Ever since I first played Guitar Hero on a demo station in 2005 I've been hooked on the instrument-sim sub-genre of music games. When I first played Harmonix's next-gen follow-up Rock Band, I fell in love with the aesthetic, diverse playlist, and potential as a party game. Rock Band 2 remains a frequent activity for friendly get-togethers at our home. However, while RB2 improved on the original's interface, there's still plenty of room for a more streamlined and varied experience. The Beatles: Rock Band added harmonies, but aside from that, the formula has remained largely the same across the four main games and several spin-offs in the series. Harmonix passed on releasing a Rock Band 3 last year, but I'm sure there will still be one, and here is a list of features I'd like to see in order to improve the experience:

Harmonies/Duets - The Beatles: RB added this unique feature to make the game more authentic to the Beatles' music, and Green Day: RB will carry it on, but there are several songs in the Rock Band library that could benefit from a multi-vocal option. Songs like Linkin Park's One Step Closer, Gorillaz' Clint Eastwood, and Evanescence's Bring Me to Life, just to name a few, were all recorded with two vocalists, one singing and one rapping. Multiple vocalists could also make artists like The B-52s more accessible to the game.

Support for two guitars - Most rock songs feature at least two guitar tracks (not including bass), rhythm and lead. I don't know why this option hasn't been explored yet, especially with The Beatles. The two guitar tracks are usually just swapped between on the single guitar chart, or sometimes the rhythm track is ignored altogether. It would be nice if we were given the option to have one more band mate and to pick the track we prefer, especially since some gamers are better at the "chord changes" and "double strumming" of the rhythm section, while others (like myself) are better with the quick fingering and "single notes" of lead.

iTunes-style stat keeping for songs - I can't tell you how many times I've bought a song and completely forgot about it, or played a song once and had it get lost in a field of far more familiar songs. Yes, you can sort songs by alphabet (band or song title), rating (how well you performed on a song, not how much you like it), source (RB1, RB2, DLC, etc.), decade, and genre; but these don't make it much easier to find those rare gems that may have drifted into obscurity as you played Aqualung for the twenty-seventh time. Finding music in iTunes is so quick and intuitive, Harmonix could learn a lesson from Apple. The following criteria should be added to the music sort list:
- Date added
- Play count
- Last played
- Player rating (taste, not skill)
- Suggestions

Music search feature - Rather than spending 2-3 minutes searching your library for that one song, just press one button, bring up the virtual keyboard, and type the title or artist in. How difficult can it be to add USB keyboard and ChatPad support as well?

Optional vocal cadenzas - I don't know about you, but I get annoyed when the game requires me to sing every "ooh," "ah," and "yeah" exactly the same as the original recording, or else lose my note streak. If they're not explicitly written into the sheet music, they should be optional, maybe for extra points, or as an alternate way to activate Overdrive.

Button-activated Overdrive - Speaking of Overdrive, there needs to be a more user-friendly way to activate it while on vocals or drums. On guitar or bass, all you need to do is tilt the controller, or hit the Back button. Guitar Hero allows you to activate Star Power on drums whenever you want by hitting the kick bass and both cymbals simultaneously. This can be a little overly complicated, but it's better than waiting half-a-minute for the next drum fill because you missed the crash prompt the first time. As for vocals, my throat hurts enough from singing tenor all night (I'm naturally a bass-baritone, and very few pop/rock songs are in that range), now you want me to scream into the mic at a precise time? Either put an Overdrive button on the Mic controller, or map it to any button on the 360 controller.

Adaptive difficulty - Over the years, I've progressed from struggling with the Medium difficulty, to challenging myself with Hard, and in some cases going with Expert because I've already mastered all others. There are some songs, however, that start out deceptively simple, then throw a string of rapid-fire "hammer-ons" or "double-strum" chords at you later on that cause me to instantly fail out. If I step down a level, I could play the song in my sleep with the drop in difficulty. An option should be added, perhaps in place of No Fail Mode, which automatically adjusts the difficulty level based on your current performance. Achieve a 50 note streak or fill the performance bar all the way and the game will take it up a notch. Drop into the red, and the game will automatically bring the level down on the fly. This will make party nights a lot easier for groups of varying skill.

Quick-swapping instruments - I almost always play bass, but there are some songs that make me want to drop my Fender P and pick up a mic. Other times I get stuck on drums until my arms hurt and I just need some less physically taxing relief. What do I need to do? Back up to the band member selection screen, log out of my controller, swap controllers with someone (who also had to log out), log into my new instrument of choice (while the person I swapped with does the same), and re-enter the song selection screen. Sometimes the game makes this even more complicated, forbidding me from logging my Gamertag out while the game is playing, and forcing me to either return to the Dashboard, swap my GT to another controller, and reload the game, or worse, shut the system off and start all over again. This is absolutely ridiculous. There needs to be a way I can switch to a different instrument and take my GT and RB avatar with me without spending 5 minutes reconfiguring the entire system.

So there's my Rock Band 3 list of suggestions. Now all I need to do is find out how to share this with Harmonix's development team, and hopefully some or all of these will be addressed in the final product.

Are there any other features or fixes you'd like to see in future Rock Band entries? Please share them in the comments section!

Perfect Dark (XBLA) - Full Review

2010-03-29T12:23:00.001-07:00

Last May, I included Perfect Dark in Part III of my list of classic Nintendo games that haven't been remade, but should be. Less than a month later at E3, Microsoft announced Perfect Dark for the Xbox Live Arcade. At the time it sounded like the game would just be a port of the N64 game running in 1080p with online multiplayer, but a few months later Rare released screenshots showing new high resolution textures replacing the originals. On March 17th, Microsoft Game Studios released their version of the N64 classic, ported by 4J Studios.

As I had said I would in my previous post on this topic, I bought this on day one. The first thing I noticed was, aside from the higher resolution, and the replacement of old RareWare and Nintendo logos with new Rare and Microsoft ones, was that the opening was basically identical as the original's. Same sound, same presentation, and the 4J logo very cleverly replaces the N64 logo before becoming the background for the title… but you aren't reading this to find out about the logos, are you?

I started playing the game right away, and was amazed at how crisp and clear the graphics were — Perfect Dark looks as good as you remember it looking, and better than it actually looked — but what really caught my attention was how detailed the faces were. While most of the graphical updates are simply brand new hi-res textures to replace the originals, character models were completely rebuilt with higher polygon counts. Even Jo's hand and gun in first-person are remodeled. You can actually make out the details on the faces, and features such as lips and eyes are well defined. This unfortunately makes cinemas a little annoying because, like the original, the faces are all static and there is no lip sync.

screenshots from teamxbox.com

Surprisingly, the game controls well using dual-analog, although I still prefer my C-buttons for strafing. AI is exactly the same as it was in 2000, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Enemies are smart enough to chase you, take cover behind walls, surrender or go kung-fu and fisticuffs when disarmed, and investigate curious sounds and objects; but they're not so smart that you can't still toy with them and set up fairly obvious ambushes. In fact, aside from the graphics and controller itself, nearly everything in the XBLA release is identical to the N64 original.

The biggest change is in the Combat Simulator, PD's multiplayer mode. While all the features of the original are still here (and unlocked from the get-go), the obvious new addition is online matchmaking. Thus far, most of the matches have been pretty even (with me in the usual bottom half of the standings), though there is always the typical unfair match with some FPS expert/cheater. Hopefully matchmaking will smooth out over time, as more people participate and player levels start to balance out. Unfortunately, the only options for online matchmaking are 4 player and 8 player matches, and there is no option for Simulants, meaning you can't set up a humans versus Sims match for random people. This would be a nice feature to add. The most fun we had at my house was humans vs. Sims, with a random Perfect Sim thrown in to keep things interesting. Still, local mulitplayer is exactly the same as it was 10 years ago, Sims and all, only clearer and smoother.

My biggest gripes are what they did not include. I was really hoping they would restore the face-mapping feature that was planned for the original release, but removed due to post-Columbine pressure (Rare claims "technical issues," but I stand by my previous statement). The pieces of cheese hidden throughout the levels, originally meant as an alternate method for unlocking cheats, still do nothing. The N64 version of Perfect Dark (as well as GoldenEye 007) allowed you to change the aspect ratio of the game from a standard 4:3 (1.33:1), all the way to an anamorphic 23:9 (2.55:1, similar to CinemaScope's aspect ratio) on widescreen TVs. The XBLA version only allows full-screen mode, in either 4:3 or 16:9 depending on your system settings.

Overall, the biggest change is the framerate. After years of stuttering single-player, choppy deathmatches, and unplayable co-op, we can finally see Perfect Dark the way it was meant to be seen. This is what Perfect Dark might have looked and played like had Rare held the game over to the GameCube. If you were ever a fan of the original, or even of GoldenEye, and are looking for a solid, old-school FPS on the 360, I'd say you can't go wrong with this. The fact that it's only $10 (800 MP) gives you even less reason not to buy it.

9
Yea: feels and sounds just like the original; looks a lot better than the original; great classic FPS; nearly unlimited multiplayer options
Nay: short campaign; not much new aside from online multiplayer; needs more GoldenEye multiplayer maps (DLC maybe?)

Does length equal value?

2010-02-27T11:05:00.001-08:00

I hear and read the comments all the time: "great campaign, but too short;" "hundreds of hours to complete;" "padded with repetitive tasks;" "not long tnough to warrant a $60 purchase..." It seems people equate hours of gameplay with a dollar amount as if there were a mathematical formula to determine a game's monetary value. But when the dollar to hour ratio is different for everyone, how do you determine the ideal game length?

About 10 years ago, when gamers spent fifty to sixty dollars on a game, they were generally looking at between 5-10 hours of single player gameplay. A triple-A title like The Legend of Zelda or Metal Gear Solid might offer an additional 5-10 hours. The notable exceptions to the rule, RPGs, might cap out at around 40-50 hours. Back then there were also fewer studios releasing fewer games on fewer major systems, so there was potentially more time for gaming. You rarely heard the complaint that games were not long enough for their price.

Flash forward to today...

Games still cost $50-60, but now there are a lot more of them, and a lot more options in the types of games. Most games today average out at around ten hours, give or take a few, and a triple-A titles could easily consume twenty hours of your spare time, or more. An RPG might be finished in 60 hours if you're lucky. Some games, in particular games by developers BioWare and Bethesda, boast over one hundred hours of open world gameplay.

By my estimate, total potential gameplay hours have quintupled in the past decade, while the price of new games has remained mostly the same. Why then do I constantly hear the complaint that certain games are not long enough to warrant a full price purchase? Furthermore, how does a longer game equate to a better game? Certainly quantity does not necessarily equal quality. What constitutes a good value in gaming?

What it comes down to for me is overall enjoyment and replayability. What good is a fifty hour game if most of it is the same old thing for thirty of them? If there's nothing left to do after I'm finished other than replay from the start, the campaign had better be short and memorable. One hundred hours of gameplay? If it doesn't have a non-linear or branching story, I'm not interested, because I'll probably forget what's happened before I'm halfway through it anyway.

What a game is worth should not be broken down into a numerical equation based solely on gameplay hours. It should be based on personal preference and quality of production. I mean, which would you rather spend your hard-earned money on: five hours of gold, or fifty hours of "meh?"

If you do insist on looking at it mathematically, try this formula:

To buy a brand new movie on DVD costs close to $20. The average movie runtime is about two hours. That's $10 for each hour of passive entertainment. Apply that ratio to video games, and that new game you just paid $60 for is a pretty fair deal at "only" six hours, especially when you consider that's an interactive medium which can be experienced at any pace, a nearly infinite number of ways.

(I will admit, my biggest complaint with Ghostbusters was that it was too short. That had nothing to do with its monetary value, but rather that I simply did not want the game to end. The positive side is its brevity makes it easy to play through repeatedly, for example, whenever I get around to watching the movies again.)

Let's try to get away from judging a game's value by its length, and instead by our overall enjoyment of it, and how enthusiastic we'd be to play it through again. After all, New Super Mario Bros. Wii may only take about 5-6 hours to beat, but that hasn't stopped me from getting more than $50 worth of fun out of it.

My Shelf of Shame

2010-01-31T14:20:00.001-08:00

Obviously I have not had time to post much lately. I haven't had time to do much of anything, really — except work, that is — let alone gaming. I have an ever growing backlog of games I've yet to play or finish. The hosts of Joystiq Podcast referred to this as a "Shelf of Shame." Hearing this term got me thinking, what games do I own that have been sitting on my Shelf of Shame?

(footnote links are broken. explanations at bottom of article.)

Games I've never played:

Games I've played, but not finished

Games I came close to finishing and stopped:

¹bonus feature on game disc
²part of a compilation
³recently purchased
⁴sold or traded
⁵damaged/unplayable
⁶lost/stolen

(notes: "finished" does not necessarily mean completed. for example, finishing Super Mario Galaxy means that i reached and defeated the final boss, and saw the end credits, but not necessarily with all 120 stars. also, games that were purchased without the intention of playing to completion, such as Saints Row 2, and games purchased as party games, such as LEGO Rock Band, are not counted as part of this list.)

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T23:50:00.000-08:00

Your present is coming in due time…

New Super Mario Bros. Wii — First Impressions

2009-12-03T00:54:00.000-08:00

Mario games have always been the epitome of platforming perfection. I loved New Super Mario Bros. on the DS (the first 2D Mario game since the Game Boy's Super Mario Land 2) and I couldn't wait for a sequel. I got exactly what I wanted and more with New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Nintendo's first Mario platformer on a console since Super Mario World on the SNES in 1990. I'll spare you the story — like it really matters — suffice to say it marks the return of the Koopalings.

The ever present Super Mushroom, Fire Flower, and Star all return, along with NSMB's Mini-Mushroom and three new power-ups: the Propeller Mushroom, the Ice Flower, and the Penguin Suit. The Propeller Mushroom gives Mario the ability to jump very high and descend slowly. The Ice Flower is exactly what you'd expect: it's the opposite of a Fire Flower in that with it Mario throws ice balls which freeze enemies into blocks of ice. Ice balls can often be more useful than fireballs because many enemies that are impervious to fireballs can be frozen, then shattered; and ice blocks can be used as platforms in the water. Finally, the Penguin Suit gives Mario Ice Flower abilities plus better traction on ice and improved swimming controls.

Gameplay is essentially identical to its predecessors in almost every way except two. First, NSMBW is freaking hard! I have not died this many times in a Mario game since The Lost Levels. Fortunately, some of this difficulty is alleviated by the second gameplay addition: simultaneous co-op. Up to three additional players (controlling Luigi and two Toads) can run alongside Mario and help by taking out enemies, finding secrets, and collecting hard to reach items. They can also be your saving grace, because as long as one player is still alive and kicking, the dead player will float back onto the screen in a bubble (which must be popped by an active player in order to free them) and the level continues. One of the downsides to co-op play is that characters can bump into each other, or bounce off of each other's heads, making it difficult to maneuver quick jumps and small platforms. The other is that your partners can always turn on you, stealing your 1-Up Mushrooms or throwing you into enemies and traps. Actually, this is less a problem with the game itself, and more a problem with your friends. It's actually a perfect example of the competitive co-op style of gameplay at which Nintendo excels.

At this point we're about three-quarters of the way through the main story mode (I've been playing exclusively with my roommate in two-player co-op), though it's probably more like two-thirds, as we've taken a few short cuts. I'll write a full review with my final score once we've played most of the story, including the final level, and more of the Coin Battle mode. Thus far I'd call this a must have for any hardcore Wii owner.

A transitional period

2009-11-13T00:38:00.000-08:00

It's been a very long time since I've posted regularly, and for the three or four of you who check regularly, I'm sorry. A lot of stuff in my personal life has made it difficult to concentrate on non-essentials. It has been difficult enough finding time to spend with my wife and friends. I have blogs already written, it's just a matter of finding the time and ambition to type, edit, and post them. My Beatles Rock Band review is long overdue. But I do have some good news… and no, it has nothing to do with saving money on my car insurance.

Game Nutz, my own personal Cheers in Sherrill, NY (and soon, Canastota), and employer of Boter and Sticky, who invited me on their podcast, has just added me to its roster. Video games and gaming culture have been my life since I first held a ColecoVision controller at the age of three — that is why I started this blog and joined the podcast — and I am proud and excited to be working someplace where my otherwise useless knowledge of video gaming will be applicable. This also means the possibility of getting more writing done, as I can bring my laptop in and write during downtime.

Frankly, I'd like to get paid to do just this: writing editorials and reviews of video games. I love writing, I love expressing my opinions, I love video games and I love getting paid. It would be a dream job. If you're reading this, and know someone who can help me find that dream job, my email is on my profile. Until that happens, I'll take a job in retail. I'll have to do this as a hobby until then.

On a side note, I am going to stop posting links to new podcast episodes, at least for a while. Anyone who is interested should know where to find it (it's linked in this post and available on iTunes), and it's starting to become a cheap filler when I'm too lazy to type up an actual article.

Game Nutz Podcast: Episode 18

2009-10-28T13:42:00.000-07:00

Click the link above to download the latest episode of the Game Nutz Podcast, or subscribe by clicking HERE!

Round 3 of "Which Sucks Less" this week: DS Lite vs. DSi. I had a long list of interesting topics for this week's episode… which is still sitting on my computer desk where I left it that morning, so I pretty much joined in whatever topics came up.

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Game Nutz Podcast: Episode 17

2009-10-21T02:32:00.000-07:00

Click the link above to download the latest episode of the Game Nutz Podcast, or subscribe by clicking HERE!

First, round 2 of "Which Sucks Less." This week: PS3 "fat" vs. PS3 Slim. We then move on to mostly conversation since it was a slow news week. Sorry I'm so late in posting this, but life has been interfering with my blogging time again. I'll be posting some new editorial blogs soon, but for now, enjoy The guys from Game Nutz (plus me)!

(Stay tuned for the easter egg at the end of the podcast. Unfortunately an encoding error cut off part of it, but there's enough there to get the gist.)

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Game Nutz Podcast: Episode 16

2009-10-04T00:45:00.000-07:00

Click the link above to download the latest episode of the Game Nutz Podcast, or subscribe by clicking HERE!

We start out with round 1 of "Which Sucks Less." This week: Xbox 360 Elite vs. Xbox 360 Arcade. (I still stand by that if you buy a used HDD and headset, the Arcade's the better deal, $50 rebate notwithstanding. We discuss the Wii System Update 4.2 issue, then more or less ramble on for the remaining 20 minutes about whatever topics happen to come up. All in all, a bad week for news, but a great week for conversation!

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Game Nutz Podcast: Fillercast 1

2009-09-30T02:04:00.000-07:00

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Boter and Sticky took the week off, so I invited a couple of my friends over to record a podcast to fill in the gap. We ramble a bit, and there's a bit more history, meaning a few inside jokes get thrown around, but I think we pulled off a decent episode. If you like what you hear, let me know and we might make this a semi-regular thing. Check out the cool stereo effect I used on our voices. It's like you're really in the room with us!

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What's wrong with digital distribution?

2009-09-23T12:06:00.000-07:00

It's all the rage in music, movies, and now, video games. Digital distribution allows publishers to cut costs by reducing physical components, eliminating retail middle-men, and giving them more control over price. It also makes shopping more convenient for the consumer by allowing customers to make purchases from their own home. It saves time and money for both the publisher and the consumer. It sounds like a win-win situation.

So why, you may ask, am I opposed to digital distribution? I am very wary of what comes with it. Yes, it is more convenient, and in most cases, cheaper (especially if you take traveling expenses into account), but it also takes a lot of control away from the consumer:

The lack of a physical disc means if you are unhappy with the product you purchased, or simply done with it, there is no chance of either getting a refund or trading in your used games.

Digital Rights Management can get in the way of how you can use what you have legally purchased. You can't usually share, copy, or loan your media if it's DRM-protected. For example, if I bought 'Splosion Man on XBLA, it is tied to both my Gamertag and my system ID number, so I can't loan it to my friend like I did with my Ghostbusters disc. Same goes with Rock Band DLC. I can't go over to my friend's house with a memory card loaded with songs and play them on his system. Lame.

DRM also limits other media. iTunes songs and movies I downloaded prior to iTunes Plus cannot be played on my Xbox or PSP because they are not approved or registrable devices.

Then there are future compatibility concerns. Remember all those maps you bought for Halo 2 on your original Xbox? The only way you can use them now is by hooking up your old Xbox. You cannot transfer them to the 360, even though the game itself is backwards compatible. Do you think all those PSN, XBLA, or Wii Shop Channel games and add-ons you've spent real money on will work on the PlayStation 4, third generation Xbox, or whatever Nintendo creates to follow the Wii? Maybe if they're feeling generous, but they're under no obligation to do so.

Digital distribution also creates a storage issue. Whereas an infinite number of games can be stored on individual removable discs, internal hard drive space is limited. The average Xbox 360 game takes up about 4.5GB. If all you have is the basic 20GB HD, you'll be lucky to fit four games on it after the drive is formatted and NXE installed.

My biggest complaint with digital distribution is over-all support. While companies like Valve promise that games purchased online will always be playable, even if the company goes under, not all game publishers are so kind. I've been burned by digital distribution before, and left with a worthless collection of ones and zeros. It was an iPod game by Rock Band developer Harmonix called Phase. Phase used a special playlist in iTunes to create gameplay tracks with your own music. At some point in the past year or so, probably following a software update, that playlist disappeared, and Phase stopped working entirely, even though the game still appears in iTunes and on my iPod. I paid $5 for a game I can no longer play.

Retailers hate digital distribution too. No one makes money on hardware sales. The profit is in games, especially used games. Some retailers are already refusing to stock the PSP Go because of its unreasonable price and download only game distribution. If the game industry wants to switch to digital distribution, they're going to have to start selling consoles to retailers at an even greater loss than they do now so the hardware profits for the retailers will make up for the lack of tangible software sales.

While downloadable content has helped define this generation of gaming by prolonging the lives of many games, and digital distribution could have a lot to offer both publishers and consumers, right now there are too many obstacles to overcome; and with Blu-ray starting to become an industry standard, I don't see physical media being completely replaced for quite some time. I, for one, have no problem with that.

Game Nutz Podcast: Episode 15

2009-09-23T10:41:00.000-07:00

Click the link above to download the latest episode of the Game Nutz Podcast, or subscribe by clicking HERE!

(Sticky and I take the reigns while Boter's out of town. This episode was a little late because Boter typically does the editing and posting. Also, I forgot to post Episode 14 last week, so if you're not already subscribed, check it out. Finally, there will not be an Episode 16 this week, but keep an eye out for a possible Episode 15½ to hold you over.)

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Can the PlayStation brand recover?

2009-09-18T13:03:00.001-07:00

Five years ago, the PlayStation 2 dominated the gaming market. Though under the hood it was less powerful than most of the competition, its vast library and practicality as a DVD player put the black box in almost every gamer’s living room. (While some attribute the PS2’s success to being first on the market, this is untrue, as the less-successful Dreamcast predates it by almost a year.)

What really helped the PlayStation brand was a huge budget, a long list of exclusives (Tekken, Twisted Metal, Metal Gear Solid*, Grand Theft Auto*, Final Fantasy*, etc…), and brand name recognition. By the time the PS2 hit the market, “PlayStation” had become synonymous with video gaming, superceding even Nintendo. In 2003, after dominating the console market for several years, Sony revealed the PlayStation Portable, a revolutionary portable entertainment device that Sony dubbed the "Walkman of the 21st Century." Like the PS2, it could play games with full 3D graphics, DVD quality movies, and digital music. The PlayStation 3 was announced in 2005, promising a revolution in home entertainment through the use of Blu-ray.

(*Series were "timed exclusives" that eventually appeared on other systems after several months to a year.)

At some point between then and now, people stopped caring about PlayStation. Microsoft took over as the default choice for hardcore gamers with the Xbox 360, and Nintendo jumped from last place to first this console generation, while PlayStation took their place at the bottom. How did this happen? Why did this happen? And can the PlayStation bounce back before it becomes the next Sega?

Sony became infamous for over-promising and under-delivering. The PSP was supposed to be a groundbreaking piece of technology that would replace the Game Boy, iPod, and portable DVD player with one unit. It would have PS2 quality graphics, analog controls, and a library of games & movies that rivaled its console cousin. Instead it became a bulky, fragile piece of equipment that had a short battery life, graphics that fit somewhere between the Nintendo 64 and the Dreamcast, faulty control inputs, and not one, but two expensive proprietary media devices: UMD and Memory Sticks. UMDs were slow, pricey, and inefficient, and if you already owned a movie on DVD and wanted to watch it on the PSP, your only options were either to buy it again, or watch it as a low resolution 368×208 mp4 file.

Then we have the PlayStation 3, which has been a media debacle from the get-go. First, there was the Killzone 2 "in-game footage" fiasco at E305, then there were the system shortages at launch, lack of games, multiple SKUs, backwards compatibility (or lack thereof), the HD format war, shoddy online functionality, not to mention Sony's arrogance (suggesting that gamers should have to work overtime so they can afford your product is probably not the wisest business move). Sony has managed to dig themselves more holes than Stanley Yelnats. In the past five years they've lost exclusive licenses, billions of dollars, and the trust of gamers and game press everywhere. Is there any way for them to recover?

The first step is ditching not-yet-established proprietary formats. They lucked out with Blu-ray — using the PS3 as a trojan horse for their next-gen format gave them an edge over the cheaper, more consumer-friendly HD DVD — but the Hi-Def war hurt PS3 sales by appending the question of "will it become obsolete?" UMDs were worthless from the beginning, and Memory Sticks were, and still are, the most expensive flash media cards out there.

Second, keep prices down. If the PS3 had been Sony's 1st entry into the gaming market, it would have died like the 3DO. The average consumers, and especially the average consumers' parents, are not going to shell out $600 for a game system. $400 for the 360 was even a stretch. Fortunately, Sony is finally addressing this issue with recent price drops to the PSP and PS3, though the PSP Go is still outrageously overpriced.

Third, improve online functionality. Why is it only Microsoft has gotten this right in a decade of online gaming? If Sony's going to compete in an online market, they need to have a reliable infrastructure.

Finally, ensure backwards compatibility. The PS2 had the largest library and install base of all the last-gen systems — it continues to grow even to this day — and was backwards compatible with almost all PS1 games. Current PS3's are only backwards compatible PS1 games. That means no chance of selling your PS2 when you upgrade if you ever want to play your old games again. Take a hint from Nintendo: The Game Boy Color could play Game Boy classic games; the Game Boy Advance could play GB and GBC games, the DS can play GBA games. Every Wii not only has Gamecube hardware, but controller and memory card ports as well.

Sony and the PlayStation brand still have lot of potential, but they have got to start looking at their business practices from the consumer end if they want to remain relevant for another generation.

Game Nutz Podcast: Episode 13

2009-09-06T12:10:00.002-07:00

Click the link above to download the latest episode of the Game Nutz Podcast, or subscribe by clicking HERE!

(The whole crew is back at last, with topics galore! This episode more than makes up for previous failings with tons of topics, interesting discussions, and even a heated debate or two. Looks like 13 was our lucky number!)

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Game Nutz Podcast: Episode 12

2009-08-30T12:09:00.000-07:00

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(Sticky misses another show due to unfortunate circumstances, and Boter and I are at a loss for topics. After fumbling for a while, we try switching seats for inspiration, and eventually admit defeat. Listen to the first 10-15 minutes… after that, you've been warned!)

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Ghostbusters: The Video Game (Wii) — First Impressions

2009-08-29T00:17:00.000-07:00

I've finally had the opportunity to briefly try out Ghostbusters on the Wii. While it was far from enough time to write a full review, I think I got a good enough impression of the game to compare it with the Xbox 360 version (henceforth referred to as the Terminal Reality version). The first few things worth mentioning are the visuals, controls, and features.

The most obvious change is in the visuals. Instead of trying to duplicate the realistic look of the Terminal Reality versions on the underpowered hardware of the Wii (or the PS2, the version for which is basically the same as the Wii's, save for the controls), developer Red Fly Studio created a more cartoony aesthetic for their game. While these caricatures are easily identifiable as the actors they're meant to portray, some of the designs are a little goofy, and leave me wishing they had licensed DIC's designs from The Real Ghostbusters. Voices, music, and sound effects are all carried over from the Terminal Reality version, which helps to lend this version some authenticity.

Controls in the Wii version are just what you'd expect: move with the Nunchuk joystick, aim with the Remote, shoot with the B trigger. Trapping ghosts is the same as the Terminal Reality version, except that the game tells you what direction to slam the ghost, instead of whatever direction you want.

The features offered are a little different in the Red Fly version. Story mode is basically the same, with a few minor differences, and one major one: co-op. You can play through the entire campaign with a friend locally. You can also choose the gender of the Rookie character (though in co-op there is always one male and one female) which can cause continuity problems, since the game dialog still refers to the Rookie as a male. Also, there is no online multiplayer, nor can you play any additional non-story-related missions.

The couple areas I played were familiar, based on my play-through of the 360 version, but obviously less detailed and a bit truncated. Layouts are changed in some areas; especially the firehouse, which is not nearly as accurately reproduced as the Terminal Reality versions'. Most of the differences, however, would only be noticeable if you had played both versions.

All things considered, Ghostbusters is still a great game no matter which version you get. While I wouldn't recommend the Red Fly version over the Terminal Reality version, if all you have is a Wii or PS2, and you're a Ghostbusters fan, you shouldn't be disappointed by what this version has to offer. If I was to give it a score based on what I've played, I'd give it a solid 8.0.

If real life were like a role-playing game…

2009-08-26T13:25:00.001-07:00

Young boys and girls, with no martial arts or weapons training whatsoever, could pick fights with almost anyone or anything and win.

Wild, hostile animals could easily (and legally) be captured, domesticated, and trained to fight along side you, or in your place.

No one would lock their doors, or mind if you barged into their homes uninvited, initiated random conversations, or rummaged through their possessions.

Death would be reversible with an item or spell (unless death occurs during a movie, then it is permanent and irreversible).

Invisible creatures would randomly appear and attack you for no discernible reason.

Everybody would talk to you about even the most mundane topics.

When someone told you something important, they'd ask you if you understood before letting you leave. If you said no, they'd repeat everything word for word until you understood.

You'd get money for killing animals.

Hospitals would be put out of business by hotels.

All shops would be open 24/7, even during the apocalypse.

All of our hair would be perfect, even after hours of battle.

Most people would have only one thing to say, and repeat it endlessly when talked to. For some, this would be a conversational improvement.

Loud blasts of victorious music would accompany the completion of even menial tasks.

Social groups in school would change from the jocks and nerds, to the Fighters and Mages.

Doctors would only have to examine your HP and status bar to determine your health.

You could survive poisoning by staying perfectly still.

Blindness would only affect you in a fight; otherwise you could navigate just fine, examine objects, read entire books, etc.

Areas would only need 5 houses and a few dozen residents to be legally classified as a city, and most cities would be within a reasonable walking distance from each other.

Special thanks to all my friends who contributed ideas to this list!

Game Nutz Podcast: Episode 11

2009-08-23T09:39:00.000-07:00

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(Sticky takes a much deserved week off, and we address the unintentional one week hiatus.)

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BAFPA: the ideal rating system

2009-08-14T13:10:00.000-07:00

FCC, MPAA, RIAA, ESRB… there are plenty of organizations whose job it is to monitor the media and to ensure our children are safe from potentially harmful material. What is considered harmful? Well, for example, violence is okay for children, as long as there is no blood, or it’s being done to cartoon characters. Some profanity is fine, as long as it’s not one of Carlin’s seven (more, or harsher profanity is sometimes forgivable if the source is considered a “classic”). Some innuendo can be overlooked in higher rated media, but nudity, regardless of how tastefully, artistically, or innocently it may be portrayed, is always forbidden; and sex itself is right out.

At least that’s what they tell us…

The fact of the matter is children are like snowflakes: no two are alike. As much as these organizations would like to clump all children into a single, homogenous group, how a child may respond to such material differs depending on various factors including genetics, upbringing, and social interaction. What may amuse one child might horrify another, while another may be “inspired” to imitate it. For example, I have played Grand Theft Auto games since I was 12 or 13, and have never felt compelled to reenact anything from it. A few years ago, a 13 year old boy a played too much GTA and was “inspired” to take a shotgun, point it at his cousin's face, and fire.

The bottom line is that the ESRB (or any other ratings board) has no clue what would be appropriate for your specific child. What they offer is a generic guideline based on a broad interpretation of the material they are reviewing. While their ratings of "E" for "Everyone", "E-10+" for "Everyone 10 and older", "T" for "Teens (13+)", and "M" for "Mature (17+)" (we needn’t be bothered with the extremely rare "eC" and "Ao" ratings at this point) may be accurate for most children, your results may vary.

Don’t take this the wrong way. I am by no means saying that it is okay to buy your seven-year-old that M-rated game. I am a strong supporter of the ESRB. The problem is that the people who complain the most about inappropriate content in video games are usually the ones most responsible for exposing their children to it. You can’t buy your child God of War and then complain about blood and bare breasts in the game. The game case says, literally in black and white, “Blood and Gore” and “Nudity” among its content descriptors. The ESRB ratings have existed for fifteen years now, and appear on both the game case (front and back, with descriptors on the back) and on the label of every video game. In fact, they are larger, more prominent, and better explained than most other ratings systems; yet probably the least heeded.

Below are examples of typical ratings placement and size. Both the Batman Begins DVD (left) and the PS2 game (right) are shown with their respective ratings highlighted in red as they appear on both the label and disc. Click on the thumbnail images for larger versions:

That’s why I propose BAFPA…

BAFPA is a supplement to the ESRB, which takes the individual child’s levels of maturity, tolerance, and self control into account as well as their chronological age. It is a complex, yet intuitive system that can work in conjunction with any and all of the existing rating systems. It requires little-to-no advertisement. Most people should already recognize it, and those who don’t can learn through word of mouth. BAFPA translates easily into any language, and will benefit not just your child, but every child, and society as a whole.

BAFPA stands for Be A F---ing Parent Already. Its absence is easily the biggest detriment to gaming, as well as most other media. It’s a simple enough system, but many people never take the time to learn it. The advantage of BAFPA is also its biggest disadvantage: its process and implementation differ from person to person. What works for one child, may or may not work for another. The system can never be perfected, but trial, error, and correction are ultimately rewarded.

One of BAFPA’s biggest obstacles is time. It takes time to implement the system properly — a lot of time, and patience, and attention — three things many adults are not willing to give up, it seems. I understand it’s easier to let teachers, lawyers, politicians, news reporters, and retailers make the decisions of what’s appropriate for your child for you, or to assume your child will instinctively make good decisions on their own, but without your involvement, either directly or subconsciously, you cannot expect such things to always be what’s best.

This ties into another important aspect of BAFPA: neither you, nor your child, are ever one-hundred percent right or wrong. You may think to yourself, “my eleven-year-old is responsible enough to play Grand Theft Auto,” then find him acting out violent or destructive activities from the game in your living room. Likewise, your child may convince you he’s old enough for Grand Theft Auto, until you find him getting a lap dance in one of Liberty City’s strip clubs.

The last part of BAFPA (as far as this article is concerned, anyway) is that “what” and “why” are often better answers to “can I have?” than “yes” or “no.” For example:

Child: “Mom, can I get Resident Evil 5?”
[Mom looks at rating on the front of game case.]
Mom: “This game is M-rated. Why do you want this instead of Banjo-Kazooie?”
Child: “Because my friend has it and I want to play it with him.”
[Mom looks at descriptors on the back of game case: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language.]
Mom: “This looks a little old for you. What do you do in it?”
Child: “Kill zombies.”
Mom: “Just zombies?”
Child: “Yeah.”
[Mom looks at screenshots and game descriptions on the back of the game case.]
Mom: “Not today. I’ll have to see it for myself, and if I think it’s okay for you, we can get it next time.”

Obviously, your results may vary, but believe it or not, with the right amount of effort and consistency, most children will respond better to, and learn more from, that conversation than this one:

Child: “Mom, can I get Resident Evil 5?”
Mom: “No.”
Child: “Why not?”
Mom: “Because I said so.”

It is also important that you explain to your child why you think [GAME X] is not appropriate for them. That way, when they are eventually and inevitably exposed to the objectionable content, they will recognize it, and hopefully make a mature, informed, and responsible decision based on what you’ve told them.

(On a sadder note, it is important for us to realize that some children, through no fault of their own, are mentally or emotionally imbalanced, and incapable of separating the fantasy from the reality. It is unfortunate, but it happens. These are the children whose distorted sense of reality and/or morality, often coupled with a lack of positive role models, can inspire them to try to emulate the games they play. Before we blame the games themselves, let us consider the fact that they are just as likely to be inspired by movies, television, music, literature, or other arts and media. In other words, video games do not make killers; ignorance and apathy do.)

Ironically, the people who read this and support BAFPA are probably the people who need it the least. The people to whom BAFPA is geared are the ones who will likely be leaving me the angry comments. Bear in mind, I am not trying to tell you how to raise your child, nor am I claiming that raising a child is easy. All I am saying is the responsibility of raising your child is not the ESRB’s, or the MPAA’s, or the government’s, or Jack Thompson’s, or Hilary Clinton’s, or the game studios’, or game retailers’; it’s yours. It is up to you to monitor, censor, and restrict or allow what games your child plays. That’s part of being a parent.

If you need any more help knowing whether you’re being a good parent, remember this:

If you’re worried that you’re not a good parent, you’re probably the best parent you can be. If you already know you’re a good parent, you’re probably doing something wrong.

So stop letting lawyers, retailers, politicians, and ratings boards raise your children, and Be A F---ing Parent Already!

Game Nutz Podcast: Episode 10

2009-08-08T22:20:00.000-07:00

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Consoles need sleep too!

2009-08-05T23:42:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I bought Pokémon Platinum for my DS. Since then I have spent nearly 15 hours on it. By comparison, it took me almost the same amount of time to play through 7½ hours of Ghostbusters. The same goes with Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars and The Lost and Damned. I've played CW for 33½ hours compared to 7½ in TLAD. While part of this has to do with the game's portability, it also has to do with its accessibility. Even when sitting at home on the couch in front of my entertainment center, I'd sooner turn on a DS or PSP game and be playing instantly from where I left off than to boot up one of my consoles, navigate menus, and sit through load times to play a game.

Have you ever done that? Wanted to play a game, but decided not to because of the time it would take to start it? It may sound petty, but there are several games in my library that would get far more play time if I could just push a button and pick up where I was last time I played. Rock Band leaps to mind. Why don't game consoles have a sleep mode? Computers have it (and game consoles today are basically computers), portable game systems have it, iPods have it, even DVD players have it. So why not my Wii and Xbox 360?

Especially the Xbox! I timed it earlier, starting with the system off, and every game installed on my HDD: It takes approximately 1:55 to start playing in Liberty City when booting up GTA4 (longer if you have TLAD installed). Rock Band 2 takes two minutes before you can play a song — that's assuming you just keep jamming on the START button with total disregard of what character, instrument, and song you play. Burnout Paradise takes a whopping 2:25 before you can start wreaking havoc, and again, that's assuming you pick the very first car offered to you; if you want a different one, you'll have to wait about 5 seconds for each individual car to load. It's insane!

Perhaps I'm a relic of the cartridge age. Back in the 8- and 16-bit era, all you had to do was insert the game, turn on the console, and usually within 10-15 seconds you were playing the game. Even the PS1 and N64 were comparatively fast with their boot and load times.

Part of the problem is with system OS and menu screens. When I boot up my Xbox 360, it takes about 20 seconds to load the Dashboard before I can load the game. Sure, I can bypass some of this by changing the Dashboard preferences, but there's no way of changing on the fly when you boot up the system. The Wii doesn't even have the option!

Both the 360 and the PS3 support background downloads. A sleep mode can't be that much of a stretch. It's about time they tried it. After all, consoles need sleep too!

Game Nutz Podcast: Episode 9

2009-08-02T13:58:00.000-07:00

Click the link above to download the latest episode of the Game Nutz Podcast, or subscribe by clicking HERE!

(I was absent for this episode, but fortunately for your listening enjoyment, Boter and Sticky carried on without me. Listen and enjoy!)

Game Nutz Podcast: Episode 8

2009-07-25T10:20:00.000-07:00

Click the link above to download the latest episode of the Game Nutz Podcast, or subscribe by clicking HERE!

Game Nutz Podcast: Episode 7

2009-07-19T10:09:00.000-07:00

Click the link above to download the latest episode of the Game Nutz Podcast, or subscribe by clicking HERE!

I got to bed really late, only got 4½ hours of sleep, and then overslept, so I'm not exactly on my "A" game this week, but Boter picked up the broken pieces of my conversation and managed to make a mostly coherent show from it, so props to him!

Where would modern gaming be without the Nintendo 64?

2009-07-16T23:43:00.000-07:00

I'm sure it won't come as a surprise to anyone who's read my posts that I have a bit of a soft spot for Nintendo. I own every Nintendo system, every Mario platformer, and nearly all of the Legend of Zelda, Metroid, and other classic franchise games; not to mention countless Nintendo related tchochkies. (My family is so proud!) My love for Nintendo is fueled not just by nostalgia, but also by admiration. Whether "X-bots" or "Sony fanboys" want to admit it, their favorite systems owe more than they realize to Nintendo's innovation, in particular, the Nintendo 64.

The N64 was one of the first home consoles built from the ground up with 3D gaming in mind. 3D games before the N64 were usually (though not always) a novelty. Practical applications of polygons were mostly limited to space shooters and racing games. While certainly 3D games were inevitable, Nintendo was the first to bank on it. Super Mario 64 single-handedly changed the way games are made, and was the first 3D platformer to achieve commercial and critical success. If you want to talk about influential games, would we have ever seen console-specific first-person shooters like Halo, Resistance, or The Conduit if it hadn't been for the precedent set by GoldenEye 007?

But let's forget about the software for a moment, and take a look at the controller. Nintendo had already pioneered several aspects of the game controller — the control pad, shoulder buttons, diamond shaped button layout, a curved, ergonomic design — all of which have been incorporated into most game controllers that followed. The N64 added three elements that have carried over into almost all of its successors’ and competitors’: analog controls, accessory ports, and force feedback.

The first element, analog control, is what revolutionized 3D gaming on consoles. While PC games could achieve it to some degree with a mouse or trackball, the N64 controller gave us the first stationary, handheld, one-handed solution to precise analog controls. It worked so well that Sony redesigned the PlayStation's standard controller to include, not one, but two analog joysticks.

Another innovation lifted from the N64 controller has been force feedback. Even though "rumble" was not a standard feature of the N64 controller, it quickly became a defining feature, and the Rumble Pak became one of Nintendo's most successful after market peripherals, due in part to it being packed in with every copy of Star Fox 64, and supported by almost every game that followed, including GoldenEye. After the Rumble Pak, almost every game controller for every system had force feedback built-in; the exceptions being the Dreamcast, and the PS3's Sixaxis, the latter of which took a lot of flack for its lack of a rumble feature.

The Rumble Pak was made possible by another act of foresight by Nintendo: the expansion port on the controller. Originally meant for storing and accessing the mostly superfluous Controller Pak, the port allowed for more useful peripherals like the aforementioned Rumble Pak, and the Game Boy Transfer Pak. Though not widely utilized, the Transfer Pak may have inspired Sega's VMUs.

Finally, there is what I consider the biggest industry changer of them all: four controller ports. Almost every system made after the N64, with the inexplicable exception of the PS2, has supported four controllers out of the box. This feature revolutionized gaming by turning it into a far more social experience than ever before. Friends and family members would pile into living rooms, dorm rooms, and break rooms for hours at a time to play Mario Kart 64, GoldenEye 007, Mario Party, Super Smash Bros., Aki's wrestling series, and many other multiplayer gems of the day.

On a special, VIP tour of Disney's animation studio in Florida, I witnessed a group of artists sitting in an office playing on an N64 during a break. A background artist at the now defunct studio informed me that Bomberman 64 and GoldenEye were their favorites. Imagine if Nintendo hadn't put four controller ports on the N64. Would Mario Kart and GoldenEye have been the immensely popular party games they became? Would other game system designers have considered multiplayer as important as they do now? Sony certainly didn't.

So criticize the N64, if you will, for its "blurry textures," pervasive "fog effect," and use of cartridges (the former two problems I never understood when the PlayStation's 3D textures were always blocky and jagged, and short draw distance and polygon pop-up were pretty much standard), but you can't deny the fact that it contributed more good ideas to the gaming industry than any console prior or since. Video game systems today are in its debt.

Game Nutz Podcast

2009-07-12T11:04:00.000-07:00

For months I've wanted to record a podcast to compliment my blog. Often my friends and I will sit around and chat about video games either in person, on the phone, or through IM. I've tried to arrange a podcast, but most of my friends are long distance, and I work odd hours, so we haven't been able to fully organize an online recording.

Then one day about a month ago I was visiting Game Nutz, my local independent game store, and one of the staff members with whom I have become friends mentioned that he and another Game Nutz employee and friend of mine had started a podcast. To make a long story short, two episodes later, they invited me to become a regular member of the show.

So if you'd like to hear the weekly gaming news and discussions of Drew "Boter," Rob "StickyNugget," and myself, then click here and download a few episodes, or follow the link to subscribe to the RSS through your feed of choice!

Ghostbusters: The Video Game (Xbox 360) — Full Review

2009-07-11T13:24:00.000-07:00

I've enjoyed Ghostbusters: The Video Game a lot. The game looks like the Ghostbusters movie, with realistic (albeit rubbery) models of the original cast as they would have appeared about 20 years ago. All the Ghostbusters' equipment is faithfully recreated from the original movie props, and all returning characters are voiced by their original actors. The script was written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis (writers of both movies, and the actors who portray Ray Stantz and Egon Spengler respectively), and the majority of the background music is taken directly from Elmer Bernstein's score.

You control the nameless, voiceless "Rookie," a new recruit to the Ghostbusters whose purpose in the story is to test out the new experimental equipment Egon has invented, and to free up the other Ghostbusters so they can move the plot along. The story takes place in 1991, two years after Ghostbusters II (though strangely there are very few references outside of the first movie). A Gozer exhibit has opened in the Museum of Natural History, and a psychokinetic shockwave releases Slimer from his research containment case, and the Ghostbusters chase him back to the Sedgewick Hotel, his happy haunting grounds from the first film. Once you arrive, it becomes apparent that Slimer's not the only ghost wreaking havoc. What's worse, the spirit dimension seems to be crossing over into ours!

(As I played through the story, I realized two things: 1) With dozens of different types of ghosts and monsters, including some very large ones (the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man), cross dimensional travel, and a variety of incredible powers and technologies, this is more or less the Ghostbusters movie Aykroyd wanted to make in 1984, before practical or affordable technology existed to create said effects. And 2) with all the rehash from Ghostbusters I (i.e. Slimer, Stay-Puft, Gozer, Ivo Shandor, the Sedgewick Hotel, Walter Peck, the Librarian ghost, Bernstein's score, etc.), this is what Ghostbusters II could have been like if Aykroyd, Ramis, and director Ivan Reitman hadn't strived for a more original story with the same characters and setting, instead of the common practice of basically copying the first movie for the sequel. Fortunately, by taking these familiar elements and making them interactive, it mostly justifies their repetition.)

The best way I can describe the gameplay is Gears of War with Proton Packs. Action and capturing is presented in a third person, over-the-shoulder view. Busting ghosts is a three step process that involves weakening the ghost with one of your four different beams, capturing it in another, and leading it into the Ghost Trap. In between bustings, you'll use your PKE Meter to search for spirits, clues, and cursed artifacts, the latter of which open up additional upgrades for your equipment which can be purchased at any time in the pause menu. Aside from busting ghosts, you'll also solve puzzles, most of which are pretty straight forward — eventually your fellow Ghostbusters will give you tips, should you get stuck — but some can be pretty obtuse.

All things considered, I have to say the game itself is very good, but without the Ghostbusters license and Dan and Harold's sharp writing, I don't know if the gameplay would offer enough variety to warrant the purchase. If you're a Ghostbusters fan, there's plenty to love here. I do wish the game was a little bit longer. It took me about 7-7½ hours to complete on the casual difficulty. I think one more level would have helped fill out the experience. I would have liked to see a recreation of the deleted Fort Detmerring scene from the first movie. Maybe in DLC.

I've yet to try anything online, nor have I tried the stylized Wii version. I may amend this review slightly to include online later, and I'll write a separate review for the stylized version once I get to play it. As for my score right now, it applies only to the Xbox 360 single player game.

8.5
Yea: excellent production; accurate, realistic depictions of characters, locations, and equipment; voice acting; lots of movie references
Nay: a little too short; a lot of rehash from the first movie, very few references to the second; somewhat repetitive; rubbery, over-exaggerated facial animations

A solution to the PSPgo's lack of a UMD drive

2009-06-13T01:15:00.000-07:00

There's been a lot of discussion lately about the PSPgo, its lack of a UMD drive, and the issue that presents for current PSP owners. I think I have come up with a solution that could be mutually beneficial to both Sony and the consumer. It involves the suggestion Sony has made that UMD games would be available for download.

We can assume that people with this issue already own a PSP, and play their games on UMDs (the legal way). We can also assume that those people would be interested in owning a PSPgo and downloading PSP games through the online PlayStation Store (again, the legal way). That said, here is what can be done:

Step 1. Access PlayStation Store from both PSP and PSPgo.

Step 2. Authorize both PSP and PSPgo to the PlayStation Store in a manner similar to authorizing a computer to iTunes.

Step 3. Insert UMD of desired game into PSP.

Step 4. Validate UMD disc on PlayStation Store. This unlocks an option to create a digital copy of the game (possibly requiring a reasonable licensing fee; i.e. a dollar or two)

Step 5. UMD data is downloaded onto Memory Stick in PSP, similar to installing a game on the Xbox 360 HDD. Another possibility would be that validating the disc activates a download from the PlayStation Store (This alternate solution was suggested to me by Boter of the Game Nutz Podcast). This data is now linked only to PSP units authorized by the PlayStation Network ID of the PlayStation Store account used to create the digital copy, similar to iTunes or XBLA.

Step 6. Remove Memory Stick from PSP, insert into PSPgo, and play. For added security, the game can act like a Gamertag in that it cannot exist on two storage devices at the same time, meaning it is either on a Memory Stick, or an authorized PSPgo's internal memory, and cannot be duplicated onto another device.

Problem solved. It might be a bit of a hassle at first, but once all your games are copied, you no longer need the UMDs or the PSP and can use the PSPgo exclusively. Now, hopefully Sony is paying attention.

Perfect Dark on Xbox Live Arcade!

2009-06-11T12:46:00.000-07:00

HA! This is proof that the industry is listening to tiny independent blogs like mine! I asked for this in Part III of my List of classic Nintendo games that haven't been remade, but should be, and now it's coming! You can all thank me for this! (Please don't burst my bubble about this. I have so little!) I will be buying this game, I don't care if they charge twenty bucks for it! Though based on the pricing for Banjo-Kazooie, my guess is that it would be 1200 Microsoft Points, or $15.

Perfect Dark was a great game marred by hardware that was struggling to run it. The 360 is way over-qualified to run an N64 game, and if PD looks and plays as well as B-K did, fans are in for a real treat. Everything that was broken about the N64 original should be fixed in the XBLA release. Stunted framerate? Fixed! Burry textures? Fixed! Scratchy dialog? Fixed! Convoluted level design? Well, maybe not everything. Unfortunately, the only graphical upgrade will be the hi-deffing of the original graphics, but while I'd rather see the game redone with modern graphics, it will still be nice to see a good ol' brunette Joanna Dark in all her low-poly glory. I just hope they provide an alternative way of unlocking the cheats. I hate speedruns!

Still, as long as online multiplayer doesn't break the fantastic local multiplayer of the original, I can see this giving Halo a run for its money. Just watch out for those KaziSims!

Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned — Extended Play

2009-06-11T12:20:00.000-07:00

It's been a very long time since my First Impressions. Ironically, blogging is eating into my gaming time, so I'll keep this brief. Most of my gaming time, both at home and on-the-go, has been with Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars. You can read my full review for that by clicking here.

As for GTA4:TLAD, more of the same pretty much describes the gameplay here. There seems to be a lot more shooting in TLAD than there was in IV, which is fine, except it can get repetitive after a while. The "improved" bike physics aren't improved enough. I still can't power slide around corners on a bike the way I can in a car. I tend to slide sideways for several yards and slamming into a wall before I start moving in the direction I'm facing. Unfortunately, a lot of missions require a bike, or at least make it inconvenient to use anything else.

The new weapons are nice. I'd rather have the desert eagle than the semi-automatic pistol that replaced it, but the rapid-fire automatic shotgun is hot, and the grenade launcher is much easier to use on ground targets than the old RPG.

The story has improved, as have the characters. I've also reached a point where I can call a couple of my Lost brothers for back-up, which comes in handy during missions, or even just mischief making. There was one mission I failed twice, so on my third try I called for back-up while on my way to the objective, and by the time I got there my brothers were by my side, ready for action.

I'm going to try to get this game finished by the end of the month. Hopefully, I'm further in the game than I think I am.

Too much motion, not enough action

2009-06-07T10:34:00.000-07:00

When Nintendo's Project Revolution was announced, they promised gamers a new way to play; one that would enhance the gaming experience for the hardcore, but also provide an intuitive point of entry for casual and non gamers. This "Revolution" turned out to be the Wii. Its motion sensing controls made a huge impact on the industry, and since its release it has been the best selling system of this console generation.

Now everyone is vying for a piece of Nintendo's pie. For the PlayStation 3, Sony released the SIXAXIS, a wireless Dual Analog controller with motion sensing capabilities; though the motion controls have only been used in a handful of games, and often to much criticism. Last year, Microsoft rolled out the New Xbox Experience (NXE), a new, streamlined version of the Xbox 360's Dashboard. This update featured, among other enhancements, Avatars: customizable cartoony characters similar to Nintendo's Miis. This year at E3, both companies revealed their biggest move towards imitating the Wii's winning formula: full motion control. Each company has come up with their own variation, but they both have one common goal: to take sales away from the Wii. Can mo-con be the final, go-to solution to market domination? Or will these devices end up adding to the long list of failed after-market peripherals?

Here are the issues:

The Wii has already found its niche market; so have the Xbox 360 and the PS3. Whenever a company tries to expand into another's territory, they run the risk of alienating their established market. We've already heard some of the outcry from the Xbox community about their push for more casual gamers.

The 360, and especially the PS3, are more expensive than the Wii (though the 360 Arcade bundle is cheaper). If they're hoping to capture the Wii's market, they need to match the Wii's price, remembering that motion controls are an additional accessory, meaning additional cost.

The Wii already has a head start on motion games. The 360 and the PS3 will need a strong introductory library of motion games if they want to compete with the Wii's 2½ year library (probably more like four, by the time the competition hits retail). They'll also need first and third party killer apps like Nintendo's Wii Sports, EA's Boom Blox or Sega's MadWorld in order to sell mo-con to the masses.

Even if Microsoft and Sony can overcome all these obstacles, there's still one gigantic hurtle: The Wii experience is not just about motion controls, nor is it about casual games, nor price, nor gaming icons, nor any one factor, nor even the combination of factors. It's about the whole package. The Wii was shipped with everything it needed for the whole experience: a console, a controller (Remote and Nunchuk), 6 casual games, motion control set-up, all the required hook-ups, and internal memory for storage… all for under $300. For another $50, consumers could buy another Remote and 9 more casual games. They also did all this 2½ years ago, when the competition was $400 or more, meaning they already have an edge on the market. Plus, there are really no other accessories required to play most games, and with the exception of the Balance Board (which comes with its required game), and Rock Band/Guitar Hero instruments (included with special edition packages of their respective games), most other accessories are under $20.

Project Natal is expected to be "under $100," according to a Microsoft rep, and that's in addition to the cost of the console. Sony hasn't mentioned a price for their PlayStation Motion Controller yet, but we already know it requires the $40 PlayStation Eye, and the $400 PS3. And unlike the Wii, there's no guarantee either will even be supported beyond the first year. Add-ons rarely get massive support, because the developers can't depend on enough users having them to make it worth the cost of learning how to code for them, and producing the games. Nintendo has learned this lesson the hard way, repeatedly. If you ask me, Microsoft's and Sony's best hope is to sell their motion control to hardcore gamers, and hope they have casual gamers in the family who'd want to use it.

At E3, Sony starts moving, and it's the PSP's time to go

2009-06-06T11:16:00.000-07:00

So no surprise here: Sony's got a Motion Controller in the works too. As I've mentioned before on my blog, I do not own a PlayStation 3 yet (drop the price a couple hundred dollars, then we'll talk), but I am intrigued at their entry in the "mo-con" phenomenon (hey, that rhymes… copyright!). It basically does out of the box what the Wii Remote can do with the MotionPlus add-on. Combine that with the PS3's HD graphics and they could be onto something here… but who's their target audience with a $400 system? I'll expound on that in a later post.

They also revealed the fourth iteration of the PlayStation Portable, the PSPgo. This will be the most radically different version of the PSP thus far, though it is not a successor to the hardware. It will feature a cell phone like pop-up screen (smaller than other PSP screens) that reveals a new controller layout, including a better protected, and less convenient, analog nub. The PSPgo features 16GB of internal flash memory, which makes up for the biggest change in the system's design: no UMD drive. That's right, everything will be download only on this PSP. Sony has yet to reveal any concrete plans for how (or if) you can transfer your UMD games onto the PSPgo's memory. We all knew the UMD was a dead format, but I don't think anyone ever expected Sony would make their own games obsolete on the system for which they were deisigned. I'm more than a little wary of this, but fortunately I still have my PSP-2000 on which to play my legally purchased UMD games.

Sony also revealed an impressive line-up for their floundering portable:

Gran Turismo Mobile
Tekken 6
SoulCalibur: Broken Destiny
Jak & Daxter: The Lost Frontier

To be honest, the only one of these games that interests me is SoulCalibur, but it's nice to see Sony hasn't completely forgotten their flawed-but-still-fun handheld. I'm still waiting for Rockstar to try to squeeze a version of San Andreas onto the PSP like they did with the rest of their GTA3 universe games. Perhaps this push for a downloadable format will yield games like that, which would probably take up more than the UMD's 1.8GB capacity.

For the PS3, they showed off God of War III, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, and Gran Turismo 5 (the full game, not the $40 demo they released last year), among other games which were mostly multi-platform.

So that's Sony in a nutshell. If you want additional information about those games and more, read the GamerCast Network, Joystiq, GameSpot, or some other site that actually attended the event. I'm just commenting on what I've seen and heard on the internet. Maybe someday, I'll be getting the scoop first hand…

Anywho, keep checking for more E3 information and commentaries as I find out more, and check back soon for an editorial on recent announcements!

Microsoft moves into your home at E3

2009-06-04T12:10:00.000-07:00

For my coverage of Microsoft's E3 highlights, let's just shine a spotlight on the elephant in the room. We all saw this coming, we just weren't sure how. The Xbox is getting motion control. In a promo video that looked suspiciously like a Wii commercial, Microsoft revealed Project Natal, the code name for their new motion and sound sensing technology. The video showed a typical American family (or at least what marketing execs like to assume is the typical American family) gathering around the TV, playing a variety of games, from racing and fighting, to sports and trivia, without using any controllers.

The trick is a device by the TV that looks like a Wii Sensor Bar with cybernetic enhancements (which leads me to wonder where I'm supposed to put this thing when I already have my Wii hooked up). This device contains a stereo camera and a microphone. Apparently the device has facial and voice recognition abilities, and only sees objects that are moving (like a T. Rex?). The binocular vision allows it to perceive depth and therefore, distance. It also can read body movement and position, creating a form of motion capture. No word yet on release date or price, but I'd wager this holiday season for $50-75. I can't say I'm wholeheartedly for or against this move, but if it works the way they claim it does, it could be interesting to say the least.

Microsoft also announced partnerships with Facebook, Twitter, and Last.fm, plus long-overdue enhancements to their NetFlix app., including a movie party mode. Of course, these are all geared towards the casual/non-gamers (most of whom, I'd argue, probably already own a Wii and are not interested in throwing down $200-300 for another game system). For the hardcore gamers, we get two Halo games from Bungie: the previously announced and indefinitely delayed Halo 3: ODST, and a new game entitled Halo: Reach, which looks to be a prequel to the existing Halo games. They also released a trailer for the long-awaited Alan Wake. I know very little about this game, execept that it's from Remedy Entertainment, the developers of Max Payne and Max Payne 2, and I'm pretty sure it was supposed to be an Xbox 360 launch title.

Aside from Project Natal and Halo: Reach, Microsoft didn't really drop any megatons as far as I'm concerned, but it certainly wasn't a bad showing. I'll wait and see what Natal has to offer before passing judgement. Like anything else, it's not the technology that's important, but how it's used. Motion controls in recent years have been hit or miss. Just look at all the crap we've seen for the Wii and the EyeToy/PlayStation Eye.

So that will wrap up my Microsoft E3 highlights. I'll hopefully be back tomorrow with a new post on Sony's big announcements.

Nintendo returns at E3!

2009-06-02T16:00:00.000-07:00

Normally I carry a notebook with me and I draft out my blogs there; during downtime at work, while out for a bite, shopping, cleaning, visiting, what-have-you. It gives me a chance to jot down ideas, fine-tune my wording, and flesh out the article as a whole before I sit down at my computer and type them up in my spare time. I have a few in the works right now, as a matter of fact.

This afternoon I returned home from running errands to find my Wii glowing (meaning I had a new message, for you non-Wii-owners). I finished putting groceries away, sat down in my living room, and booted up my Wii while doing a little organizing of my gaming ottoman (best… present… ever). I checked my messages and saw some very exciting news. Nintendo was showing some of their E3 videos on the Nintendo Channel. Cool, I thought to myself, I don't have to go searching the internet or listening to hours of podcasts to see what Nintendo have revealed. I opened the Nintendo Channel and waited for it to load. I expected to see keynotes, tech demos, maybe a few promo videos of Wii Sports Resort, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, and the Metroid Prime Trilogy. I couldn't believe what I saw instead…

New Super Mario Bros. Wii!
Super Mario Galaxy 2!
Metroid: Other M!

Megatons of Nintendo fangasm! I have to give credit to Parris from TalkingAboutGames.com and UncleGamer Radio for calling this one last E3. He had predicted that 2008 was going to be the year of the casual gamer, but that Nintendo wasn't forgetting their hardcore audience, and that 2009 would see the return of Nintendo's leading franchises. I believed him then, and I'm glad to say I wasn't disappointed. Everything is here: A new Zelda game, two new Mario games (that's not counting sequels to the Mario & Luigi RPG series and Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, also revealed at E3), and a brand new Metroid game, developed by none other than Team Ninja! I was so blown away by these reveals that I dropped what I was doing, and started typing this up immediately, without any pre-planning!

This is has me ecstatic. Hopefully there are enough Nintendo fans holding onto their Wiis (umm… that didn't sound right) to make these games truly successful. I had a feeling Nintendo would be pouring the money they've made off of their cheap casual games into some new hardcore ones. Metroid looks especially cool. With its cinematic presentation and third-person view, it might give the Metroid Prime Trilogy a run for its money. I'm actually a little bit surprised they didn't wait until after the NPC versions launched before announcing this.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii should be a worthy addition to the series. While the graphics don't really look much better than the DS game, it won't really matter if it plays as well as that one did. Besides, I think the "whooping" and "wheeing" (or should that be "Wii-ing?") that comes from playing a Mario game co-op with up to three other people makes up for the lack of "oohing" and "ahhing" at spectacular graphics.

The only thing that I find a little disappointing is Super Mario Galaxy 2. While the original SMG is an amazing game (I say "is" because I actually haven't beaten it yet), Mario games are noted for not usually repeating what has been done before. That doesn't mean SMG2 will be a bad game. Even the worst Mario platformers, 3D or 2D, are head and shoulders above most other games in the genre. Still, I would have liked to see the next 3D Mario game go in a different direction. I suppose the "Galaxy" theme allows for more variety in the worlds Mario explores, meaning more variety within the games rather than between the games.

So that's Nintendo for this year. Bravo. I've yet to see or read anything on Microsoft's or Sony's press conferences, or any of the software developers'. I'll post about them when I see them. However, since I am not currently employed by any gaming publications or media outlets, I'll only be posting on what I find interesting or exciting. If you've got anything to contribute, feel free to leave a comment or drop me an email. Right now I'm going to go play some Super Mario Galaxy to get myself psyched up!

MadWorld - First Impressions

2009-06-01T17:23:00.001-07:00

A good friend of mine bought MadWorld on day one. I watched him play one level and was intrigued. Not only by the high-contrast graphics and the over-the-top violence; not just the unique motion controls and variety of combat; but also the fact that MadWorld was published by the typically E-T rated Sega. Being the frugal gamer I am (read: poor), I decided to wait for a price drop before diving into this blood-filled pool.

It was worth the wait. MadWorld is a game without a modern comparison. The first thing you'll notice are the stark, Sin City inspired graphics. In fact, everything in the game is in high-contrast black & white, with the only colors being yellow for highlighted objects, and of course, red for all the blood. (If you have an HDTV, you'll also notice there's no progressive scan support, probably because the added clarity would have made the minimalist graphics look too jagged.)

But what do graphics matter of the gameplay is bad? No worries there. Here is the best way I can describe it: Take any late '80s/early 90s arcade beat'em-up, subtract all color, add lots of blood and profanity, plus motion controls, multiply by the third dimention, and you have MadWorld. If you're interested in creating your own MadWorld, here's the formula:

Beat'em up - RGB + (O+) + !%$# + Wii × 3D = MadWorld

The story (not that it matters) takes place on an island that has become isolated from the rest of the city. You play as Jack Cayman, who is "sponsored" to play in a literal deathmatch reality show. If you are still thinking after that, stop. You can keep the logical thought part of your brain switched off for the remainder of the game — at least for the first couple of levels, anyway. I haven't gotten any further than that yet.

Buttons are used for punching, grabbing, activating your chainsaw arm (Did I mention you have a chainsaw attached to your arm? Because you do.), and locking onto enemies. Everything else is motion controlled. You can throw, impale, bind, slam, bifurcate, and otherwise maim, dismember, and murder your enemies, all with a little context sensitive waggling. Deathtraps like spikes, dumpsters, trains, and yes, even toilets are scattered throughout the levels, providing opportunities for some spectacularly gory kills. Motion controls are intuitive and forgiving, and rarely do anything you don't want them to do, and on-screen prompts ensure you don't forget what you are doing.

My biggest issue so far is the lack of camera control, which often makes locking onto enemies and aiming your throws difficult. Some bonus games require you to toss enemies in some sort of deathtrap, which seems easy enough, until you realize that no one is flying where you want them. There's also no quick turnaround, which combined with the camera issue can make close combat with multiple enemies a bit of a pain. Fortunately, the difficultly level at this point in the game is forgiving, and not killing your enemy immediately is rarely a major problem.

The game progresses through a point system. Different attacks earn you different amounts of points. The more variety you apply to your kills, the more points you get. Throughout the levels there are Blood Bath Challenges, which are exactly what they sound like. A special, extra large deathtrap will appear, and your job is to throw, push, carry, or pummel your opponents to their ultimate demise. The more you can kill at a time, the more points you earn. Once you reach a certain amount of points, the next area opens until you achieve enough points to face the level's final boss. I've only faced two bosses so far, but they were challenging enough, and certainly big enough, to make for an exciting battle.

WadWorld is a perfect example of what I'd call a hardcore casual game. The mechanics are simple enough for just about anyone to play, but the game's content will turn off most casual gamers. If you're a Wii owner and consider yourself a hardcore gamer, or are even curious about MadWorld, you owe it to yourself and gamers like you to buy this game, if only to convince publishers that there is a hardcore market on the Wii.

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars — Final Thoughts

2009-05-31T12:46:00.001-07:00

I actually finished Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars' story sooner than I had expected. The campaign was surprisingly short, but long enough that it was able to tell its banal story sufficiently. I'll spare you having to reread my comments and criticisms from my First Impressions and Extended Play (if you really want to, click the links), suffice to say, the game's strengths and weaknesses remained consistent throughout. The story's ending was predictable and anticlimactic, but the levels leading up to it were appropriately epic, including a rocket-launcher-armed battle against an Annihilator attack chopper.

Once the credits roll and the game save, the city is your playground. Dealers stay in their locations and continue to send you trade tips. Ammu-Nation will still have weekly (in-game time) sales, and any security cameras or random strangers will still be there for you to find. One new goal that only gets unlocked after completing the story mode are the Lions of Fo, two golden statues hidden somewhere in the city (it's random for every game) which unlock something once they're found. (I won't spoil what it is, except that you shouldn't trade in your game quite yet.

Actually, I've found more useful items and missions since I finished the story mode than I did during the campaign itself. I discovered that CW has its own version of Achievements, but unlike the Xbox versions, these are actually useful, gaining you special bonuses like double body armor, regenerating health, bullet-proof cars, and more. For example, complete all the Paramedic missions, and you'll earn infinite sprinting. Ironically, this means you'd actually be better off completing these extra tasks before starting the main missions if you want to take full advantage of their benefits. Even still, they provide goals to strive for after completing the story.

Overall, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars was, and still is, worth the money. If you're a fan of previous GTA games, especially the ones on the PS1 and PS2, you'll feel right at home with CW's lighter tone and varied gameplay. I've yet to try its multiplayer options out — maybe I'll append this review once I get the chance — but for a single player experience, there are very few DS game I could recommend more. CW will remain in my DS for a long time to come.

9.5
Yea: huge, detailed city to explore; tons of missions and bonuses; drug trading eliminates the money problem, and makes for a fun distraction; witty dialog
Nay: short, boring story; unreliable aiming; speeding through the city not nearly as fun as the console GTAs

(Even more) Classic Nintendo games that haven't been remade, but should be; Part III

2009-05-26T16:39:00.000-07:00

Finally, the long awaited Part III of my list. For those of you who are discovering this for the first time, you might want to start at the beginning by clicking here.

Perfect Dark — (This game falls into a strange position, because the publishing rights are no longer owned by Nintendo, but since the game was originally released for the N64, it still counts for this list.) When Rare released GoldenEye 007 for the N64 two years after the movie was released, MGM pulled the rights for them to make more Bond games, despite the game's critical acclaim and enormous commercial success. This did not deter Rare, however, from making another first person stealth shooter using the GoldenEye engine, which would vastly expand on the familiar gameplay of its predecessor. Perfect Dark boasted hi-res graphics (for the time), dynamic lighting effects, full voice acting, Dolby Pro Logic surround sound, and the most advanced AI ever seen in a console FPS. Unfortunately, the aging hardware was not always able to keep up with the new technology, and gameplay suffered as a result. The game itself was still incredible, and while a long-awaited sequel was eventually released for the Xbox 360, it failed to live up to the standards of the original. Most recently, Rare and new parent Microsoft have been campaigning for a simultaneous release of GoldenEye on both Wii Shop Channel and Xbox Live Arcade, but cannot agree with Nintendo on the financial details. Personally, I think Perfect Dark's improved gameplay, especially its multiplayer options, would be better suited for a modern rerelease. They could finally fix the framerate issue once and for all, and actually have a decent Perfect Dark game on the 360!

(UPDATE: I discovered Perfect Dark was actually published by Rare, not Nintendo. Technically, Rare was owned by Nintendo at the time so I'm not removing it from the list, but I wanted to be clear that while this kind of bends my own rule, it fits my interpretation of it.)

Super Mario 64 — When Super Mario 64 came out, it changed the face of gaming forever. 3D gaming was here to stay. As always with pioneers, its technological advances have been superseded in the 15 years since its release. It is time Nintendo remade one of the best Mario games ever. Sure, there was Super Mario 64 DS, but that was more of a port with very few graphical or gameplay enhancements. (Actually, the lack of true analog controls was a bit of a step backwards.) I would much rather play a SM64 "WiiMake" with Super Mario Galaxy graphics, Zelda-esque motion controls for punching, and tilt sensor controls for flying. Or, if you prefer, the good ol' GameCube controller. They can keep Luigi as a playable character, but lose Yoshi and Wario. They don't fit in, they're kind of annoying, and it made the game feel too much like Sonic Adventures.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time — Another classic from the N64 era, The Legend of Zelda's first foray into the 3D realm was long awaited, and eagerly anticipated. From its first appearance at Nintendo's Space World in '95 (less than a year before the N64 itself was released), to its arrival in gold cartridges in fall of '98, it went through several overhauls, not to mention delays. What resulted was a practically perfect game, and one that gained a single digit spot on most gamers' and gaming publications' "Top x Games of All Time" lists. Ocarina pushed the N64 to its limits more than just about any other game that did not require the Expansion Pak. It was everything a Zelda game should be, and so much more; and it looked incredible… for the time. Twilight Princess has since painted a much more detailed picture of Hyrule, and after trying to play OoT on my HDTV with the Wii and component video cables, I have to say, it does not fare well in 480p. It wouldn't take much to fix that. Here's what you do: Select all graphics, cut and paste in TP's visuals. Add in some Wii Remote slashing and shooting and you've got a classic Zelda game that fits perfectly on modern technology. (Hopefully they can do it without having to completely mirror the whole game!)

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures — Here's a great game that fell by the wayside thanks to the unbelievable amount of crap required to play it as intended: A GameCube, the game disc, 4 Game Boy Advance systems, 4 GameCube-Game Boy Advance Link Cables, and four people who can cooperate long enough to accomplish simple tasks without trying to throw each other into hazards and stealing force gems. Once all these essential components came together however, you had a multiplayer experience that stood alongside Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. for sheer enjoyment. The story was a resounding "meh," but who really cares when you're busy attacking enemies and solving puzzles with three of your friends, while simultaneously competing for the most force gems? Not I! This game doesn't even need a graphical update. The enhanced 16-bit style graphics and sound were perfect for the game, but the interface was atrocious. The DS can connect to the Wii wirelessly, and everybody in the world owns at least one DS. (I myself have owned a total of four, but that's another story.) Heck, they could even cut the Wii out of the equation entirely if they wanted and just put it on the DS.

Metroid 3: Super Metroid — I originally had no intentions of including Super Metroid on this list. I mean, why remake a game that's already considered perfect by most gamers? Well, a picture is worth a thousand words, so I'm just going to let THIS speak for itself. Throw in the mission objective markers introduced in Metroid Prime and Fusion and you've just managed to make a perfect game even better!

So, there's my list. I invite everyone to add their own additions in the comments section. Remember the rules listed in Part II. If I can come up with enough other games, I'll make a Part IV, but for now, I'm retiring this series. Hope you all enjoyed it!

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars — Extended Play

2009-05-23T01:59:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since my First Impressions (I actually wrote this about two weeks ago, but haven't had the time to type it up) and while I've spent countless hours playing the game, I've only recently reached 50% completion. There are two reasons for this: 1) several hours into the game I accidentally shut my DS off while it was saving and I lost my progress and had to start again from the beginning. And 2) while I have spent a lot of time playing, less than half of that time was spent on critical missions. Most of it has been spent looking for security cameras, drug dealers, and hidden side missions. This is a benefit of GTA's open ended design: that if you don't want to, you don't have to follow the campaign to enjoy the game.

Which is just as well, because even at the halfway mark, the story is as pointless and unengaging as it began. It's a shame, because previous games in the main series have raised the bar for GTA storylines, but Rockstar Leeds has not had as glowing a track record, so this is not unexpected. Fortunately, the text-based cutscenes are filled with witty dialog, so story segments are never boring.

Most missions are standard GTA fare: get a car, go to the point on your map, kill/destroy/pick up someone or something, then maybe go someplace else to either end the mission, or repeat your original task. Occasionally, however, CW throws you a curveball by giving you some touch-screen based action to perform in between, or even during, the overhead tasks. So far I've sabotaged a race car, planted bugs, and smashed padlocks in the line of duty. One mission even had me performing CPR on a dying crime lord while trying to escape the cops and deliver him safely to my boss (only to discover his true intentions). Another had me emptying a trunk of evidence and burning it. These are the things that make GTA:CW stand out from the other games in the series, and even genre. They give the game a more tactile interactivity that is lacking in console games.

What has not ceased to amaze me is how much fun there is in simply exploring the city. Aside from cameras and dealers, you'll find lots of hidden weapons, dumpsters (that you can search for weapons, drugs, and other useful and useless items), rampages (absent from GTA4), and facsimiles of familiar New York City landmarks. Anyone who's played through GTA4 will recognize buildings and locations, as both games feature the same iteration of Liberty City, and a very similar layout.

As I predicted in my First Impressions, drug trading has become an obsession. I am constantly checking email and chasing tip-offs. Some of the most fun I've had has been racing around the city, grabbing as much of a certain product as possible, and trying to sell it all to the highest bidder before time runs out. It's also a source on unending income. For better or for worse, drug trading has eliminated the concern of how much money you have. It was especially helpful that I bought a first edition copy of the game, meaning I was eligible for the bonus $10,000 for registering with Rockstar Games Social Club, which I sync my game with daily. I spent all this money on goods which I sold later to get a head start on my fortunes.

I plan on focusing more on completing the game's story in the coming weeks, so I can get this full review done. Keep checking in. I'm trying to get back into the habit of weekly posts, and I have a few already lined up.

UPDATE: Final Thoughts is... err, are up! Click here to read it... umm, them!

Is it time for a new Virtual Boy?

2009-05-04T21:13:00.000-07:00

We all know some version of this story: Nintendo's only failed console. (I think the expression "epic fail" would be appropriate here.) The brainchild of Game Boy creator Gunpei Yokoi, the Virtual Boy spent so much time and money in research and development that Nintendo grew impatient and released the unit prematurely, before it could be perfected. As a result we ended up with a bulky, delicate machine with a single color monitor and a short battery life. What's worse, the cost of developing the system resulted in a $180 price tag, $50 more than any other Nintendo portable prior or since (excluding the recently released DSi, which started at $170).

The Virtual Boy's problem mostly stemmed from technology of the time. The system was powered by a 32-bit processor, which were still relatively new. Stereoscopic vision required two screens, and in order for those screens to be visible inside the dark visor, each needed to be lit; and since color displays were expensive, Nintendo, probably pointing to the Game Boy's monochromatic success, opted for a single color display. Red was chosen because it was cheaper and less harmful to the eyes over extended periods of time than other colors. With all this cutting edge technology inside, it needed a much larger shell, which made the Virtual Boy less portable than Nintendo had hoped, and the 9 volts of power needed to run the system required 6 AAs, which lasted only a few hours.

That was then…

Today we can fit a 64-bit processor into a device the size of a calculator. LCD screens can display millions of colors in high-definition, while backlight panels are cheap and reliable. Several gigabytes of data can be stored on a card smaller than a penny. Lithium Ion batteries are steadily dropping in price and can handle a lot of power for dozens of hours before recharging. 3D replication is now popular and commonplace in the media, and Nintendo has already produced a portable with two independent screens capable of 3D polygonal graphics. What I am trying to say is it is high time for the Big N to bring us a fully realized successor to the ill-fated Virtual Boy, and this time they can do it right.

Imagine Star Fox or Mario Kart in full 3D. We may never see another GoldenEye, but I'm sure Metroid Prime developer Retro Studios could bring us an amazing first person shooter. And you know Miyamoto would have some mind-blowing concept to sell the system right off the bat. A video out port could make the games a little more social by allowing spectators to follow the action on a TV, and Wi-Fi would make multiplay a snap.

Just thinking about it gets me excited for the potential future of gaming. I love my Virtual Boy, but it is a novelty item at best. Nintendo has proven they can build innovative, market dominating systems. Let's see this pioneering spirit applied to a new frontier of gaming, and finally bring honor to the late Yokoi-san, and his final major project for Nintendo, the Virtual Boy!

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars — First Impressions

2009-04-16T00:27:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, I do play games other than Grand Theft Auto. That is, I used to, until I bought this game. When I first heard they were making a GTA for the DS, I was understandably skeptical. I have played other portable GTAs, which have been produced to varying degrees of success. The PSP games (Liberty City Stories and Vice City Stories) have been good, and the GBA entry was passable. The less said about the GameBoy Color ports, the better. Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars was designed by Rockstar Leeds, the studio responsible for the PSP entries, which gave this game some hope.

My biggest fear was with the touch screen features. Most games that make the journey onto the DS inherit worthless touch screen controls (Phantom Hourglass, anyone?), and pointless minigames (like the ones found in Super Mario 64 DS). Thankfully, GTA: Chinatown Wars has neither. While most of the controls are mapped to the face buttons, and the action occurs almost entirely on the top screen, other things such as your HUD, GPS, menus, and weapon selections are are found on the touch screen (though the game settings do allow you activate top screen HUD and GPS, which I highly recommend). This makes using GTA:CW's items a lot easier than its console counterpart's, especially since the game pauses while you select your weapon, eliminating the frustrating situation of getting shot to death while you're searching for the proper tool for the job. It also improves choosing your destination on your GPS. After playing Chinatown Wars, I found myself wishing for the same feature in GTA4.

The story is as disposable as any other Rockstar Leeds GTA game. Fortunately, due to the limitations of the DS, exposition is typically short and kept to a minimum. The story thus far revolves around a young Chinese immigrant and Triad member, Huang Lee, who arrives in Liberty City to deliver Yu-Jian, his late father's sword and a family heirloom, to his Uncle Wu "Kenny" Lee. As soon as he arrives, however, he is ambushed, shot, kidnapped, and left for dead in the back seat of a car that has been dumped into the river.

This is where the game's touch screen functionality takes you by surprise (unless, of course, you're reading this… then it'll be less of a surprise). In order to escape from the sinking deathtrap, you must break through the car's rear window by tapping the touch screen until it shatters (the window, not the touch screen). From there you're released into a mostly accurate recreation of Liberty City's Liberty State side.

As always, there are plenty of cars to steal, but taking a parked car may prove more trouble than it's worth, especially when evading the cops. Stealing a parked car is no longer a matter of breaking in and driving off. You now have to figure out how to start them without a key. Depending on the vehicle, you are faced with a touch based minigame (the game does not pause, giving police an advantage) that has you either hotwiring, jimmying the ignition with a screwdriver, or hacking the security code with your PDA. Oh yeah, and you only have so much time in which to perform this task before the alarm goes off. It's a feature that becomes second nature after a few turns in each, but still shifts the balance of high-speed chasing enough to make you have to think about what car is better to make your getaway, the parked Infernus sports car, or the Blista minivan driving by.

While the gameplay closely resembles old school, top down GTA, it fixes one major problem with previous incarnations: the camera. Instead of being static, with tank controls for driving, the camera rotates like a typical 3rd person game to give you better control over your walking and driving. The game also uses a variation of GTA3's auto-aim feature, which unfortunately is a little too auto in that you cannot fire freely. You are almost always aimed at something, and that something may or may not be something you want to attack.

These minor gripes aside, the game is an amazing achievement on Nintendo's oft under-powered portable. While the primary dialog is all text based, sound-bytes are plentiful as you explore Liberty City; and don't think being on a Nintendo system means they've toned down the language. You'll read and hear profanities galore from Liberty's citizens, though the swears are more tongue-in-cheek than in other GTAs.

Aside from the aforementioned touch screen features, two gameplay mechanics unique to this entry look to separate it from its console cousins in a big way. The first is the police chase mechanic. Instead of the original run-until-you-get-caught method, or GTA4's escape-the-circle, Chinatown Wars employs a new system which charges you with the task of actually taking out the cops. If one is chasing you in a car, you can try to nudge them off course into a building, or slam into them at full speed from behind (only works with fast cars), causing them to crash. (You can also try to shoot their car until it explodes, but this runs the risk of attracting more cops, and thereby, more stars.) For every star you have, that's another cop car you have to take out to reduce your wanted level. For example, if you have four stars, you'll have to take out four cop cars (or SWAT vans, and on higher wanted levels, FBI cars) in order to reduce your wanted level to three stars; then you'll have to take out three cops to reduce your wanted level to two; and so on. If you only have one star, you can choose to either try to take the one out, or duck into an alley or a park for a while until the heat is off. Of course, there are still the classic respray shops.

The other new feature is the drug trading side-game. Early in the game you are given a satchel to carry, and a safebox in your safehouse. The satchel holds 50 of any kind of drug (there are six), the safebox has unlimited capacity. All around Liberty City you'll find dealers offering various amounts of different kinds of drugs. Every gang has specialties, and trading becomes a combination of rock, paper, scissors, and the stock market. Every day or two (in-game), you'll receive an email from a dealer who's looking to either unload a certain drug for cheap, or buy a certain drug for way more than market value. If you follow these tips, and master the art of buy-low-sell-high, you'll find yourself a source of unlimited income. Just don't get busted while carrying! Along with all of your weapons and armor, and cash for a bribe, the police also take all of the drugs you have on your person, which can end up costing you a lot of money in goods and potential profit.

What Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars lacks in epic scope, it seems to make up for in innovation and creativity. Exploring the city is just as much fun as it always has been, maybe more so with the DS's enhancements, but time will tell. Considering how much time I've spent playing this game, and how convenient it is to simply pick it up anywhere and continue where I left off, I predict my Extended Play review not being far behind. Keep checking for more!

UPDATE: Extended Play is up! Click here to read it!

A return to form, and a response to criticism

2009-04-09T00:51:00.000-07:00

I apologize to my followers for my unexpected hiatus. Things have come up, making it difficult to find time to devote to blogging, but I am far from abandoning this project.

The backlash from my previous article, How Metal Gear Solid ruined gaming, was a bit of an upset for me. It seems many people on the internet are more interested in making snap judgements based solely on a headline (or, say, a review score) than in reading what a person actually has to say about a topic. I shouldn't be surprised, but somehow I was still taken aback. It's quite ironic that, in an age of digital albums, podcasted editorials, and literature in mp3 audio format, people still tend to judge a book by its cover.

For those of you who read, understood, and commented on my article, thank you. Even if you disagreed with me, that's perfectly fine with me. I still appreciate the fact that you took the time to read my opinions on cinematic gaming, and I welcome healthy debate on the topic. For the record, all of the games I mentioned in the article are personal favorites of mine. All would receive at least a 4 out of 5 score if I were to give a full review to them. My point was merely that cutscenes, voice acting, and intricate plots do not necessarily improve a game, and could bog down a game in which they do not fit. Several of you got that. Unfortunately, a much larger percentage of the population did not, and did not care to.

Honestly, I chalk it up to the illogic that is fanboyism. Me? I play what I like. If I don't have the console that offers what I want, I buy it as soon as it becomes practical (and affordable). If a console I have does not offer what I want, I set it aside for another that does until it becomes relevant again. I own nearly every major console and portable of the past three generations. I have no favorite consoles, just favorite games. (Full disclosure: I do not have a PlayStation 3… yet. I do not currently consider it practical, or most of all, affordable. When it is, I will buy one.)

So for those of you who are interested, I am working on a new review, a new editorial, an observational article, and of course, Part III of my list of Classic Nintendo games that haven't been remade, but should be, any of which should be appearing soon, ("soon" being as soon as they're completed) so if you're not already a follower, and you're interested, keep checking back in the coming weeks. I'm not going anywhere!

How Metal Gear Solid ruined gaming

2009-03-21T02:25:00.000-07:00

Yes, yes. Direct your hate to the comments section (preferably not before you actually read the rest of the article). And yes, I am talking about the Metal Gear Solid, the classic 1999 PlayStation epic that started the hugely popular and critically acclaimed series. (It is also, I might add, one of my top favorite games of all time, before anyone starts accusing me of being "unfair" or "hating" the game.) Well, actually, Metal Gear Solid is the third game in the series, which makes the recent Metal Gear Solid 4 the sixth game in the series. Confused? Tough, because since the series history is not the topic of this article, that's all the explanation you're going to get.

So what is the topic of this article? Cutscenes. When MGS premiered it pioneered a new style of story-telling in video games. While cinematic cutscenes had been used in games prior, they were usually brief and found mostly at the beginning and/or end of a level. Ninja Gaiden is often recognized as the first game to feature cutscenes, and RPGs have featured in-depth storylines and long-winded conversations since their heyday in the early 90s, but MGS was the first game to combine stylized cutscenes with live-action quality direction and lengthy dialog, which were used (in combination with considerably less visually interesting CODEC conversations) to move the story forward in a much more cinematic way than ever before. The result was not only an amazingly immersive game experience, but also a groundbreaking advancement in video game storytelling.

After MGS's success, many game makers followed suit, filling their games with full voice-acting, deep character development, and twisting storylines, trying to duplicate the Metal Gear Solid formula. Nintendo jumped on the bandwagon, as second party developer Rare filled its next two N64 titles, Perfect Dark and Conker's Bad Fur Day, with cutscenes and tons of dialog using the then-revolutionary MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3 format (more commonly known as MP3).

It didn't stop there. By the time MGS2 came out, the market was filled with dozens of cinematic imitators. The general belief seemed to be that the closer a game got to motion pictures, the more accessible, and therefore profitable it would be. Even series like Grand Theft Auto and Super Mario, neither of which had ever been focused on story or character development before, featured cutscenes in their following games, causing several long-time fans of both series to raise their eyebrows.

These cutscenes often try to insert plot where it is not needed. At the start of Super Mario Sunshine, Mario is en route to a tropical vacation, when a shadowy impostor appears and starts spraying inky goop all over the island, causing the locals to suspect Mario himself. Mario is arrested (???) and sentenced to clean up the mess. Along the way he discovers the impostor is Bowser Jr. (NOTE: not one of the original Koopalings), who kidnaps Princess Peach, believing she is his real mother (???). All this is made even more ridiculous by the fact that, even though Mario has an official voice with Charles Martinet, in typical Nintendo fashion, he never speaks any actual dialog. A great game thrown off track thanks to a nonsensical plot.

Cinematic cutscenes also remove an element of individuality from the game. Take the second GTA game for PS2, Vice City, for example. You were no longer a voiceless avatar, free to be however you wanted to be in the game. You were now Tommy Vercetti, a loud, short-tempered, Italian mobster with a plan to take over the city. That works well for a GTA game, but what about its portable prequel, Vice City Stories for the PSP? In that game you play as Vic Vance, a corporal in the U.S. Army who is somehow manipulated by his drug addict superior to do illegal jobs until he is dishonorably discharged, then goes to work obediently for a wife-beating gun-runner. The illogic of the whole situation pulls the player out of the game and causes him to wonder "why?"

The biggest violator, in my recent experience, is Grand Theft Auto IV. In the latest entry to the series, you play the game as Niko Bellić, an Eastern European immigrant who leaves his war-torn home to find solace, success, and revenge in Liberty City (The GTA equivalent to New York City). The underlying theme of the campaign is redemption. Niko is looking to leave behind the terrible things he's seen and done for a chance at a new life in America. This is reflected in decisions the player must make at certain points in the game, for example, whether to spare the life of your mission target, or murder him/her, or even choosing which character you'll off, knowing you'll eventually have to kill one of them. This creates an ironic juxtaposition when the player decides to have Niko spare the life of someone who may have done him wrong, then turn around and kill a random stranger just for his car. While the story on its own has its merits, it seems force-fed into a gameplay style which does not support the concept of altruism.

Fortunately, not every game feels the need to include cutscenes. Both BioShock and Portal managed to tell their story entirely in first person, without using a single cutscene, save for an intro and a conclusion (Portal didn't even have a cinematic intro). Conversely, not all games with cutscenes are made worse by them. The Halo series juggled movies and gameplay with a near-perfect balance. Most of the story was delivered through the game's action, while cutscenes filled in the gaps that would be difficult to produce as an interactive media. These methods are difficult to implement effectively however, leaving developers to use cinematics as a shortcut.

It's an epidemic that shows little sign of slowing, and with Metal Gear Solid 4 still fresh in gamers', and game developers', minds, it probably won't again for a while. And with games getting more like movies, it's encouraging movie producers to make more movies based on games, which, as history has proven, is rarely a good thing. What worked great for MGS does not necessarily work well for every game. I believe it is time games return to focusing on what games do best: providing innovative, engaging gameplay, and leave the movies in the movie theaters.

(More) Classic Nintendo games that haven't been remade, but should be; Part II

2009-03-18T18:20:00.000-07:00

If you haven't read Part I, click here.

When I started this list, I had no idea it would grow to such a length that it would need to be split up into multiple parts, but every game I already had on the list reminds me of another game that I think should be on the list. Then comes the process of narrowing them down, choosing their order, and deciding what will stay, and what will be held until the next part.

Just to clarify some confusion on what defines a "Classic Nintendo Game" for the purpose of this list, here are the necessary criteria I've used: 1) It must be published by Nintendo (though not necessarily developed by). 2) It must have originally been released on a system that is now extinct. 3) It must have been released, in some form, in the U.S. (otherwise the list could be a lot longer than it already is!). Please note that, while I do know lot about Nintendo's history, I do not have encyclopedic knowledge of all the games they've published for all their systems. Therefore, while this list will only be made up of predetermined games I am personally familiar with, I welcome your own additions in the comments sections!

Donkey Kong Country — Sure, Donkey Kong Country has been released several times... as in many, many times, but it's never really been remade. At the time of its release, DKC was acclaimed for its revolutionary graphics, pleasing audio, and tight gameplay. (Many years later, some would negate these rave reviews with harsh criticism, though most "non-professional" gamers would refuse to detract.) It was marketed, and often accepted, as proof that a new generation of hardware was not yet necessary for great games, and along with its two sequels, "Diddy's Kong Quest" and "Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!," helped keep the SNES alive for three more years. Time has not been kind, however, to this once breathtaking platformer. Higher resolution graphics, true CD quality sound, and more innovative gameplay have come and stayed, leaving DKC shrouded in nostalgia. I think it is time for Nintendo to resurrect this classic, sprucing it up with full 480p graphics (the Wii can only output in ED, after all) taken from the original CG elements, 16:9 support, and a newly remixed soundtrack (I recommend OverClocked ReMix, a long-time favorite of mine, and the ones responsible for the SSF2THDR soundtrack).

Donkey Kong Land — After the initial success of Donkey Kong Country on the SNES, there was a bit of a backlash which continues even to this day. Criticism arose, insinuating that DKC was a sub-par platformer hidden under a beautiful coat of paint, and that it was only successful because of its fancy graphics and sound… Okay, most of that criticism came from Cranky Kong, but sounds like something you've read in EGM in recent years, right? (Incidently, EGM gave the game a near perfect score in their original review… but I digress.) When Rare decided to squeeze its SNES cash cow onto the GameBoy, some were skeptical, but Donkey Kong Land turned out every bit as fun and challenging as the game that inspired it. Unlike future entries, DKL 2 & III, which were basically GameBoy ports of the SNES originals, number 1 was a completely unique game, with new enemies, environments, and music. All the more reason it should be remade alongside its console big brother, as it is a true sequel and not a port.

Super Mario Advance 4-e — Say what? Okay, let me explain. In 2003, Nintendo intruduced the e-Reader, a peripheral for the GameBoy Advance which read dot codes off of standard deck size cards as data for games, or game add-ons. One of the games with e-Reader add-ons was the fourth entry in the Super Mario Advance series, a GBA remake of Super Mario Bros. 3. Packs could be purchased that included power-up cards (including the rare Tanooki and Hammer Bros. suit, and Super Mario World's feather), demo movie cards, and new level cards. These levels were exclusive to their respective cards, and were not on the cartridge data. 10 new levels were released (20 in Japan) out of a proposed 30, plus a recreation of the original SMB's World 1-1. These new levels were not only completely original, some of them incorporated elements from other Mario games, such as the throwable vegetables from SMB2, and Chargin' Chuck from SMW. These elements were combined into a new überMario game which was cut short due to the e-Reader's commercial failure in the US. Wouldn't it be a nice treat to get all these levels, and maybe even some never before released, in a Wii- or DSi- Ware exclusive release? Now that would be a real Lost Levels!

The Legend of Zelda — This is a game that requires no introduction. Designed by Shigeru Miyamoto as the antithesis of Super Mario Bros., (SMB is side-scrolling, LoZ is top-down; SMB is linear, LoZ is free-roaming; SMB's power-ups are temporary, LoZ's are permanent; and so on) The Legend of Zelda, along with its hero, Link, have become as synonymous with Nintendo as the iconic plumber and his own adventures. This first game set the stage for nearly all future adventures in Hyrule: Princess Zelda is captured by Ganon, who is searching for the Triforce of Wisdom, and Link has to explore the kingdom and its dungeons to find the artifacts required to defeat the evil wizard/monster. The first game was very light on storytelling, and NPCs outside of enemies, are scarce, and not always helpful. While the game is still very much playable today, some enhancements to the gameplay would be most welcome to less than hardcore gamers. Let Link move diagonally. The sword stabs Link uses in this game could be replaced with the 90° slashes of later games. His hearts could deplete at half the rate they do in the original, reducing the need for restarts. Allow players to save their game without dying. Give players some kind of clue of where to go next. Then, of course, there's the obvious graphical enhancements and orchestration (even if it is synthesized) of the music, and you've made Zelda more than just playable, you've made it near perfect!

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link — Much like Super Mario Bros. 2 (The Japanese version, not the version we got over here), Miyamoto was not involved with Zelda II. Unlike SMB2, his absence would result in a radically different game. Zelda II is by leaps and bounds the black sheep of the Zelda series. It is primarily a side-scrolling adventure, and it uses experience points, not items, for leveling up. It did, however, add a few elements that became series standards, such as magic powers, and towns Link could visit for information and side-quests. A well-thought-out remake could fix a lot of this flawed classic's problems. First and foremost, give Link a much bigger sword, and a much faster strike animation. Less damage would make for less frustrating battles, and more exp. points would make leveling up less of a grind. Finally, like its predecessor, a little nudge in the right direction would make for less blind exploration.

Well, I was hoping to finish this list in two parts, but I keep thinking of more games! I guess you'll have to wait until Part III to find out the rest!

UPDATE: Part III is up! Click here to read it!

Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned — First Impressions

2009-03-13T12:36:00.000-07:00

"The Lost and Damned" (not "The Lost and the Damned," as several outlets have been calling it) is the first expansion for Grand Theft Auto IV. It was released as DLC on February 17th exclusively for the Xbox 360 on Xbox Live for 1600 points ($20). While I did stay up for its release (which was an hour-and-a-half late, by the way), I (as usual) have had limited time to play it until recently. I have now played through a couple of hours and maybe 10 missions or so and feel as though I have enough material to give my first impressions.

Let me get this out of the way first: If you loved GTA4, you'll find little to complain about here. If you hated GTA4, this will not convert you. Also, if you are not one of the gamers who played all the way through Niko Bellic's storyline, chances are you are not going to immediately jump onto an entirely new campaign. That said, it does make a few minor, yet perceptible alterations to the overall gameplay. Most prominently, the motorcycle controls and physics have been tweaked, making them easier to control, and harder to fall off of. Helmets, however, no longer exist, so in the event of a crash, your noggin will take the brunt of the force.

Also, much criticism was dealt to Niko's first few hours in Liberty City, specifically the lack of gunplay and overabundance of mundane chauffeur quests. This has been addressed in TLAD. Right from the start you are not only equipped with a sawed-off shotgun, usable while driving, but you'll very quickly be thrown into an old-fashioned GTA4 shootout where you'll pick up your familiar Glock 17 pistol.

There's very little tutorial, as it's safe to assume most, if not all, of this game's audience is already familiar with the nuances of GTA4's controls and gameplay elements. New elements, such as driving your gang-exclusive bike in formation, will be explained when applicable. The driving in formation is a nice way to make getting yourself from point A to point B a little more interesting, but can be annoying if you get separated from the group, or fall too far behind, as you cannot hear your fellow gang members' dialog if you're too far away. Occasionally you'll be given the option to race your partners to the destination, which helps to mix things up a bit more.

Finally we come to the characters. The playable character, Johnny Klebitz, is the vice president of the Lost MC, a motorcycle club based in Alderney, who are at war with rival gang, the Angels of Death. At the opening of the game, the club's president, Billy Grey, has just gotten out of rehab and reassumes his position as leader of the pack. Immediately things start going down hill for Johnny, who seems to be reaching something of a mid-life crisis. He has worked hard to put the Lost on a constructive track, and Billy's wild ways are threatening to unravel Johnny's efforts. Billy's dead set on rekindling the conflict with the Angels of Death, and Johnny tries futilely to dissuade him. Thus far, I find Johnny a less interesting character than Niko, though he does have more interesting things to do from the outset.

Well, that should do it for first impressions. I'll be back with my Extended Play after I've logged in a few more hours.

How my reviews work

2009-03-12T22:04:00.000-07:00

As I begin writing my first "review," I figure I should give some explanation as to how I will go about reviewing games. First of all, I have precious little of both spare time, and spare money, so don't expect reviews to be prompt or plentiful. I will review what I have, when I have it, and when I have time for it. Sorry, but unless someone plans on hiring me to write about video games exclusively (PLEASE?!), that's how it's got to be.

Secondly, my reviews will be delivered in three parts:

1) First impression — First impressions are the most important, especially with video games. If you're not pulled into a game immediately, chances are you'll put it away in favor of more interesting games. In my case, first impressions help me determine if a game was worth the purchase or not. Here I'll let you know how excited I am (or am not) about continuing a game after the first hour or so.

2) Extended Play — Once the initial novelty (if there is any) has worn off, you hope the game continues to provide an engaging and original experience. In this section I'll give you an idea of how much the game has held my interest, and how eager I am (for better or for worse) to reach the conclusion.

3) Final Thoughts — You've poured x monetary units and y hours into a game. If you're really lucky, it was a memorable and enjoyable experience to which you'll want to return soon. If you're really unlucky, you'll wish you hadn't rescheduled that root canal your dentist recommended so you'd have more time and money for gaming. While I can't tell you what you'd like, per se, I can tell you whether I thought it was worth my precious resources, and if I feel it's worth a repeat play-through.

I've got a couple of partial reviews in the works right now, so stay tuned!

Classic Nintendo games that haven't been remade, but should be; Part I

2009-03-09T01:08:00.000-07:00

I know what you're thinking. Doesn't Nintendo already remake everything? Well, yes, Nintendo is notorious for releasing, re-releasing, and re-re-releasing many of their more popular titles. Take Metroid for example. Excluding its original release on the Famicom Disk System and Nintendo Entertainment System, Metroid has been rereleased four times in the past few years (the Classic NES Series for the GameBoy Advance, as a bonus feature on Metroid Prime, as a bonus feature on the Zero Mission remake, and its Virtual Console release) most of which were within a two year span.

But I'm not talking about Virtual Console style, bare-bones rereleases. I mean full-on overhauls, akin to Super Mario All-Stars, Kirby: Nightmare in Dreamland, or Metroid: Zero Mission itself; new versions of the originals that look better, sound better, and maybe even play better, with new features and new incentives to play again. WiiWare and the upcoming DSiWare seem like perfect outlets for some much needed attention to these oft-ignored gems. What follows is a list, in no particular order, of some of the games I think are most worthy of remaking:

Metroid II: The Return of Samus — I figured since I used Metroid as an example already, I may as well start off with this one. Metroid II for the GameBoy is one of the earliest examples of Nintendo trying to turn its fat, green-screened portable into a genuine platform for new content and series extensions. Probably the least popular of the Metroid series due its confusing monochrome graphics and minimal, mostly forgettable music, it is also an integral chapter of the Metroid storyline. It introduced several elements to the series that its successors would turn into standards, and a unique gameplay style which still allowed the aimless exploration of the first game, while providing a more direct, linear pathway to the ultimate showdown with the Queen Metroid, and the surprising, foreshadowing conclusion which would be exploited in Metroid 3: Super Metroid. While Project AM2R is working on an impressive unofficial remake of this one, it would be nice to see Nintendo's own R&D1 team take on this forgotten chunk of Metroid history themselves in a future release.

Star Fox — This game was truly groundbreaking for its time. It was one of the first 3D polygonal games, and the first 3D polygonal game on a console, ever, thanks to the revolutionary Super FX microchip. While the graphics don't really hold up to today's standards, the classic on-rails shooting and unforgettable music still do. While Star Fox 64 and Star Fox Assault have taken the formula to more modern consoles with more impressive graphics, and Star Fox Command put a new spin on a concept from an abandoned SNES sequel (we're going to pretend Star Fox Adventures never happened), none of them have really captured the feel of the original. Just imagine the same levels, enemies, and music, remade with hi-res, hi-poly, textured graphics (of course, Andross would remain the same boxy face he always was), full voice acting, and analog controls. The thought of it almost makes me wanna "do a barrel roll!" (Sorry.)

Kid Icarus — This entry will be brief, as I've never actually played the game for more than about 40 seconds (thank you, Smash Bros.). I am, however, familiar with the fan base this game has, and before Nintendo pours the resources into the oft-rumored, full-fledged, 3D sequel to this classic, they should first consider giving it the Zero Mission treatment. As a bonus, they could throw in the lesser-known GameBoy sequel. (There really do seem to be a lot of those.)

Super Mario Land — You knew that a Mario game would eventually appear on this list. It was inevitable. There are so many of them, Nintendo was bound to forget a few. Super Mario Land was another attempt to put an established NES game on the GameBoy, while still keeping its library original. Super Mario Land took everything that made the first Super Mario Bros. popular, and shrunk it down to fit on the little green screen. Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto stepped down for this entry and allowed his mentor, Gunpei Yokoi, father of the GameBoy as well as many other Nintendo products, to take the reigns of Mario's first portable adventure. While the basic gameplay, several enemies, and even some of the graphics stayed true to the original, most of the rest of the game was completely new. New worlds to explore, new power-ups (for example, the Flower now gives Mario the ability to throw "superballs" which ricochet at 90° angles, rather than the traditional fireballs which bounce across the ground), and some strange new enemies to compliment the old ones make this a familiar, yet unique, Mario platforming experience, and one that would greatly benefit from, if nothing else, color graphics and improved sound quality. (Though a save feature would be nice too.)

Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins — As long as we're on the topic of remaking portable Mario games, we may as well tackle this one now. While Super Mario Land proved a Mario game could work on the GameBoy, its sequel, this time helmed by Metroid II director Hiroji Kiyotake, greatly expanded on the formula, adding an overworld map screen (à la Super Mario Bros. 3), unique power-ups (collecting a carrot gives Mario bunny ears which he can use to slow his descent from a jump or fall... crazy Japaneses), a battery-backed auto-save feature, and a new villain. Wario would go on to infamy and fortune in his own spin-off series, as well as appearances in pretty much every Mario themed competitive game from 1996's Mario Kart 64, to the present, and probably well into the future. While the game itself still holds up quite well, as with the other GameBoy games on the list, it deserves to be brought out of its 15+ years of monochromatic obscurity, and into the modern era of color, hi-res gaming.

Well, that will wrap up Part I of this list. I'll return to it soon, but for a first post, I feel it would be better not to exhaust you, the reader. Aren't I nice? Stay tuned for more Video Game related editorials on "Fear The Claw's" Video Game Blog!

UPDATE: Part II is up! Click here to read it!