Category: Game On!

I’ve started this column a few times already, and I realized something: it’s very hard to be motivated to talk about games you like. It’s like reviewing movies or books or music”¦you know you like them, but sometimes, you can’t really express why. It’s much easier to tear apart something you DISlike rather than talk up the stuff you enjoy. Yes, the life of a reviewer is hard”¦but we manage to strive on, even vigilant that we will bring the good news of”¦stuff”¦and”¦things.

Anyway, lately, I’ve been playing a hell of a lot of Xbox Live”¦and here’s what you should be playing too:

BIONIC COMMANDO: REARMED – Seriously, if you weren’t a fan of this back in the day, you just weren’t old school. Playing it now will give you an awesome sense of nostalgia, and if you’ve never played it before, don’t let its lack of a jump button deter you. This game takes skill to use the bionic arm to traverse the playing field, and also to thwart your enemy attackers. Play it, live it, love it.

One Gamer’s Opinion:

1942: JOINT STRIKE – Old school shooting at its finest, remade with co-op in mind. WWII bi-planes with serious firepower, power-ups and mad amounts of enemies on screen make it fast, furious, frenetic and fucking fun. Too many f-words to count, but seriously addictive, and ALWAYS awesome with two players to help dish out the damage.

One Gamer’s Opinion:

WOLF ON THE BATTLEFIELD: COMMANDOS 3 ““ Another old school top-down shooter, this time the right analog is your fire button; just aim and go (a la GEOMETRY WARS, but more violent) and rack up the multipliers. These three games have shown that Capcom is playing attention to their old fan-base and really giving retro gamers something familiar and fun on the new consoles. Plus, WOTB includes the beta for the far-to-long-of-a-title SUPER STREET FIGHTER II HYPER TURBO REMIX, which alone is worth the price of admission. Online is smooth (ish) and the graphics get a serious upgrade”¦super sweet.

One Gamer’s Opinion:

ACES OF THE GALAXY ““ More of a new style old shooter”¦a new title that evokes the shmups of yesteryear. Flashy graphics and sound with a slightly on rails ship blasting through space with alternate paths, warp routes and thousands of ships flying at you at super speed. The “behind the ship” view takes some getting used to, but it’s good fun, and another worth playing with a friend.

One Gamer’s Opinion:

Now admittedly, I haven’t gotten the three most talked about games of the month (GEOMETRY WARS EVOLVED 2, BRAID and GALAGA LEGIONS”¦plus CASTLE CRASHERS due this Wednesday) but these are the titles I’ve been playing the most, so I figured you should know about them, since they weren’t as high on the radar as the titles I mention in this paragraph are.

A few weeks ago, we also saw the release of SOULCALIBUR IV on Xbox 360 and PS3. For those that didn’t quite enjoy the series last entry, the new title is a return to form, as characters are better balanced, and there’s a greater sense of rhythm and skill to each one’s fighting abilities. Sure there are the few cheap characters (Yoda on 360 can’t be grappled, Vader on PS3 is huge but slow, and The Apprentice is just a cheap fighter”¦as is boss Algol) but overall the game is more akin to the TEKKEN series than ever before”¦and that’s a good thing. Button mashing still reigns supreme, but there are benefits once again to actually learning the moves, as counters and parries will save your ass in a handshake. The character creator is also excellent, as numerous copyright infringements can be made to your hearts and battles delight. PS3 eeks out the 360 on control, as it just has the better d-pad, but the analog stick is no slouch”¦but if you’re a fighting purist, you wouldn’t be caught dead using that, but rather a full on arcade stick”¦and that’s the way it should be anyway.

One Gamer’s Opinion:

These next couple of weeks are all leading up t the big holiday gaming season, and with it, some of the best A list titles of the year. STAR WARS: THE FORCE UNLEASHED just dropped a demo that plays like PSI-OPS with Light sabers. FABLE II has a pre-order incentive that allows you a free download of its FABLE II PUB GAMES, a set of three gambling games that allow you to build up your bankroll before the title’s official release. FALLOUT 3 and DEAD SPACE have been showing awesome trailers, GEARS OF WAR 2 is set to light up the online multiplayer again, and LEGO BATMAN is ready to win over the little and big kids as well. The biggest game on my radar? LEFT 4 DEAD, a zombie co-op FPS. Be still my still beating heart.

THE GAME ON! RATING SYSTEM

Ratings From Greatest to Least:

Kick Ass, Right On, Okay, Eh, and Stinker (aka CRAPTACULAR)

So, in the spanse of one month, I was going to E3 and had a car.

Then, my car died, and I was no longer going to E3.

Now, I have a NEW car… but alas, because of this, I’m NOT currently at E3. In fact, I’m practically torturing myself now by watching G4’s coverage of E3… wishing I was there.

It seems that every year I ALMOST get to go… but then, nope, I’m denied. Admittedly, this year I actually even registered, but damn it all if my car didn’t blow the fuck up and denied me the upcoming gaming goodness. I could have been at the press event for Microsoft, drooling with all the other fanboys about FFXIII coming to the 360, or remarking at how much KILLZONE 2 looks like the footage they HOPED it would.

But I digress. No use crying over spilled milk.

Ahem.

Anyway, I used to review games, didn’t I? Wow, going monthly gives me a large build up of stuff to talk about then, doesn’t it? And what’s with all the rhetorical questions?

Nevermind.

So… what to talk about then? I’m not in LA…what have I been doing? Well, it’s the summer, so the summer movies have started up… and so have the games based on them. Thankfully, the quality of the licensed game has improved greatly over the years, and this makes my summer log of games based on Blockbuster movies more tolerable. Take for example the lighthearted children’s fare of KUNG FU PANDA. With careful level design and tight controls, Activision has released a fun experience for both older and younger gamers to enjoy. Rather than churn out a quick cash-in, the game actually is FUN to play, with great combat, exciting levels, and a good mix of what’s seen on the big screen recreated in the game, with you not just controlling the Jack Black voiced Po, but other members of the Furious Five as well.

LEGO INDIANA JONES: THE ORIGINAL ADVENTURES also takes a step in the right direction… by not offering ANY levels based on THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL. Now, I didn’t mind the movie, but I will say I could have done with out the last 20 minutes (from Shia’s TARZAN impression on). Thankfully, the LEGO title is all the GOOD stuff you remember, and plays just as well as the LEGO STAR WARS titles did. Cute characters, great, funny recreations of the film’s plots, and easy pick up and play control It would have been nice if they included online co-op, but as it stands, it’s more fun playing with a friend in the same room anyway… why did THAT ever go out of style?

On the Marvel Comics side of things, both IRON MAN and THE INCREDIBLE HULK were surprising hits at the box office. Sadly, their video game counterparts aren’t as exciting. For IRON MAN, the problem lies in the camera. It swings way too wildly, and makes flight during combat a chore. Once you do get the hang of it, you’ll encounter dull levels and repetitive tasks throughout. INCREDIBLE HULK, thankfully, takes a page from what came before, and is essentially the next gen version of the previous game, ULTIMATE DESTRUCTION. And while this new title may not have the humor of the previous game (there’s no bowling for soldiers) EVERY building is destructible. It may not follow the film’s plot much, but it’s a fun diversion for comic fans and fans of the new film alike.

With licensed games like this, it’s easy to get disappointed. Like I said, IRON MAN isn’t the quality of game that the film is. Disappointments aren’t reserved for games based on movies, though. Sometimes, an anticipated title doesn’t live up to the hype either. Such is the case with ENEMY TERRITORY: QUAKE WARS on Xbox 360 and PS3. The PC title was touted as a stellar multiplayer experience with a rich single player game rounding out the equation. Sadly, the same doesn’t hold true for the console version. I was looking forward to this tte, and once i popped it into my system, I wondered why it had been hailed in it’s original release. It’s slow paced, the AI of your teammates is appalling )sure, walk RIGHT into MY line of fire!) and the character models are pathetically small and lacking in detail. There also seems to be some sort of pseudo-lock-on feature with the aiming that randomly activates… but only when you don’t need it. The PC title was great, so the console versions discrepancies are inexcusable.

Ah well. At least we have more things to look forward to. Like, everything at E3.

Anyone have a spare plane ticket… and a place I could crash?

KUNG FU PANDA

One Gamer’s Opinion:

LEGO INDY

One Gamer’s Opinion:

IRON MAN

One Gamer’s Opinion:

HULK

One Gamer’s Opinion:

ET QUAKE WARS

One Gamer’s Opinion:

THE GAME ON! RATING SYSTEM

Ratings From Greatest to Least:
Kick Ass, Right On, Okay, Eh, and Stinker (aka CRAPTACULAR

Geez, what the hell happened to playing games for fun anymore?

I mean, seriously. There was a time when i would play a game simply for the enjoyment of playing that game. I loved to do reviews, because i would pick apart the subtle nuances of each and every title in my catalog and only the most worthy would survive. Nowadays, this is simply not the case.

Now, I play games to pad my “gamerscore”. Yes, primarily I DO play them to review them (when I do get the chance) but now, rather than trying to see a game for it’s merits, i see it only as 1000 more points under my gamertag.

And honestly, why the fuck does THAT matter…to anyone? Those points are meaningless, and yet, some strive for full completion of a game (or at least full allotment of points for a game) simply to add the number to their score, a notch in the belt of geeks everywhere, full bragging rights and all that.

But that’s all they are; bragging rights. They don’t bring you money, fame or fortune, they just say “look at me, I have less of a life than you, I was able to get all 1000 points in GUITAR HERO III and all I have to show for it is arthritis and some bloodshot eyes”. They offer no other recourse other than comparison with one’s frends, and more often than not, ridicule.

Occasionally (read: ONCE) Xbox has held a competition to see how fast you can advance your score in a set period of time, and issue rewards for such “achievements”. This is a brilliant idea. This should be implemented on a more frequent basis. Like every month. For example, every time you get…say…8,000 Gamerscore, you should get, like, 500 Microsoft points or something. Give us an actual initiative to fulfil the requirements of beating a game to it’s fullest.

This way, we would feel a bit more satisfied for slogging through dreck like VIKING: BATTLE FOR ASGARD. Sure, beating the game is a great way to advance your score by about 600 pts, but you’ll feel dirty inside. You hack, slash, and slice your way through endless hordes of demons to save your brethren, only to do it all again in the next town. And while the graphics are decent, the gameplay is slow, and there’s little reward or replay value. There’s boobs, there’s fire, there eviscerations galore…but lasting fun? Not so much. It’s not horrible, mind, it’s just so damn repetitive.

The same can be said for DARK SECTOR. It’s a gorgeous game, but a little on the “lather, rinse, repeat” side of things. The glaive blade spices things up, but if it weren’t for the GEARS OF WAR style cover system or the RESIDENT EVIL 4 over the shoulder targeting, it’d be just any other dimly lit brooding third person shooter. The story is decent enough here, but they don’t give you ENOUGH of it to stay invested in the characters, so once again you find yourself pushing forward to the end of “just one more mission” (whose corridors look the same as the LAST mission, by the way) just so you can hear that satisfying “badoop” and get your 20 more pts for beating a level.

I even fall victim to it in sports titles. Hell, i don’t even LIKE sports titles, but occasionally, i find myself playing them, just for fun. As long as they’re of the more arcade nature, i actually get some enjoyment out of them. Or at least I used to. Take, for example, NBA BALLERS: CHOSEN ONE. here’s a series i really enjoyed in the last generation of systems. Arcade gameplay, goofy powershots and just the right dose of fun. Now, however,, all of that is stripped away in favor of flashy”game breaker” combos and moves with animations you can’t skip. The stat system is supposed to adjust your skills according to how you play, which is a great idea if i t actually DID that. I spent one match throwing nothing but three point shots, and at the end, i got higher stat improvements in things i didn’t do at all such as REBOUNDS and STEALS. Meanwhile, my three point skill went up by ONE. And yet, i keep playing the game, knowing it’s not as good as the last, just so I can break 30K.

I find it’s influencing the other game’s I play too. In the handheld FINAL FANTASY VII: CRISIS CORE (PSP) and FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: RINGS OF FATE (DS) i see myself judging the games, wishing I could get achievements when I’m fighting through the parts I don’t like (which for CRYSTAL CHRONICLES was all of it…the multiplayer especially is lag-tastic) just to make playing more worth it. Admittedly, though, CRISIS CORE is VERY worth the play through if you’re a big FFVII fan: it begins the story very well and brings all the right elements to the front of the epic we already know. Unfortunately, the battle system is a little imperfect. You’ll find yourself wailing on the X button all day, just hoping for another cut-scene. And you forget to cycle BACK to your attack move after highlighting a health icon for a quick save, you’ll end up eating 3 potions before you realize you’re not even striking that giant dog in front of you.

Still, that’s not as bad as on the consoles connected to my TV. I get OKAMI for the Wii and all i can think is “gee, I wish I playing this again added to my score” rather than thinking “gee, they sure cut a lot out of the Wii version”. As it stands, the controls aren’t as fluid on the Wii version, which is bizarre, considering you’d think the Wii-mote would be a perfect fit for such a title. Also sad is the fact that most for the character introductions in all their wordy Japanese translations have been severely cut-down for the Western audience, which if you’ve played the PS2 version, you’ll know they were initially intact over here. Still, at least the game is worth playing if you missed it the first time, and as long as you can deal with the controls thinking you’re painting rather than attacking every so often.

I knew I was in trouble, however, when playing MARIO KART WII with my girlfriend. We were having fun racing down familiar tracks from past entries in the series, the Wii Wheel was actually responsive and fun to use, and boosting during drifts was easier than ever (though the old snaking method is still there for BIGGER boosts for the hardcore fans). Yet somehow, my girl managed to make all the good points vanish when, as i asked her if she’d lie to unlock the new courses in single payer, she remarked “nah, i don’t get any gamerscore for them”.

I’ve created a monster.

Ah well. It’s not all bad. Some games are worth playing even beyond the gamerscore. CONDEMNED 2: BLOODSHOT scared the shit out of me so much I didn’t even think of how many pints i was earning, just how many pants i was ruining. The environments and story elements were top-notch and helped clear up the rather ambiguous and confusing ending of the first game, and the battle system was even better than before. The multiplayer was also a welcome addition, and served to while away some time in a crazy first person FIGHT CLUB WITH BUMS kind of way.

Plus, there’s GTAIV to keep me busy. I’d write about it now, but I’d like to actually finish the game before making my final verdict on it, and the game is just SO encompassing that doing so in a timely fashion while also working a full time job takes more effort than I have. Plus, I’m trying to get that “Liberty City Minute” achievement for beating the game’s story mode in under 30 hours.

 

VIKING: BATTLE FOR ASGARD

One Gamer’s Opinion:

DARK SECTOR

One Gamer’s Opinion:

NBA BALLERS: CHOSEN ONE

One Gamer’s Opinion:

 

FFVII: CRISIS CORE

One Gamer’s Opinion:

 

FFCC:RoF

One Gamer’s Opinion:

 

OKAMI

One Gamer’s Opinion:

 

MARIO KART WII

One Gamer’s Opinion:

 

CONDEMNED2: BLOODSHOT

One Gamer’s Opinion:

THE GAME ON! RATING SYSTEM

 

Ratings From Greatest to Least:

Kick Ass, Right On, Okay, Eh, and Stinker (aka CRAPTACULAR)

So, it’s kinda funny how whenever I mention a game I’m planning on reviewing…it doesn’t show up. Well, it doesn’t happen that often, mind, but yeah…I should stop that. I end up jinxing myself and don’t post a column for a few weeks while I wait. So, I’m not going to do that anymore, thank you very much FRONTLINES. However, I do have a good amount of stuff for you all this time around, so maybe it’s for the best.

NO, THIS IS VEGAS

I may not have reviewed it, but I was a big fan of the first RAINBOW SIX: VEGAS…so much so that me and friends from work still play it online every Thursday. Well, we would, but now RAINBOW SIX: VEGAS 2 is out for Xbox 360 and PS3, and that will take up more time. The direct sequel to the previous game, this new title has you picking up where the Rainbow squad left off with terrorists taking over the Vegas strip. This time out, however, your character is one you create, and how you look (as well as how your stats increase) caries through both the single and multiplayer experiences.

With an updated version of the Persistent Elite Creation system, combined with the new A.C.E.S. (Advanced Combat Enhancement and Specialization) system, players can gain experience points across both modes. Even if you don’t play multiplayer (or don’t play the single player game, as the case may be) you’ll still increase you skill, and the A.C.E.S. system does it beautifully, depending on how you dispatch your foes. Enough shots from up close, long range, or even while they (or you) are descending fast ropes build your skill, and you level up much faster here than in the previous game. The character creation also allows for quite a lot of customization, but once again, all the good stuff is unlocked after gaining a few levels.

The story mode is where the meat and potatoes of the experience lies, with your team going in to bail Keller and his squad out of the cliffhanger of the last game. While this clears up a good amount of the plot points from the last game, there’s honestly not much new here, content wise. It’s still the same kind of tactical squad based combat, and while the graphics are polished a bit and the maps are new, it’s basically just an update more than a sequel. Still, the last game was so strong, this isn’t really much of hindrance.

If the story is the meat and potatoes, the multiplayer is the cherries jubilee. Terrorist Hunt is back with some excellent maps, as are two new adversarial modes. Hostage Rescue is just how it sounds (rescue them before the opposing team kills them) and Team Leader (which has you escorting your team’s leader to the extraction point, as well as stopping the other team from doing the same) round out the typical deathmatch, item extraction and demolition. A new addition for this sequel (and any RAINBOW SIX game period) is the addition of a sprint button, and while it seems like a small feature, it’s certainly a welcome one. You never know how much you want to catch up to team mates until you realize all your equipment weighs you down and running would really help you not get your ass shot.

Co-op is good and bad all in the same breath, however. Finally, we get all the cut scenes and story elements in the co-op game, so that we can actually follow along with what’s happening. However, the number of friends you can play with now has been dropped from 4 to 2, with you controlling your two AI squadmates while your buddy is basically a gun-for-hire. If you bite it, they have no one to give them orders until you respawn. What’s the point in that? Still, if you can’t beat RAINBOW’s notoriously difficult storyline by yourself, a buddy is a welcome addition that won’t skimp on the story part of the story mode.

For most, R6V2 won’t be too different from the previous title, but for others still that isn’t such a bad thing. It still has the great squad tactics, excellent maps, killer multiplayer modes and tons of fun. A few more improvements over the last title would have been nice, but when that close to greatness, it’s hard to improve. At least we have something new to keep us busy on Thursdays.

One Gamer’s Opinion:

OOH OOH, SMASH IT UP

I’ll be honest with you…I’m not a big SUPER SMAHS BROS. fan. When MELEE came out on Gamecube, I picked it up and had fun playing the game myself, but frankly, with friends (especially if four of us are playing) I can’t really tell what the fuck is happening…I just know I’m getting my ass kicked. Now with the release of SUPER SMASH BROS. BRAWL on the Wii, I feel the same way…but it comes in such a pretty package with so many extras, I may not care as much.

The standard game is here, with you choosing one of your favorite Nintendo characters and beating the snot out of any on-comers. With the addition of third party character such as Solid Snake from the METAL GEAR series, as well as long time Nintendo (and Mario) rival Sonic the Hedgehog, this game aims to be every fanboys wet dream. The multiplayer franticism is the game’s selling point, and the hardest of the hardcore can beat it out with one of four controller set-ups (wii-mote, wii-mote and nunchuck, classic controller or Gamecube controller) so the core hasn’t changed.

Now, however, there’s the addition of the Smash ball. This little icon floats in only occasionally, and whichever fighter cracks it gets the ability to perform a “final smash” a screen filling move that usually (though not always) annihilates all opponents. These are great to watch and most matches have the players stop wailing on each other as they all try to grab the icon and close in for that final win.

So what else is new? Well, the single player adventure mode has now become the (slightly) story driven SUBSPACE EMMISARY game, complete with fan service cut scenes and unlockables galore. This where most will spend their time as it not only unlocks the majority of the characters for the game, but also features some of the best scenes in the game. Sadly, this not just the longest mode, but also the weakest, as the story mode (for me anyway) was just a bit on the tedious side. A lot of the side scrolling missions just wouldn’t control right, and the repetition was a bit to drag out for the mode’s 8 to 10 hours. Still, if you want to unlock R.O.B., Mr. Game and Watch, and even Sonic, this is the way to go. At least you can play this co-op with a friend online and off.

Online is a new component here too, but sadly, Nintendo is keeping this mode hindered with obscure friend codes and no way to communicate with opponents. If you happen to have a friend’s code, you can spout some custom taunts, but if you don’t know who you’re playing, you REALLY don’t know who you’re playing. No screen name appears, there’s no way to talk to them…you may as well be playing the computer. I will say, connections are great and there’s no noticeable lag, so…there’s that.

With 32 fighters, an insane number of classic and new stages, a decent if flawed online and single player story modes, and even some challenge modes, BRAWL is the one to beat them all. If you can see past what the heck is happening on screen, that is. I still loose myself in the crowd.

One Gamer’s Opinion:

QUICKSHOT OF THE WEEK

One of my favorite games of the past year has been re-released for the Xbox 360 and Wii, and I couldn’t be happier. BULLY: SCHOLARSHIP EDITION is out now and features a good many improvements over the original game. While the main story remains the same, there are an additional 8 missions, 4 new classes (math, biology, geography and music) and even a couple of new characters. The same awesome voicework and cut scenes are here and these new missions fit right in, thanks to the stellar writing of the characters. In fact, it almost seems like some of these missions (and especially the classes) were just omitted from the original PS2 version due to space constraints. Hell, the teachers of these classes are seen in some of the existing scenes, and now you actually HAVE Mr. Hattrick’s math class! The Wii version has the usual waggle control with the combat, but the precision in biology class is great when dissecting your experiments. The 360 version has the clear advantage, however, with its much more polished graphics and, of course, achievements. Still, there were some freezing and frame rate issues, but thankfully Rockstar issued a downloadable patch which corrected (most of) the problems. If you missed it on PS2, now is a great time to pick up this “director’s cut”, and even if you played through it before, the story is so great and the characters so well defined, it’s worth hitting Bullworth Academy again.

One Gamer’s Opinion:

GAMER NEWS

In case you haven’t heard, they’re doing ANOTHER live action STREET FIGHTER movie. As if being the last Raoul Julia film wasn’t enough, the previous film also features some of the most laughable scenes and sequences in a gaming film ever. This new flick aims to erase all those memories (hopefully) by hitting a serious story…and not hiring the Muscles from Brussels. This time the focus is on ol’ Thunder-Thighs herself, Chun Li. Here’s the press release from Capcom:

_________

STAR-STUDDED CAST ANNOUNCED FOR CAPCOM®’S LIVE-ACTION STREET FIGHTER MOVIE
2008 World-Release In Celebration of Street Fighter’s 20th Anniversary
SAN MATEO, Calif — March 19, 2008 — Capcom®, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, is proud to confirm the main cast for its live-action Street Fighter movie based on the hugely popular video game series.

The story revolves around fan-favorite Chun-Li, who will be portrayed by actress Kristen Kreuk (of Smallville fame). Michael Clark Duncan, Neal McDonough, and Taboo of Black Eyed Peas are also on board to round out this all-star cast. The film will be made in conjunction with Hyde Park Films, and will be distributed by 20th Century Fox for a scheduled 2009 worldwide release.

The Street Fighter movie is only one of many projects Capcom has planned to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Street Fighter®. Summer 2008 will see the Japanese arcade release of the much-anticipated Street Fighter® IV.

Street Fighter was first released in 1987 to critical acclaim for its innovative features. This was followed up in 1991 with the smash hit Street Fighter® II, which broke records by being available in 500 thousand arcade cabinets and selling over 25 million units on home systems. These records cemented Street Fighter’s reputation as one of the most popular fighting game series of all time and ensured that the fighting genre would become a staple of the gaming world.

The cast so far includes:
“¢ Chun-Li: Kristin Kreuk. Plays the role of Lana Lang in the WB television series Smallville .

“¢ Balrog: Michael Clarke Duncan. The Island (2005), Sin City (2005), Daredevil (2003), The Scorpion King (2002), Planet of the Apes (2001), See Spot Run (2001), The Whole Nine Yards (2000), The Green Mile (1999), Breakfast of Champions (1999), Armageddon (1998)

“¢ M. Bison: Neal McDonough. The Hitcher (2007), Flags of Our Fathers (2006), The Guardian (2006), Timeline (2003), Minority Report (2002), Band of Brothers (2001)

“¢ Vega: Taboo. Member of popular R&B music group Black Eyed Peas and recipient of three Grammy Awards.

“¢ Charlie Nash: Chris Klein. We Were Soldiers (2002), American Pie (1999)

_________

Sounds interesting, right? Now if only that rumored TEKKEN movie had such good news.

In portable news, the phenomenon that is GUITAR HERO is hitting the DS later this year with GUITAR HERO: ON TOUR. When I first heard this a few months ago, I was concerned as to how this would work. Now, the first screens have been released, and I have to say, I like the way it looks:

Still, it does raise some questions. I mean, sure, you can press the buttons like on the normal GH guitar, but…you’ll be strumming in the palm of your hand, right? Didn’t they learn anything from JAM SESSIONS? Still, I’ll reserve judgement until it’s released. If you listen to CABIN FEVER here on QSE, you already know my opinion on GUITAR HERO anyway.

Alright, friends… we’ll see you next week. I feel safe in saying I’ll review CONDEMNED 2 and FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: RUNES OF FATE as I’ve actually received them. “˜Til then…

THE GAME ON! RATING SYSTEM

 

Ratings From Greatest to Least:

Kick Ass, Right On, Okay, Eh, and Stinker (aka CRAPTACULAR)

Sometimes, publishers will release a large amount of games in a short amount of time, sometimes within the same week or within a week or two of their last release. For this week’s column, we’re taking a look at a few releases by one such company (and one of my favorites), Capcom, who in the past three weeks has released three stellar games. Also up for review are releases from Sega and Konami. Fun times indeed.

GIVING THE DEVIL HIS DUE

Up first is the release of DEVIL MAY CRY 4, out now on PS3 and Xbox 360. Taking place after DMC1 (but before the atrocious DMC2) we follow the exploits of NOT the demon hunter Dante that the series is known for, but a young upstart with a Devil Arm (literally) named Nero. This Dante wannabe slightly resembles the big D with his choice in hair color and general bad-assery, but the similarities end there. Nero has been “˜blessed” with a demon hand known as the Devil Bringer”¦an attack that pulls enemies close and slams them to the ground, tears them apart, or other fo0rms of kicking demonic butt.

Through weird events that apparently I’m not to spoil for you all (despite them happening within the first 5 seconds of booting the game) Nero must track down Dante for”¦crimes. This all gives way to the real plot at hand, but suffice to say, once you start whooping butt as Nero, you won’t miss ol’ Crimson Coat. Nero can certainly hold his own, and is an excellent fill-in for this game. Don’t despair either, all you hardcore Dante fans”¦just as you’re getting used to Nero’s kick ass combos, they pull a switcheroo on you and you take the reigns of Dante for 7 levels in the game”¦only to get Nero back once you’ve gotten used to him!

The visuals for this game are truly outstanding”¦the cutscenes in particular shine in Hi Def and the whole look is definitely one that benefits from the next gen tech. However, the gameplay mechanic is strictly old school. Slice and shoot (and slam) your way through hordes of enemies as you progress level by level to stop the unholy evils around town. Of course, if you’re a fan of the series, that’s all you WANT to do, right? In that case, DMC4 doesn’t disappoint, as you get all the button-mashing, combo spilling, smokin’ style fun you can handle.

If there’s one complaint to be had with the game, it’s how it handles the character switch. After battling your way through 11 levels as Nero, you’re sent as Dante BACK THROUGH the majority of where you just came from. This kind of backtracking is needless and sloppy level design. Plus, you have to fight the same bosses again on your way through”¦and once AGAIN at the end all at once (in typical Capcom fashion). Still, when compared to the whole picture of the game, this is a minor gripe.

The two versions of the game are practically identical, graphically and control wise. As I’m sure you’ve heard by now, the PS3 version has an edge and a disadvantage all in the same breath with its 30-minute mandatory harddrive install. Sure, this decreases load times by a fraction of a few seconds in the long run, but it’s a bit of a hassle when on Xbox 360 you can just, oh, I don’t know, play the game RIGHT AWAY by putting the disc in. The install idea isn’t a bad one”¦I just wish it wasn’t mandatory. The Xbox 30 version ekes out the win for me”¦mainly because I’m an achievement whore.

For old school button thumping fun, it doesn’t get any greater than this. Good story, fun visuals and a whole lot of baddies and boobage. Good times all around.

One Gamer’s Opinion:

YOU’LL FND ME IN DA CLUB

For developer Bizarre Creations’ first new title outside of the PROJECT GOTHAM RACING series, they’ve brought us THE CLUB, a score based shooter”¦that oddly enough, is very reminiscent of old school arcade games”¦and racing titles too, and is available now on PS3 and Xbox 360

You take on the role of one of six characters (plus two unlockable), each with varying abilities in strength, speed and stamina and fight your way through several arenas, fulfilling score and kill quantities for an exit. In THE CLUB it’s not just how you kill, but how FAST”¦headshots are gravy, but running through an abandoned prison gunning down lackeys brings you combo multipliers. The better the kill, the higher your score. IF your “kill meter” is draining, shoot an icon around the level called a skullshot to extend your combo. Busting through doors, rolling on the ground, or leaping over railings add bonuses too. Get to the exit in the allotted time, or the micro explosives implanted in your body will detonate. Very arcade style.

When it comes down to it, it really is a race game with guns”¦and guys running instead of driving. There are actually a few levels where you have to COMPLETE LAPS around the arena, killing all the while. It’s ridiculous, but it’s a lot of fun.

Well…for a short while, that is. After a few times through THE CLUB’s different levels, all the action will feel a bit “same-y”. Still there’s a good bit of online action to be had, and the variety of the characters is cool enough. There’s very little story though, and unless you’re the hardest of the hardcore, the scoring mechanic won’t drive you wild.

For the old school fans, this is a breath of fresh air for the stagnant shooter genre, while still offering up some familiar fun. For shooter fans of today, it may not be new enough. People are fickle like that. Go figure.

One Gamer’s Opinion:

THE REVOLUTION IS BEING TELEVISED

As long time readers of this column will note, my girlfriend would rather sing than speak. So when they announced that KARAOKE REVOLUTION: AMERICAN IDOL ENCORE wasn’t just coming out for PS2 and the Wii, but that she could get achievements for singing on Xbox 360, she was thrilled. Unfortunately, it seems like she should have stuck with the PS2 version. This review is based on the Xbox 360″¦and also on HER comments of the title”¦as I honestly haven’t played it.

Now, visually, the Xbox 360 version is a mixed bag. Sure, it looks more “realistic” in the character model department, and we have great models of the three judges”¦but, there’s not as many customization options on the 360 version (something she spends most of her time doing”¦almost more than singing in the damn game). Also, while the game “supports” the Xbox Live vision camera, it’s only in the background of the venues”¦you can’t map your face like you can with the PS2 Eye Toy.

Speaking of venues, the selection here is pathetic. All are AMERICAN IDOL stage settings, save for two”¦a stadium and a recording studio. The PS2 version offers quite a few more (including many from the previous games in the series). While this holds no bearing to my playing it, she certainly thinks it’s important to note. Honestly, variety is good, so I agree with her.

The song selection is good, with 40 songs available on the disc”¦but once again, the Xbox 360 version gets the short end of the stick on gameplay modes. The One Mic and Two Mic Party modes of the past versions (And PS2 version of this game) are missing from the 360, as well as the options to sing without lyrics or “note tubes” (the indicators on screen to show you where your pitch should be). Usually these are played multiplayer with friends with hilarious results”¦not so here.

Admittedly, the 360 DOES have some cool points. Despite not being developed by series developer Harmonix (who’ve gone on to do”¦um”¦something else) we have Blitz Games (known by me for”¦The Burger King games?) doing an admirable job copying the style and structure we’ve become familiar with in these titles. There IS online multiplayer as well, and for local, you can compete with friends in an AMERICAN IDOL style competition, with your friends getting voted out and such. Also, just this week, they’ve release 21 new downloadable songs for the game”¦at $2 bucks a pop. Granted, if you buy them all, that’s $42 bucks (or 3360 Microsoft points)”¦almost the price of a another game. But hey, if ROCK BAND can do it”¦

In the long run, she’s happy with the game, but there’s so many options that it feels like the 360 version got the short end of the stick, when it really should have all the features of the PS2 one (there really is no reason it shouldn’t have). Still, it does what it’s supposed to do, so I can’t fault it for that. And neither can she, apparently.

One Gamer’s Girlfriend’s Opinion:

QUICKSHOTS OF THE WEEK

The last two games from Capcom that I mentioned at the beginning of this column may be familiar to some. First, there’s APOLLO JUSTICE: ACE ATTORNEY, out for DS. The fourth in the ACE ATTORNEY series, we leave behind Phoenix Wright and take up with a newer defense attorney, still a greenhorn, but with all the charm and luck of his predecessor. For the first in the series developed especially for the DS, it doesn’t change much of the series, and personally, I think that’s a good thing. The same structure of the cases is there, but there are cool new tweaks, such as 3D recreations of the crimes, evidence gathering and observation and such. Apollo even has a variation on Phoenix’s “psyche lock” to tell when witness’ testimony is phoney. A worthy entry into the series. Plus, even if you’ve never played one before, it makes a good jumping on point, as backstory from the other games isn’t necessary for enjoyment of this title(as it is with the past two sequels).

One Gamer’s Opinion:

Secondly, LOST PLANET: EXTREME CONDITIONS has just been released for PS3 this week. Virtually identical to the Xbox 360 version released almost a year ago, this version does hold some cool extras worth mentioning. First and foremost, all the downloadable maps for multiplayer from the Xbox 360 version have been included for free on the disc. Also, there are a few extra characters as well, including Frank from DEAD RISING and, of course, MEGA MAN, to be used in the main story as well as online. Beyond that, it’s still the same amazing visuals, the same ho-hum cut scenes, and the same old school shooting fun with level by level objectives and enemy characters with visible weak points. If you enjoyed the 360 version, there’s little new here, but if you missed it the first time around, it’s worth picking up.

One Gamer’s Opinion:

Another week down, and still more to come, including DRAGON QUEST SWORDS for the Wii, and FRONTLINES: FUEL OF WAR on Xbox 360. See you next time.

THE GAME ON! RATING SYSTEM

 

Ratings From Greatest to Least:

Kick Ass, Right On, Okay, Eh, and Stinker (aka CRAPTACULAR)

Not but one month into the New Year, and we’re already seeing some quality releases in gaming. That suits me just fine. It keeps me busy and off the streets, where I may hurt myself. Instead, I while away the hours online smashing fake cars into each other. I have to remember to obey the speed laws once I get up to get Taco Bell in the middle of a gaming run though”¦

JUST ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE

And never is that more true than playing BURNOUT PARADISE, out now on PS3 and Xbox 360. From the wide and wild expanses of Paradise City, one can cover a lot of ground (and insurance claims) from going from the game world to the real world in quick succession.

That may be because PARADISE’s world is so real in itself. This time around, developer Criterion has crafted a fully open city, where all the events are open from the start. No qualifying races, no tests”¦just jump in and burnout. All you do is pull up to ANY traffic signal, hit both the gas and brake at the same time, and you’re launched into any number of events that could conceivably take you from one end of the city to the next. And Paradise City is BIG too”¦from Downtown and Palm Bay, to the Wind Farm up in Silver Lake and White Mountain, from the Observatory to the Country Club, Paradise City’s roads are far and wide”¦and full of crashes.

Yes, the series staple is here in all its hi-def glory. The crashes have never looked better, been more realistic physically and”¦man, if there were real people driving these cars, EVERYONE would be fucking dead. Rest assured, however, there’s no human carnage here”¦just CARnage (oh god did I just type that?). The camera will often zoom in through your mangled door to show that yes, no one is driving. Gee, a city FULL of automobiles that move, react to traffic, and speed around on their own. It’s like the characters from Disney/Pixar’s CARS”¦but everyone’s drunk.

The freedom to explore Paradise City is the game’s biggest draw, but it’s also the city’s open world feel that leads to one of it’s more bigger let downs. As I said, you can start a race at any intersection. Fail it, however, and there’s no “restart race” in the main menu. If you want to give it another try, you have to drive back to the start. After missing a turn at 250 mph and going off a jump into traffic going the opposite direction (due to the map’s illogical choice of not repositioning itself once you change direction and the compasses tiny-ness) you may not want to. Sure, this is a hindrance, but it keeps with the open world sandbox Criterion strove so hard to create. It’s fine with me, actually, because even if I do fail a race, there’s another event right at the next intersection.

Gone also is the series fan favorite Crash Mode. Instead of the complex and fun puzzles of trying to smash as many cars as possible in the limited time, you now can trigger “Showtime” at any street. This sends your car into a roll and you must maneuver it into traffic to gain more boost, which helps you nudge your car along even more. Buses offer multipliers, but there’s really not as much skill needed here as there was in past Crash modes. Again, with the open world though, fitting in separate Crash Modes would have taken the player out of the open world and into one of those pesky menu driven options they’ve been so careful to avoid here.

Even online is handled with a minimum of fuss. Just hit right on the d-pad to bring up your friends list, send an invite, or just “freeburn” online. There are 350 separate challenges online that you can compete in with friends, as well as the normal “smash into each other like a bunch of drunken idiots” kind of fun too. The more folks take you out (or you take out), the more mugshots and “smugshots” you can send back and forth with the Xbox Live vision or Playstation Eye camera peripherals. If they score a takedown on you, you can send back the hatred by flipping them off or exposing your junk. Ain’t technology grand?

Honestly though, there’s so much to love about PARADISE I can’t put it all into one small review. From finding all the billboards, super jumps and smash gates (which each net you a new car once you locate them all), to the individual burning routes (one for each car), to the new Marked Man events (where you speed to a destination while trying to not be taken out)”¦there’s endless fun. And the game let’s you take it all on at your own pace. Don’t want to do any races? Fine”¦just tool around the city and locate all the car parks and drive-thrus, which give you boost (gas stations), fix your car (repair stations) paint you up, or even allow you to switch your rides (junkyards).

While PARADISE isn’t perfect, it’s a bold step in a new direction, and after getting used to the way things are set up, it’s almost guaranteed you’ll have fun. Even if it’s not right away, once you set up in your own pace, it’s a wild ride. Maybe next time they’ll include auto restarts on the races though”¦until then, I’m enjoying the hell out of this one.

One Gamer’s Opinion:

WE CAN BE HEROES

For Travis Touchdown, being a hero means taking out the Top Ten Assassin’s ranked above him by any means necessary. And by “any mean”, we mean savagely and with as much blood as possible. In NO MORE HEROES for the Wii, you take this video game loving, anime-shirt wearing otaku out on crazy adventures for blood, money and pussy”¦and yes, that’s right, I said it’s on THE WII.

In a desperate attempt to get into the panties of the head of the United Assassin’s Association, Travis takes on all comers with his light sab..er”¦I mean, BEAM KATANA. By holding the Wii-mote high or low, Travis will change his battle stance. Pressing the A button slashes at your foes, and after enough landed hits, a “death blow” icon appears on screen, telling you which way to swing the wii-mote to lop off the head, slice your foe in two, etc”¦all with the requisite fountain of blood a la KILL BILL. It’s this simple style of control that makes this title work, gameplay wise, as most other titles with a sword would have you swinging until your arms fell off. This adds a bit more precision, and is one of the finer points in this already stellar game.

What you’ll notice FIRST, however, is the game is heavy on the style. Directed by Suda 51, the genius crackpot mind behind KILLER 7, this game wears its comedy on its sleeve and doesn’t even take itself seriously. The menus are strictly 8-bit homage’s, the hero loves wrestling videos and plays with his cat in his downtime”¦and you save your game by taking a crap. Yeah”¦this is my kind of game.

Travis gets the money for the entry fee to attack each member of the UAA by doing odd jobs around town, such as gathering coconuts, moving laws and the like. You can also take on more shady work, like killing a bunch of henchmen in a certain time, or assassinating other targets not immediately on the Top Ten. These are all located around town, and while the game has the illusion of an open world sandbox, getting around isn’t easy. Or fun, for that matter.

Travis’ bike is the culprit here. It’s handles like driving a rock, and turning makes you want to punch a puppy. Plus, the game really ISN’T open”¦you can’t just walk into any building, just the ones selected for each job/mission. Still, I suppose it adds a bit more interactivity than just “click” and you’re there.

Back to the combat, though”¦this really is where the game shines. Graphically, the game has a anime feel with just tons of over the top gore”¦nothing horrific, just goofy blood fountains. As you slash away, you build up credits in a slot machine, and getting 3 of a kind rewards you with new attacks, such as a stock pile of explosives that clear the room, or the one hit kill ability”¦and all have crazy names like “Raspberry Chocolate Cake” or some such stuff.

It’s hard to describe a game like NO MORE HEROES”¦just as it was to pug down KILLER 7. Granted, this game has a bit more substance to go with the style”¦ something KILLER 7 only could cover one of (and that being the style, naturally). The control with the battles is great, but on the bike is a hassle. It’s no visual stunner, but it is unique and fun. Groundbreaking no”¦ but it’s a game that deserves to be played”¦if only to be seen so one could believe. Just because I love it doesn’t mean you will”¦ not unless you have a sick sense of humor like me.

One Gamer’s Opinion:

I’ll be back again soon. On deck are reviews of DEVIL MAY CRY 4, as well as”¦ um”¦ KARAOKE REVOLUTION: AMERICAN IDOL ENCORE. So, yeah”¦ look for that one soon.

THE GAME ON! RATING SYSTEM

 

Ratings From Greatest to Least:

Kick Ass, Right On, Okay, Eh, and Stinker (aka CRAPTACULAR)

Holy crap. I have a column, don’t I? Wow.

Well, after my daring escape from the Gaming Interment Camp for the Insane (aka Holiday Gaming Retail) I’m finally back. Since that escapade took up MUCH more time than I anticipated, I have a whole slew of capsule-ized reviews, just so we can look back real quick on what came out at the end of the year, before we head into the New Year (a month late) with new fun stuff.

2007 saw many promises unfulfilled here in Game On! The Gaming News”¦never came but a few times. The podcasts were infrequent due to my work schedule (there still remains one that was shot but never finished”¦damn holidays) and the reviews grew fewer and fewer. This year”¦well, no promises, but I will say that I’m going to try my damnedest to stay on track. Last year was my first year in my new position at my day job, and my column suffered because of it. I apologize to you all, my loyal readers, and hope I can win you all (and some new ones) back this year.

Enough fluff, let’s get it going. So what happened at the end of last year?

SUPER MARIO GALAXY ““ WII

We saw Mario’s first foray into platforming gaming in a LONG time with GALAXY’s release in November. Everything that has been hyped about this title is true: it’s beautiful, it’s fun, and it’s amazing in every way. The Wii’s controls are intuitive and easy, and you’ll have Mario flying through the universe, shooting star gems and rescuing the Princess like an old pro once again. The level design and quest for stars is addictive as ever, and the integration of the new suits (Bee suit, Boo suit, Ice) are just as fantastic as the fire flower was in it’s day. While some of the motion control is still lacking (I hate those damn manta ray levels) it still doesn’t get any better than a full form Mario adventure.

ASSASSIN’S CREED ““ XBOX 360, PS3

Take equal elements of HITMAN and SPLINTER CELL’s stealth, the acrobatics of the PRINCE OF PERSIA series, and combine it with GRAND THEFT AUTO’s free roaming open world sandbox, set it in the Third Crusade, and you’d be pretty close to what to expect from ASSASSIN’S CREED. Shunned assassin Altair must redeem himself in the guild by upholding the creed of not killing innocents and bringing down the Templars and all associated with their plans. Gaining information for each missions main kill is fun, but does often get repetitive (but honestly, so did GTAIII the first time you played it too) as you eavesdrop, pickpocket, take out spies and”¦collect flags(?) on your way towards the truth. The stuff in between the missions may confuse some, but in the bigger picture of the game (which I won’t spoil here) it all makes sense in the end”¦and brings up good sequel excuses. And besides, nothing beats taking out a guard with a throwing knife, taking a running dive off a castle precipice, and landing safely in a bale of hay 60 feet below. And nothing looks better than doing it, either.

SOULCALIBUR LEGENDS ““ WII

What should have been a cool adventure bridging the gap between SOUL EDGE and the first SOUL CALIBUR game, SOULCALIBUR LEGENDS (not sure why that’s all one word now) just ends up being a decent mini game. Much like THE DEMON WITHIN games on the TEKKEN discs, this is just repetitive sword swinging. Walk into a room, fail wildly with the Wii-mote, finish off the foes, continue, and repeat. The bland cut-scenes and sub-par voice work don’t lend much to a better score, either, but at least Floyd from TALES OF SYMPHONIA has a cameo as a selectable character. The Wii’s controls are good and precise, but not precise enough to make this sword adventure work as well as you’d want.

RESIDENT EVIL: UMBRELLA CHRONICLES and GHOST SQUAD ““ WII

A few folks aren’t as thrilled about the Wii Zapper peripheral as I am. I love the thing, but that may be because I love light gun games. Thankfully, the developers of the titles that utilize the Wii-mote and Nunchuck cradle had the foresight to integrate a Zapper setting in the control set up, otherwise, these wouldn’t get as high a grade as they do.

The Zapper’s Tommy gun like shape is perfect for slaying zombies, and the condensed versions of RE 0, 1 and 3 fit perfectly into the “on rails” arcade motif. The extra UMBRELLA missions add some much-needed story to fill in plot holes and satiate fan service before the next big title in the series is released.

GHOST SQUAD is a much shorter adventure, easily beaten in about an hour and a half. It’s simply a port of the arcade game, and while it may not seem like much, multiple play throughs reveal multiple paths to the end mission, which also unlock costumes, multiplayer modes, and weapons. Sure, SEGA could have added more missions (which would have been preferable) but at $30 it’s not too much for a quick evening with friends.

BLACKSITE: AREA 51 and CLIVE BARKER’S JERICHO ““ XBOX 360, PS3

Now here are two titles that could have been exciting, but their end products truly left lacking. In BLACKSITE’s case, it was a bland story and some average shooter action that brought it down. For a game with AREA 51 it would have been cool if there were actual ALIENS in the game, not just genetically enhanced science experiments. The multiplayer had some fun moments, but for the most part, it’s an rental at best, and beaten in about 6 hours. It’s pretty bad for your game when one of the game’s DVELEOPERS badmouths it right after release.

JERICHO on the other hand, starts with a great concept, but it’s end execution just falters and never quite gets back up. As a crack team of paranormal whos-its, each with their own unique powers, it had the whole “bad ass squad tactic” kind of feel for it. Sadly, when you’re spending more time healing your AI teammates than shooting the visceral goonies and ghoulies that are ripping you to shreds, well”¦that’s just badly done. It looks cool and creepy enough, but I was more scared of the control and my team dying than I was of the guy actually out for our faces.

THE ORANGE BOX ““ XBOX 360, PS3, PC

Okay, we all know that HALF-LIFE 2 was one of the greatest (if not THE greatest) story driven FPS’ out there. If you missed it before, or even if you didn’t, you owe it to yourself to pick up this collection. Featuring HALF-LIFE 2, as well as the follow up EPISODE ONE and TWO, there’s enough story to satiate any shooter fan of sci-fi and awesomeness. But the goodies don’t end there. There’s also the brain bending puzzles of PORTAL, reason enough to spend the $60. Despite it’s brevity (you can beat the main PORTAL game in about 2 and a half hours) its brilliance from start to finish is palpable. The game is one of the creepiest yet funniest adventures alone in a while, and the puzzles are among the best ever created. For anything. Top it all off with the online TEAM FORTRESS 2 and you have five games for the price of one that is heavy on the value side of the menu. From its Pixar-like graphics to its team play and 9 diverse character classes, this is enough to keep any shooter fan happy five times over. Buy it now. Why haven’t you yet?

ROCK BAND (PS3, XBOX 360, PS2) and GUITAR HERO III (XBOX 360, PS2, PS3, WII)

Well, I had a podcast all ready to showcase the awesomeness of these two games, but”¦well, I won’t say you’ll NEVER see it, but it’s been delayed a bit. In the meantime, however, capsule reviews.

ROCK BAND is, simply, the greatest party game ever invented. From the GUITAR HERO inspired guitar and bass, to the KARAOKE REVOLUTION style vocals, to the new and difficult drums, everything works so well for this rhythm game. We’re used to guitars, sure, but throwing in other instruments to the mix gets everyone involved. Miss a solo, fuck up a riff, and you’ll be screaming at each other like a real band”¦and loving it. The setlist may not seem too large at first, but with weekly downloads since launch, there’s more than enough songs to get you going. Don’t know the lyrics to a song, can’t play the rhythm, on Rush’s “TOM SAWYER”? Switch it out”¦its Band World Tour mode will have everyone taking up new instruments while trying to win fans and world domination. The drums are the best part, though some gamers will still have trouble using both their hands AND Feet at the same time. But that’s all part of life on the road, baby.

Since the developers of GUITAR HERO went on to make ROCK BAND, the third iteration of the series fell to TONY HAWK developer Neversoft, and they’ve handled it like old pros. The setlist is insanely huge, the co-op story mode opens up even more tracks, and the “boss battles” with Slash and Tom Morello are fun and a neat addition to the dynamic. While I wish there more “legends” to battle, the same fun that we always have with the title is here, and the battle mode (where you try to make your opponent mess up by hitting them with lefty flip, breaking a string, or many other attacks) is just the icing on the cake. I’m still a fan.

Whew. Well, I think that about covers the big ones”¦that I played anyway. I’ll be back soon (I swear!) with some more recent releases, including BURNOUT PARADISE and NO MORE HEROES. Till next time”¦

Well, the holidays have officially hit, and there’s a crapton of stuff available for your shopping dollar. Today we’re taking the first of what will be many looks at what will be (and ultimately WON’T be) worth your holiday cheer this year, for both big kids and little kids alike.

CONAN ““ PS3, XBOX 360, PC

Up first, by Crom, are the adventures of everyone’s favorite Barbarian, CONAN. In what is ultimately a GOD OF WAR rip of”¦er”¦”homage”, CONAN has you slicing and dicing your way through stages filled with mythical enemies, soldier, and of course, saving bare chested wenches.

When I say this game is like GOD OF WAR, I mean it basically IS GOD OF WAR. You have your combo-heavy attacks, the screen-prompted button mashing, your different colored orbs to gain health, stats and power, and your gruesome graphics. Here however, gruesome graphics also mean UGLY, not just bloody. CONAN is not a pretty game. While the cut scenes do the job well, they’re not rendered in the best way, and everything doesn’t quite look “next-gen”. Still, they are detailed enough to see the carnage you’ll inflict on your foes, so that’s good for something, right?

And what carnage it will be. CONAN rips through guys like tissue paper, cleaving limb from body. He can pick up just about any weapon lying on the ground, and depending on its size and variety, his combos adjust accordingly. If it’s a two handed broadsword, he’ll swing it like Babe Ruth and swat off your head. Dual-wield two swords and away goes the enemies arms. Carry a shield for protection, and you just might find that it’s good at lopping off some poor sap’s head in a clinch. CONAN practically drowns in the visceral eviscerations, as he drowns his wounds in mead.

Sadly, all that killing can become repetitive, and while CONAN has a good deal of combos to break up the monotony, some just aren’t as effective as one would hope. While the end result is the same (that is, a dead bad guy) from battling it out with a strong or regular attack, the strong ones usually leave you wide open for return attacks”¦attacks that become pounded upon you with little reprieve. Once an animation starts with you backpedaling from an attack, another enemy strikes you, sending it all starting over again and you cursing your controller.

Of course, this is actually slightly realistic (I mean, what group of thugs would TAKE YTURNS attacking a single guy?) but it certainly does make things a bit tiresome for a game. Thankfully, moves can be upgraded, and once mastered, can gain you even more stats upgrades and further help you conquer all lands. It’s simplistic, but despite it’s shortcomings, is actually fun. It’s as close to a next-gen GOD OF WAR that we’ll get for a while, and taken as such, you pretty much get what you come for: a carnage filled button mashing mess of guts and boobs. Ain’t nothing wrong with that in my book.

One Gamer’s Opinion:

SOLIDER OF FORTUNE: PAYBACK ““ PS3, XBOX 360, PC

If it’s blood you want, then brother, you’ll get it by the gallons in SOF:P. Every shot is meant to kill, and more so it seems, as literally FOUNTAINS of crimson spray from every enemy tagged. As a mercenary for hire, you stumble onto a plot that double crosses you on your first mission out, and the remainder of the game is”¦of course, getting payback.

Payback meaning severing limbs from armies of dudes. With bullets. I never knew you could shoot a man’s head, arms and legs off with pistol shots, but there it is in black, white and red. As a first person shooter, the action is passable, but obviously the gore is there to satisfy the baser needs of gamers. Those with a love of plasma, apparently.

Apart from the KILL BILL style sprays, there isn’t much to write home about in SOF:P. The story is ho-hum, the controls are basic, and the multiplayer has been done to death. It’s not a particularly bad game, it’s just not a particularly compelling one. It’s nice to be able to customize your weapons from the start of each mission, but it seems like everything you need is unlocked from the start”¦no upgrades to play towards. Plus, the enemy AI is AMAZING dull. They’ll run headlong into your weapons fire, losing life and limb quickly in the process.

As a shooter, it’s as basic as one gets: A by-the-numbers shooter with nothing more to add than gallons of gore. Sure, it’s a change from HALO or CALL OF DUTY 4, but better time could be spent.

One Gamer’s Opinion:

CALL OF DUTY 4: MODERN WARFARE ““ PS3, XBOX 360, PC

Speaking of CALL OF DUTY 4, it’s finally here, and for once, they’ve left the fields of WWII behind for more topical locales. Namely, the Middle East and points near. This is modern warfare, and with it comes modern weapons, modern sensibilities, modern themes, and of course, modern changes to multiplayer.

I’ve spoken about the perk system before in a previous column when I played the beta, and thankfully, not much has changed. You still gain skill points based on kills and those points can level you up and gain you perks to out fit your avatar. However, the matchmaking system does need a bit of work. In one match, I was paired with two guys at level 3, one guy at 15, me just starting at 1, and three guys in the twenty-fives or higher. That hardly seems fair. Still, it’s a more fun, more solid style of run-and-gun gameplay than HALOs, so I didn’t mind too much.

As for the single player, the graphics and sound are once again top-notch, with practically Hollywood style presentation. You really seem to care about these soldiers and everyone feels like a team unit”¦a lofty claim for an FPS. Every nerve wracking fire fight, every advance and retreat, every shining moment and crushing defeat is gloriously brought to life. If there’s only one complaint it’s that there’s no cover system, a feature that should be standard with any FPS released on the next gen platforms. You’ll often find yourself wishing for blind fire or a way to chuck a grenade over a toppled table as you repeatedly step out of the safety of your device only to be ripped to shreds in a cross fire.

If there’s two complaints, it’s that it’s too short. The main story mode can be beaten in about 5 hours, but thankfully, there’s that awesome multiplayer I’ve mentioned. For wartime simulators and First Person Shooters, of which there is a glut of this Holiday season, this is the cream of the crop.

One Gamer’s Opinion:

DEWY’S ADVENTURE ““ WII

Enough with the killing, bloodletting and shooting. How about some lighter-fare. Y’know, for kids? DEWY’S ADVENTURE is one such title aimed at the younger set that I personally was looking forward to. An adventure specifically designed for the Wii, you guide a dewdrop named Dewy on a quest through his world to rid his fellow droplets of the “black rain” that has captured all the other creatures of some brightly colored fruity little forest.

The idea started promising enough. Dewy would slide along the levels as you tilted and shook the wii-mote and change form based on the temperature drop or increase, as dictated by the player. Raise the temperature, and the dewdrop Dewy turns into a gas cloud, stunning foes with lightning shots. Drop the temp, and he freezes into and ice block, spinning and shattering foes as he goes. This sound great, and a lot of fun”¦that is, until you actually play it.

Sadly, DEWY’S ADVENTURE suffers from the “too damn cute for it’s own good” syndrome. The story, which started out sounding harmless, is delivered in sparsely animated cut scenes with dialogue and voice acting that make me want to punch myself in the face. “Oh noes, the fowest is in twouble”.

Then, there’s the gameplay itself. While it does take some skill to maneuver Dewy through each level, he just doesn’t control as fluidly as a guy who’s mostly fluid should. His jumps falter a bit, and he’s hard to control in the air whilst tilting the land. See, the wii-mote acts as the stage itself. You tilt the controller to tilt the level, getting Dewy to slide around as needed. It’s kind of a digital version of LABYRINTH, where you guide the ball through the maze? However, instead of drop holes, you get annoying enemies, attacks that don’t deal enough damage, and a jump that invariably won’t send you high enough, or has you careening over the edge of a cliff each time.

I had such high hopes for DEWY’S ADVENTURE, and, while the gameplay isn’t all-bad, it’s just not very good. The controls aren’t tight enough and it just seems “broken”. That coupled with the “let’s talk down to children” storyline and vocals just soured me on the whole situation. For a game that was “built specifically for the motion sensing capabilities of the Wii”, more time should have been spent perfecting those controls.

One Gamer’s Opinion:

SPIDER-MAN: FRIEND OR FOE ““ PS2, PS3, PSP, XBOX 360, WII, DS

The licensing machine is in full effect in the younger-geared Spider title FRIEND OR FOE. Set in the movie universe (sort of) Spidey must team up with his greatest enemies to stop a new threat. Never mind the fact that half of them “˜died” in the films, only to be back here, with no explanations, here they are, fighting along side the wall crawler.

So Doc Ock, Green Goblin, New Goblin and Venom are back from the dead. As well as Sandman, Rhino, Scorpion and heroes Black Cat, Silver Sable, Prowler, Iron Fist”¦goodness, 14 other character team up with ol’ webhead to battle symbiotic goo similar to Venom’s as it spreads across the globe. As you defeat the mind-altered baddies, they join your team to stop this unknown threat, giving the player a partner for each level, and offering drop-in drop-out co-op play. Attacks are basic and upgradable, but unfortunately, there’s not much reason too.

See, all the enemies are variations on the same theme. You’ve got your drones, out in two hits. You’ve got the stronger drones”¦they take three. Then there’re the random big enemies, who have a specific weak point. Through each level there are variations on how they look, but they all behave (and are defeated) the same way. Wail on the attack button, repeat. And since it’s a kid’s game, the lack of challenge doesn’t end there. You never die. Sure, your character might fall off a cliff, or his health diminish, but he respawns right back where he was”¦over and over again.

The game is as basic as one gets. Basic combat, basic controls”¦the idea of teaming up with Spidey’s greatest foes is a unique one, but sadly the action just won’t support it. There’s no need to upgrade your moves since the enemies never really change, and the level design has you just running around and mashing buttons over and over to the same ends. It’s just too bland to bear the Spider-man name.

One Gamer’s Opinion:

There’s more to come”¦ but this ends the column for the day. See you next time.

THE GAME ON! RATING SYSTEM

 

Ratings From Greatest to Least:

Kick Ass, Right On, Okay, Eh, and Stinker (aka CRAPTACULAR)

We’re getting deep into the months of holiday releases, kids. New titles are springing up literally by the hundreds each week, and who’s there to help you keep track of you holiday dollar? That’s right”¦me, baby. This week we’re going to take a look at some of the more recent releases across ALL the consoles, from Xbox 360 and PS3, the Wii and PS2, to the handhelds of DS and PSP. There’s a lot to cover, so let’s get into it.

TIME IS ON MY SIDE, YES IT IS

For a game that’s been done and redone so many times before its release, TIMESHIFT has finally hits shelves, and unless you knew of its delays, doesn’t show it too much. Out now for Xbox 360 and PC, and due on PS3 next month, the game (originally due a few years ago on the ORIGINAL Xbox) has gone from a handsome hero voiced by Dennis Quaid to a faceless, voiceless anybody in a super suit. However, the game that surrounds said hero is actually more interesting than it started out to be, and that’s thanks to a suped up graphics engine, and a better handle on how to utilize the titular time shifting powers.

After an experiment gone wrong, both Dr. Adrian Krone and yourself are shipped backwards in time thanks to the suits you wear; his being the alpha and yours the beta-versions of the experimental SSAM software”¦which, in a nutshell, basically lets you stop, slow and reverse small chunks of time. While he went back a bit before you and used the suit he developed to conquer a period in history, you move forward to stop him, as only a scientist in a crazy suit can: by shooting up a lot of shit. Thanks to the suit, you can use the environment to your advantage too. You can bypass electrified water by freezing time and walking across it or shooting a barrel off a tower, jumping on it, reversing time, and riding it back UP to the top to gain a high vantage point”¦all done with the suit.

While the SSAM system in your suit may hold the player’s hand a good deal of the time as to when to use what time power the player also has the freedom to act however they wish in any given situation. Simply tapping the button executes whatever SSAM suggests, holding it brings up the 3 functions to allow you to choose the time power you feel best suits the task at hand. Unfortunately, most of the “puzzles” you’re tasked with aren’t that mind-bending. Walking on water as mentioned happens a bit to frequently, and using the time freeze to stop a grate you just cranked open from dropping occurs a few as well”¦and that’s about the extent of them.

Still, the freedom to use whatever power whenever does open up areas you may not have realized, but it does take a certain amount of imagination. Anyone can stop time, take an enemies weapon, and tag them with a sticky grenade, only to unfreeze it, watch them panic and go boom. Still others may not use the power when a lone enemy drops into your path unexpectedly, to suddenly reverse time and have them not even realize you were there as you walk past, saving on ammo. It’s these kinds of choices that really let players think outside the box when it comes to an FPS.

Sadly, when it comes down to the meat of it, however, it’s just another run of the mill shooter. Enemy AI isn’t the best, as most will stand out in the open as you shoot them (time frozen or not). The environments aren’t that different than any other FPS (there’s a sewer level, there’s a warehouse level, yawn), and while the weapons are cool enough, they’re a tad unbalanced as far as firepower in certain ones, and with the AI so drab, you won’t get much thrill out of them. That, toppled with the basic “stop the bad guy” storyline, TIMESHIFT has taken a good idea, and tagged it onto a mediocre shooter. Plus, and I mean this seriously, if you’re fighting with the resistance, but you JUST dropped in from nowhere, why does NO ONE question who you are? I mean, I know this has gone through several different writings but WOW”¦

Graphically, the game can have some really nice touches, like stopping time in the rain, or an exceptionally large explosion you’re dodging, but at others, like the backgrounds, can run into the territories of drabness. The audio is also only passable, with weapons not given the right amount of “oomph” needed to have a satisfying kick. Multiplayer at least saves the game from total mediocrity, as the time elements are smartly put into use here as “Chrono Grenades”; separate bubbles of time you can throw and place you adversaries into to seriously fuck them up. Plus, somehow, the weapons balance issue seems resolved here. Good times indeed.

All in all, TIMESHIFT isn’t a total wash. The time elements really ARE the main draw of the game, and a careful imagination can really warrant some pretty awesome effects and displays of coolness. It’s just too bad they’re found within such an average shooter.

One Gamer’s Opinion:

QUICKSHOTS

MANHUNT 2

For a game that’s steeped in controversy, for once, it’s kind of backfired on Rockstar Games. MANHUNT 2, out now for PS2, PSP and Wii, originally got the dreaded AO rating from the ESRB. After some careful edits, the game was re-evaluated and given the M rating”¦but at the cost of what makes the game enjoyable to most; the brutality of the killings. Here, the story of Leo Kasper and Daniel Lamb has them slaying all those who get in their way as they try to escape the trappings of an experiment gone wrong, but no one knows HOW they kill. Every execution is just SLIGHTLY out of the camera’s view, and effects like shake and blur are done to such an extreme that identification is practically nil. Add to that is the Wii version’s motion guides in the top left corner of each kill, and you’re unable to watch the action at ALL. Which, sadly, is the only reason people play this series. The plot in this one isn’t as engaging (no video game version of THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME this time around) which only makes the game seem to want to be shocking, but has that looming censorship over head. There’s rumors that the PSP and PS2 version can be hacked to remove the kill filters, but that still wouldn’t seem to make the game any more playable. Still, for some general craziness, it does have some merit, as the environments, and especially the enemies, are even more fucked up than before. If you’re sadistic enough (and no, not in THAT way) you just might enjoy the pain of MANHUNT 2.

One Gamer’s Opinion:

VIRTUA FIGHTER 5

The VF series is the bastard child of the fighting game genre, and it doesn’t deserve that. It may not have the unique characters of TEKKEN, or the reversals and “bump mapping” of the DOA series, but what it does have is one of the deepest fighting engines found in games today. Sure, button mashing can get you through the matches, but if you take the time, you can find that all of the fighters have a deep move set, with combos and crunchers that take weeks to master. That, fueled with the game’s quest mode, will have fighters customizing their avatars with new costumes and accessories, then taking them online to the smoothest lag free smackdowns around. The game looks amazing, plays amazing, and is one of the best one-on-one fighting experiences since”¦well, since VIRTUA FIGHTER 4: EVOLUTION. A definite buy.

One Gamer’s Opinion:

FINAL FANTASY TACTICS and FRONT MISSION

Square-Enix likes handheld systems. They also like their old games. Both of these are to our benefit, as two of their greatest strategy games have found their way to the PSP and DS. FINAL FANTASY TACTICS: WAR OF THE LIONS is just as good as you remember on PSOne, but now includes gorgeous cut scenes, new job classes, and some stellar multiplayer options. All the tactical strategizing is back, and while the game can be a bit unforgiving in areas, that shouldn’t stop tactics fans from picking this up, even if you’ve blazed through it before.

FRONT MISSION, on DS, takes the little-seen SNES title and ads touch screen control to customize your mechs and battle it out pseudo RTS style, with multiplayer options galore. The story of post-apocalypse “wanzer” mechs will find it’s bigger audience here, and the game is a perfect fit for quick battles on the go, alone or with friends, though the single player does take a bit to get moving. Once it sets trough, however, its deep customization will take hold and not let up. Both are solid re-releases that first timers and long time fans will want to grab.

One Gamer’s Opinion (for both):

CRAPTACULAR GAME OF THE WEEK

I know it’s been out for a while, but something must be said about KENGO: LEGEND OF THE 9, and that something is this: who bothered, and why? The game is broken from start to finish, and if anyone has picked up the box they must immediately cleanse their hands, lest the game infect them. A sloppy story mode (rehashed from different POVS for each character), a broken fighting engine (two attack types that EVERYONE blocks) and graphics that look like FIRST GEN Xbox should make this game suffer the same fate as the game’s protagonists; a quick death due to shoddy hit detection and blocking. Yeesh.

One Gamer’s Opinion:

Well, after those quick hits, I think we’re done for the week. Big stuff on the horizon, though”¦ keep your peepers peeled.

 

THE GAME ON! RATING SYSTEM

 

Ratings From Greatest to Least:

Kick Ass, Right On, Okay, Eh, and Stinker (aka CRAPTACULAR)

So, I’ve written and re-written this column about four times now. It’s tough, very tough, to try to express just how I feel about this particular subject. I’m not one of the huddled masses, going to Midnight openings and buying all the swag: t-shirts, replica weapons, Hero-Clix, Kubricks, statues, books, comics, belts, hats, pins, keychains”¦I just don’t buy into it like that. Suffice to say I’m not one of the hardcore. I’m not a fan. I have played the games, sure, and enjoyed them, but I honestly don’t see the hype. So, this column, as I have said, has been written and re-written over and again, just because”¦

“¦I can’t figure out how to tell the world I just don’t like HALO 3.

Well, I mean, I guess I could just leave it at that. But no, folks would cry foul, and ask my WHY I don’t like it. Well, that’s fair. That’s a simple enough question.

But do I have a simple enough answer?

To be sure, the game’s online portion is top notch. Multiplayer matchmaking is a breeze (well, once you take into account that everyone and their grandmother is playing the damn game) and settling in for team slayer, deathmatch or the like on any of the 11 included maps is really pretty fun. A recent Xbox 360 system update allows for “clan support” and inter-game features like checking out how your friends have progressed, and watching some of their video feeds.

That’s right, video feeds. The game has a fairly cool feature where EVERY game played is saved and ready to be run back and watched for highlights, then captured for posterity and uploaded for all to see. From any angle. Screen caps are available too, just to give the pwners credit where credit’s due live and in your face for long enough to want to wish someone imminent death if it happens to be you who is pwned. Plus, explosions in slow motion are cool.

There’s also the robust Forge feature, the level editing tool that lets you take any of the existing maps, fuck with them anyway you want by adding spawn points, extra weapons, gravity lifts, vehicles and whatnots to the landscape all in real time. You can even create giant games of jenga with power cells, see how long you can carry around teammates on floating boxes till they fall. Want to eliminate anything on the map except for exploding boxes, then put them on a one-second respawn so when you blow them up with a plasma grenade, the fire never stops? You can do it.

These parts are actually quite excellent, and for those who get into those kinds of things, they will fall in love with HALO 3’s multiplayer options quite hard. But a lot of us play games for the single player campaign first, and for me, that’s where HALO (and every one of its sequels) has fallen short. With this new chapter in the saga, the end to the trilogy, you are now charged with “finishing the fight” as the Master Chief, with Arbiter in tow, blazing a swath across the galaxy in jungle settings, urban landscapes and space-y vistas. And while the 360 version IS sharper than any previous episode, it still”¦ well, just doesn’t impress me, visually. Objects pop, backgrounds stand out, but to me it’s still just another bland jungle, or another bleak space station.

My main problem with HALO 3 (as with the others) is that I honestly could give a crap less about the story. Maybe it’s just me, but I find the whole thing a tad trite, a sad combination of DIE HARD meets STAR WARS with a little INDIANA JONES thrown in. You’ve got your bad ass mysterious hero heading into action guns blazing, asking no questions and kicking all asses. And that’s fine, but”¦ I’ve seen it. And here, I’ve seen it done better. The narrative doesn’t hold me for HALO the way many others have.

Maybe it’s because it feels so short. Maybe it might be a bit too easy (well, except on Legendary). Maybe it’s because, even in the third chapter of this trilogy, the ending isn’t very”¦ satisfying. Or maybe the team spent too much time putting all it’s efforts into the multiplayer, which, yes, you can even experience through the campaign. Adding a scoring mode for co-op (both in two player split screen or 4 player online flavors) is nice, and the addition of hidden power-up skulls adds a cool dimension to the otherwise one-sided play-along”¦but it’s still just the same boring story”¦ with your friends in on it too.

There are many things that HALO 3 does right, I will give it that. The multiplayer is top notch and one of the driving points of the game. The ability to, mid-match, kick someone who is trash talking or generally being a douche nozzle is amazing, and is a step in the right direction for multiplayer games everywhere. The four player co-op is great too, with friends tearing up personal score boards just to see who really is a crack shot. But the main story, the main reason to “finish the fight” leaves you wanting, and for me, the story is the most important detail. As a multiplayer game, HALO 3 gets the high marks”¦ but the single player experience drops them down again. A game has to have something to keep me playing, wanting to see the end”¦ and HALO 3 doesn’t.

One Gamer’s Opinion:

 

THE GAME ON! RATING SYSTEM

 

Ratings From Greatest to Least:

Kick Ass, Right On, Okay, Eh, and Stinker (aka CRAPTACULAR)

 

Well, during the labor day weekend, I dove head first into a decent amount of games. Now, I actually have a decent sized column in who knows how long. Beta testing, a new review, news and more. It’s all here in this edition of Game On!

First, I have to say that, even though it’s in the beta stages, the CALL OF DUTY 4 multiplayer is shaping up to be one of the best online gaming experiences coming out this holiday season. Not only does it run at a silky-smooth 60 frames per second (even in beta form!) but there’s a huge amount of improvements and features to keep fans coming back and playing more.

Firstly, there’re the new weapons. From modern AK 47s and Carbines, to the lovely RPG rocket launchers, there’s a load of destruction to go around. The graphics here look amazingly sharp, and kills come fast and with greater detail than in previous iterations. The main appeal, however, to the multiplayer game is the new perk system. As you make kills in a match, you earn XP, which moves you up in rank and allows for more features for your selected warrior, such as the ability to create you own class, customize weapons and more. Plus, for strings of uninterrupted (AKA, no dying yourself) kills, you get certain features you can use during a match. 3 kills gets you a UAV radar, to find where your foes are hiding, 5 kills sends in an air strike, and 7 kills lets loose a helicopter, blasting forth and racking up kills for you. Sadly, my kill as a player has only granted me ONE air strike in my two weeks in the beta, but man is it ever cool. If there’s one complaint I would have about the weapons, is that some of the sniper rifles don’t seem to be as accurate as they could be, or as powerful. I hit a guy with a good, solid headshot, and it took two more before he went down. Still, most of the other weapons perform accurately and are huge amount of fun to use.

As I said, however, all this leads into the perk system. By gaining the XP and ranking up, you can customize your class to include some very cool options. Firstly, you can outfit your weapon with scopes, grips or camo (and unlock more by completing challenges, like 25 headshots with a certain weapon) as well as choose a side arm and special grenade (stun, flash or smoke). You also have three “perk slots”, which each have their own variety of features. Perk One allows you to choose to add C4 to your arsenal for remote detonation, three special grenades instead of one (unless it’s smoke), the afore mentioned RPG ad more as you progress. Also, if you choose to outfit your heavy assault rifle with a grenade launcher (otherwise known as the noob tube) this takes up Perk One. Perk Two is more for the conditioning of your character, such as extra health with “Juggernaut”, higher explosive damage, more stopping power with bullets and the like. Perk Three is my favorite, which features some awesome game enhancements like Steady Aim, Deep Impact (to allow shooting through walls), as well as the fan favorite “Last Stand”. When killed with last stand, you have a few brief moments (unless shot while in Last Stand) to take aim at your attacker using only your pistol to try to bring them down, or take the “coward’s way out” and derive them of their XP points for the kill.

The three maps offered give players a great variety and fairly large locales in which to battle. Overgrown, which takes place in a farmland is ideal for snipers. Vacant, with its abandoned buildings and run down back alleys is a great run and gun area. Crash, the best of all, features a downed Black Hawk helicopter in the center of a village square, and features ample high and low ground in which to fight. There’s your typical Team Deathmatch and Deathmatch (Free for All) options, as well as Team Tactical (small Team Deathmatch and Search and Destroy missions with 2v2 or 3v3) and Team Objective, which offers either Domination (a capture the flag variation with respawns) or Search and Destroy (with no respawns).

The perk system is definitely what will keep folks playing the game, just to see what more can be unlocked. The beta went up for the public last Monday (press got in a week before, but I suck so much at these type of games online, it took me this long to write this), but closed temporarily to allow the huge amount of folks who signed up to play. Sign up for another will be soon, according to Activision, and hopeful players can go to www.CharlieOscarDelta.com and sign up to get a token to the beta on Xbox Live. So far, here’s another game who’s experience (this time in online) is making me say “Halo Who?”

—————————–

Speaking of maps, there’s a bunch of free ones out monday. The GEARS OF WAR “Hidden Fronts” pack, normally $10, is free starting today, and the first GHOST RECON ADVANCED WARFIGHTER 2 “Throwback Pack” dropped to free as well. Hell, “Throwback Pack 2″ just dropped, featuring maps from GHOST RECON SUMMIT STRIKE and the original GRAW, and is free as well”¦that’s like, $30 worth of maps for the sweet price of FREE! HAPPY LABOR DAY WEEKEND!

WE CAN BE HEROES

The once revered MANA series has had its share of troubles lately. With every subsequent sequel, prequel or whichever, they try to re-invent the style of gameplay. DAWN OF MANA didn’t work as an action RPG because it had a crazy level system where your max level was 4, and it reset with every subsequent stage you completed, and the camera REALLY sucked. Prior to that CHILDREN OF MANA attempted a traditional RPG style, but lost out, frankly, due to the game being far too boring. Now, HEROES OF MANA attempts an RTS style, and while it works for the most part, it too has it’s problems.

For the most part, the traditional staples of an RTS are there. Bases to create different types of troops, scouts, gathers and the like. Assigning tasks with the stylus works well, as circling troops to move them as a unit it very user friendly. Attacks are automated, for the most part, all it takes is leading the troops to the battle, and letting them battle. Sadly, this is also where the game’s short coming come in. A lot of the time, if the path to battle (or rather, anywhere) isn’t a straight line, one or more of your troops will get lost along the way, and you’ll have to wrangle them in far too much. Also, certain enemy types are susceptible to opposing types of your troops, like a flying attacker can be brought down by a missile attacker, but can’t hurt a heavy unit, or the like. Unfortunately, you often can’t tell what kind of foe you’re fighting right away, so you may be wasting time attacking a foe who’s going to do double damage on you while you’re doing ½ of what you could to them, with no way to recognize this.

Most of the frustration comes from the attacks themselves, however. While most of your battles are fairly matched, some of your troops won’t attack at all, just standing just outside of where a ranged attacker is, not fighting, but taking damage. Once you wrestle control to that troop and get them involved, their health is so depleted they die anyway, and you must restart the mission.

Still, the game does keep it as basic as possible, so even neophytes to the RTS style will get the knack of controlling and ordering troops, making bases, and more. The graphic style is also quite nice, with a certain mix of old school sprites and nicely animated cut scenes between stages. The stylus control gives a certain amount of precision, but again, there’s a bit of frustration to be had AFTER it’s done, when the troops, despite you orders, take a mind of their own.

It’s not broken, it’s just not a perfect mix. And while it does have some nice things going for it, sadly, the bad outweighs the good. It’s something to try if you have to have every chapter in the MANA universe, and it’s beginner style may appeal to those new to RTS’, but it’s far from perfect presentation and frustrations may keep most from playing too long.

One Gamer’s Opinion:

 

THE GAME ON! RATING SYSTEM

 

Ratings From Greatest to Least:

Kick Ass, Right On, Okay, Eh, and Stinker (aka CRAPTACULAR)

 

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in the last few weeks, it’s this: Never Promise Anything. Yes, I know, I was supposed to have a podcast (or two) by now. I was all set to do GAME ON! GOES TO THE MOVIES, when both I and my cameraman/editor Bob realized that, since those games had been out MONTHS ago, and were all mediocre (I won’t bore you with what they were specifically, but yes, they were) it wasn’t worth it to do the podcast unless I had stuff I really wanted to talk about. Hence, why there still hasn’t been one.

HOWEVER (I say this in all caps) the fall game season is definitely shaping up to be a time where we may see me finally have passion about games again. Still, as you can see, you’re reading so”¦yeah, no moving pictures just yet.

What we do have is a look at one of the best (and most anticipated) shooters of the season, out today on Xbox 360 and PC. Sure, it’s only one review for this column”¦but what a game it is”¦

SHOCKING

As many of you know, I’m not a huge FPS fan. Yes, I’ll play the occasional shooter, but as a standard, they’re not my favorite genre. Well, if they’d all play like BIOSHOCK, I might just change my tune. Without a doubt, BIOSHOCK is this year’s most compelling, engaging, fully-immersive single player experience yet for the next generation. Actually, I’m sure you’ve read that by now”¦but here’s why”¦

As the only survivor of a plane crash into the Atlantic, you manage to swim your way to a mysterious lighthouse, which transports you below the surface to Andrew Ryan’s utopia (or is that dystopia) of Rapture; a secret city beneath the sea. What was intended to bring about a second age of man, sadly, due to far too much genetic enhancements for the citizens, quickly becomes over run, run down, and scarred, a shambles of it’s former glory. Folks who’ve messed with their genetic code too much (known as Splicers) now roam the halls of Rapture, seeking out ADAM, the newly created stem cells found within a sea parasite that allows for genetic enhancement. ADAM is usually harvested from the dead by creatures known as Little Sisters; zombie like children protected by giants in dead sea gear known as Big Daddies. In order to progress, you must harvest the ADAM from the Little Sisters (or rescue them, if you can) and find your way out of Rapture before Andrew Ryan (or the city itself) kills you.

ADAM is the source of your new powers, such as Plasmids, biological modifications that allow you to augment your body with an array of powers. Fueled by EVE, a serum that fuels your forces, you can send electricity flying from your fingertips, burn folks from a distance with fire, levitate and pull objects towards you (or push them away) with telekinesis and more. As you progress, you gain new Plasmids, as well as the ability to modify them. From the power to enrage your foes into attacking each other instead of you, to sending swarms of hornets from your very veins, to even convincing a Big Daddy that you are no threat, you can do it all with just a little shot to the arm.

But supernatural powers aren’t all your weapons. In fact, there are much more standard ways to fight. Pistols, shotguns, and more can be found below the surface with which to do battle with the denizens of the deep. As you continue on your journey, you can buy more ammo at vending machines (or hack into them to get a reduced price) or even invent your own brand of ammunition at U-Invent kiosks. Tonics enhance your other abilities too, such as how much health a certain item can give you, or how well you can hack into security cameras, safes and more.

It’s not all guns blazing and powers flying, however. BIOSHOCK features one of gaming’s most compellingly deep narratives, that keeps the player going through Rapture, rather than just fighting endless streams of foes. The story motivates you, as you initially intend to save the family of the man who helped you through your first encounter in Rapture; a man named Atlas whom you only get radio transmissions from. As you watch the undersea world in it’s now shambled form, you realize there’s so much more of a big picture, and your quest isn’t so much about saving yourself and Atlas’ family, but everyone in Rapture. Or is it?

BIOSHOCK would be nothing without it’s story pacing. With no cut scenes, all story elements are told in-game, such as with conversations with NPCs, or through found audio diaries lying around. The game’s graphics, however, really transport the player through this world. The art-deco style, trashed through years of genetic splicing, is beautiful and horrifying at the same time. What once was clearly a thriving community, now lies in ruin, and the game showcases that beautifully. From the leaking pipes overhead, water cascades down into your vision with some of the best water effects seen today. The Splicers themselves are a sight too”¦with horrid modifications and deep AI keeping you constantly on your toes. Set them on fire, they seek out water, shoot, and they seek cover. It’s truly the single player experience 360 owners have been waiting for.

Everything about this game SCREAMS “next-gen”, from its presentation and story to just how the game plays. Switching between Plasmids and weapons with ease, gaining health items (there is no item screen, just a few HUD items when needed), and selecting different ammo types on the fly couldn’t be simpler. This is the thinking man’s FPS, not quite a hybrid of FPS and RPG, but enough story elements to almost have you convinced otherwise.

It will be tough to see how long the joy of playing BIOSHOCK will last once HALO 3 is released. The game’s box lists downloadable content, but 2K Games haven’t said what will be available yet. Still, as far as single player experiences, this one is not to be missed. HALO may have the multiplayer advantage, but nothing is a deep, as moving, as horrifying, as stunning, or simply as cool as BIOSHOCK. A Must Buy.

One Gamer’s Opinion:

 

THE GAME ON! RATING SYSTEM

 

Ratings From Greatest to Least:

Kick Ass, Right On, Okay, Eh, and Stinker (aka CRAPTACULAR)

 

Something strange has been happening lately. I know there’ve been new releases for games, but I haven’t been GETTING them. I’m SUPPOSED to, but lately, it’s like pulling teeth to actually get a hold of releases. Well, I’ve finally gotten my hands on a few of the newer titles”¦and, in the meantime, some new DVDs as well, that are sort of related to games, so let’s take a look at what we’ve got, shall we?

THE 80S AIN’T WHAT THEY USED TO BE

Anyone who knows me, knows what a huge 80s music fan I am. And these same people also know what a huge GUITAR HERO fan I am. So, you’d think that the new expansion to the series, GUITAR HERO ENCORE: ROCKS THE 80S would be a perfect fit, no? Well, in many ways it is, and in many ways, just like the 80s, it’s light on substance, and you don’t get as much bang for your buck.

First, let me be perfectly clear”¦this is an expansion. In fact, Red Octane has made it painfully plain that this isn’t anything more than just GHII with a fresh coat of neon paint. The venues are the same (just new colors). The characters are the same (well, you only get half of them, and the one’s you do get”¦well, they’re all 80s glam). Hell, even the loading screens and menus are the same. It’s the same damn UNLOCKABLES from GHII (well, guitars and finishes anyway”¦no new tracks and videos). And sadly, that’s the biggest problem with the title from the start”¦while it does offer 30 new tracks for your fretboard frenzies, it doesn’t offer much more.

And those tracks”¦sure, the 80s had a LOT of great music”¦but great GUITAR music? Aside from a few hair metal bands, it’s a mixed bag. Sure, there’s some great tunes on here, but honestly, I think the choices of these tracks has some bearing on what will appear on GUITAR HERO III rather than what was popular in the 80s (why no Van Halen? Where’s BEAT IT? And why ONLY A LAD instead of WEIRD SCIENCE by Oingo Boingo?). Some are good (who knew a Winger song would be so hard to play) and some are questionable (somehow, I don’t think an 80s cover of RADAR LOVE or BALLROOM BLITZ should count). Worst of all, however, some are just downright BORING to play. I love Accept’s BALLS TO THE WALL and Quiet Riot’s METAL HEALTH as much as the next headbanger, but good LORD, they are dullsville to tap the strum bar to.

Also, I know the 80s were full of things like this, but when have you ever heard a song fade out IN CONCERT? In the game, you’re supposedly playing alive show”¦so why should THE WARRIOR fade out at the end? Hell, the first four songs in the game EACH have sections where YOU’RE NOT PLAYING AT ALL. Sigh”¦Before I start sounding like I hate this game (well, it maybe too late for that”¦) I will say that once you get into the groove of things, it swings just the way it should. And if all the songs may not be familiar to you, some of them (especially the later ones) finally do get to be fun to play. Plus, it’s something to tide you over until the next installment. Still, for $50 (the price of a full game), it seems more like the decade of excess than ever…

One Gamer’s Opinion:

ARGH-MAGEDDON

I hate to say it, but even after all these years, I’m still a MORTAL KOMBAT fan. I even dug its late effort, MK: ARMAGEDDON when it was released on the Xbox and PS2. Now that it’s on the Wii, however, we have another addition to the “late to the party port” pile of games with tacked on waggle controls.

The theory was simple: take the last entry and map all the special moves to motion sensing movements. Sounds simple, yes, but it’s execution is anything but. To do this, you’re supposed to hold down the B button on the wii-mote and make the appropriate motion. Unfortunately, the game never knows that you’ve made it. I’ll be standing there, swinging my arms back and forth wildly screaming “throw the damn spear!” while instead Scorpion is getting his ass handed to him by the CPU.

What’s worse is the normal attacks? They’re mapped to the D-PAD. Yes, that’s right. Up, down, left and right on the tiny d-pad at the top of the wii-mote are your punches and kicks. Joy.Still, at least they threw in a few specials for the Wii crowd, such as console exclusive fighter KHAMELON (from the N64 version of MK TRILOGY) as well as wii-mote driving in the (admittedly lackluster) side game MOTOR KOMBAT. Plus, there’s the option to use the classic of Gamecube controllers in the game…but that sort of defeats the purpose of the port, now doesn’t it?

Sure, the graphics looks decent (for the Wii) and the character creation is pretty cool (I love all the copyright infringement options) but overall”¦this is a port that should have stood well enough alone.

One Gamer’s Opinion:

DVD REVIEW: HOT FUZZ

Wait a sec”¦a DVD review”¦in a video game column? Yes, I know what you’re thinking”¦what does this have to do with games? Well, honestly, co-writers Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg (of SHAUN OF THE DEAD fame) are just like you and me, dear readers. They’re geeks, and they relish in their geekdom, making movies that they and their friends would enjoy, just as much as we would. HOT FUZZ is such a film, and while it’s not DIRECTLY based on a game, its influence is apparent.

Building on the idea of a American buddy cop movie, but setting it a sleepy English village gives the filmmakers freedom to pay homage (and spoof) not only to the Michael Bay and Tony Scott blockbusters, but also the awesome British thrillers of the genre, including the original WICKER MAN. Helping this along is a huge cast of British cinema who’s who playing seemingly bit parts in what certainly unfolds into one of the biggest (and most hilarious) switcheroo’s ever. Top cop Nicholas Angel (Pegg) is so good that his superiors in London decide to ship him out to the quiet village of Sandford”¦mainly because his 400% arrest record is making the rest of them look bad. While in his new digs, he’s gone from chasing thugs to chasing swans, all until a mysterious string of “accidents” seem to point to something larger”¦and much more sinister.

Aiding and abetting is Angel’s clueless partner Danny Butterman (SHAUN OF THE DEAD’s Nick Frost), who’s desire for the “real” action he sees in film is only matched by his town’s complete lack of a need for it. While Danny dreams of living his favorite films (BAD BOYS II and POINT BREAK), Angel has, and his admiration for that is endearing”¦and one of the film’s buddy aspects that it plays so well on.

Where the film really shines, however, is the way it mingles the drama and action so expertly. Just as with SHAUN OF THE DEAD’s horror, pathos, comedy and romance, HOT FUZZ takes the best moments from every cop movie you can think of, and lovingly pays homage and tribute to them. And yet it still does something unique and special with it, all while placing it in firmly in the world of comedy. If only American parodies could do that (I’m looking your way DATE MOVIE and EPIC MOVIE).While the film itself is hilarious and unique, the DVDs special features are truly for the fans of both the filmmakers and all things FUZZ. The audio commentary shows what geeks Pegg and Wright truly are, with Edgar spouting off the catalogue of films they watched, referenced and loved in their youth, and Simon stakes claim to how the film is set up like a video game.

Simon: “Here’s the street level, then it’s the bar level.”

Edgar: “Why didn’t they follow him?”
Simon: “well, they have to do the supermarket level first”

Also included is the featurette on the FUZZBALL RALLY, the US Tour the boys (Pegg, Wright and Frost) took the film on to promote it before its release. I was privileged enough to see it on the DC leg of the tour…

…but unfortunately, did not end up on the DVD. Still, it’s a fantastic, candid documentary of three close friends and how much the American audiences embraced this film (including AIN’T IT COOL’s own Harry Knoweles and this site’s big bossman Kevin Smith).Sadly, while we get the FUZZBALL US doc, we know more features are available as Simon and Edgar allude to the “other commentaries” and features that are only available on the version across the pond in their one commentary on the US disc. Still, there’s the usual outtakes, deleted scenes, HOT FUNK (the airline version of the film, shown in snippets of excised expletives) and THE MAN WHO WOULD BE FUZZ (Simon and Nick doing their Michael Caine/Sean Connery impressions). Also, and this may be a bit nitpicky of me, but in the trailers section, the “UK TV SPOT #2″ and “DIRECTOR’S CUT TRAILER” are switched”¦but the fact that the awesome internet-only cut trailer was included at all is still awesome.

Fans of SHAUN will have a lot to enjoy here, but both films stand strongly on their own. This is more of a movie for fans of the genre, just as SHAUN was, and no one seems to be a bigger fan than the filmmakers are themselves. Full of action, drama, mystery, and of course, gut-busting laughs, this is one of my favorite movies from this year, and already my favorite DVD. Now if only I could get the UK features”¦

One Gamer’s Opinion:

(oh, and if the audio commentary wasn’t enough”¦on the webpage for the DVD, there’s a video game of the film! Check it out below.)

http://www.hotfuzz.com/game/

Till next time friends”¦

 

THE GAME ON! RATING SYSTEM

 

Ratings From Greatest to Least:

Kick Ass, Right On, Okay, Eh, and Stinker (aka CRAPTACULAR)

How long has it been since I’ve actually REVIEWED some games, huh? Geez”¦ I’m such a lazy fucking bastard. I’ll play them sure, but writing”¦ eh”¦ podcasting is easier. Well, when I can get to EDITING the damn thing anyway. In the meantime, here’s a bunch of printed words about some games I’ve played. No, seriously.

DEATH DOESN’T BECOME YOU

I was a big fan of the two previous entries in the DEATH JR series on PSP, so when I heard it was coming over to Nintendo’s handheld for a third, I was excited. Sadly, after playing through DEATH JR AND THE SCIENCE FAIR OF DOOM, I can’t say the wait was worth it.

For starters, the graphics, obviously, just aren’t up to par with what the PSP can produce. Normally, this isn’t that much of sticking point: no one expects the DS to have the same kind of graphical output. However, the game looks REALLY blocky, more so than most DS titles, and it really hurts not only the look and feel of the game, but the hit and jump detection as well. Because of the game’s need to compensate visually for the graphics with a changing camera angle (often side scrolling, but switching to slightly overhead in some scenes) you’ll find yourself falling to your doom more times than you can count on your bony fingers.

Also, the dynamic of switching between Pandora (in ghost form) and DJ doesn’t quite work as well as one would hope either. The first time I began the game, I didn’t realize quite how Pandora was to keep the magic orbs gained by defeating foes (but touching them with the stylus). At first, I tried dragging them to Pandora, but that only served to launch them across the screen AWAY from her”¦a feat you need to do ONCE you’ve obtained them.Still, the game has its moments. The story, while nothing fantastic by DJ standards, does have some truly funny moments, and still looks like a Tim Burton wet dream. The audio leaves a bit to be desired however, as it’s just as poor as the graphics. When it comes right down to it, this is one best left alone, in the hopes that DJ’s eventual console debut has a bit of these types of problems fixed.

One Gamer’s Opinion:

BOLL WII-VIL, GET RIGHT OUT OF YOUR HOME

I’m not going to delve into the story again on this, the third iteration of RESIDENT EVIL 4(now the WII EDITION”¦or would that be RESIDENT WII-VIL?) but suffice to say, this is probably the best version of the game released yet. Two years later, however, it’s also now easier to see some faults.

Wen the game debuted two years ago on the Gamecube, its graphics were some of the best we’ve seen on a home console system. While it still looks good, it’s finally starting to show it’s age. Not only that, but the fact that you can’t run and aim at the same time is REALLY more of an inconvenience than one would think. Or maybe we’ve just become to accustomed with GEARS OF WAR.

This time around, the Wii Version is a combination of both the Cube and PS2 version, featuring the graphics of the former, and the extras of the latter. Ada’s bonus missions are included, as well as a trailer for the upcoming UMBRELLA CHRONICLES. Nice additions, but it would have been even nicer if you didn’t have to beat the game (again, for many) to unlock the Ada missions.

The new Wii version features what are both the best and worst aiming systems, all at the same time. You have a bit more of precision with aiming with the Wii-mote, but sadly, your view remains boxed in to just what you can see on screen. For example, if your foe is just off camera, moving the targeting reticule to the edge of the screen doesn’t slide it over to face your foe. You must move the camera with the analog stick AND aim with the Wii-mote”¦taking a bit more precision than necessary. Still, once they are in your sights, it’s a welcome addition to aim LIGHT GUN-style.Still, at thirty dollars, it’s nice to see that you won’t be paying too much more for the newly waggle controlled version of a game that’s still available for other systems at $20. A bit more improvement would have been nice, but honestly, let’s just move on to a NEW entry in the series.

One Gamer’s Opinion:

FINALLY

Ok, so as it has been said before”¦I’ve never really played any of the FINAL FANTASY games before the recently released XII. Thankfully, due to the series 20th anniversary, the opportunity to go back with the series’ classic beginnings has arisen again with the release of the first FINAL FANTASY on PSP.

Strangely, however, this isn’t the first time the game has been re-released. Twice before now it was available (with the second game as well), once on PSOne, and once on GBA. Apparently, this version is the best of both of those, with the CG-I cut scenes of the PSOne version, and the slightly easier difficulty of the GBA. What this means is that you’ll get the same classically old school style sprites, simplistic turned based combat, and six character types to choose from for your four man party. What this also means, however, is that you’re also getting the same amount of fun as before.

Honestly, as many RPGs that I’ve played over the years, I think I prefer the old school sprites and side view turned based battles to the overly complicated three dimensional games of the day. There’s just something so satisfying about heading to town, picking up an adventure, heading out across the land, exploring a dungeon, fighting a boss, then heading back to town with the spoils of your adventure. Thankfully, the PSP version’s widescreen handles the graphics with a shine and clarity that makes every moment worth watching, and it’s “save anywhere” system works perfectly for the portable players.

If you’ve played the game before, you’re not going to find anything new with this adventure, save for one extra dungeon, but for those of you more familiar with the games later on in the series, it’s nice to see how far they’ve come, and how it all began. And while it’s curious that this version doesn’t include the second game as the two previous re-releases have, it will be available separately at the end of July. We’ll see how that one fairs once it’s released.

One Gamer’s Opinion:

CRAPTACULAR GAME OF THE WEEK

Goodness me. I didn’t think they made games that sucked as bad as VAMPIRE RAIN anymore. Especially considering how “next gen” is supposed to mean high quality, not just in terms of graphics and control, but gameplay and story as well. It begins with some promise, with a cool little CG-i cut scene at the opening of a woman walking the streets, stalked by a bloodthirsty “nightwalker”. Once you start playing the game, however, all that potential vanishes down the drain with the rest of the rainfall. In a game that looks like SYPHON FILTER meets BLADE, it’s amazing that your tasks are so menial and bland. Wow, you can avoid being spotted by a Vampire by simply walking behind a car, rather than just past the alley it’s in? The cut scenes take the biggest drag out of the coolness factor, as the voice acting is so horribly bad that I’m not sure whether it’s the translation, the writing, or BOTH that should take the blame. The in game graphics are the worst, however. While the cinemas are nice, the gameplay looks like first gen Xbox”¦and BAD first gen Xbox at that. Shame on Microsoft for charging a full $60 this obviously budget game.

One Gamer’s Opinion:

And that wraps up another bit of reviews. That summer blockbuster podcast I’ve been promising should be along soon”¦ work has been a bit of a bitch lately, so my time to edit has been limited. Soon though. In the meantime”¦ yeah, looks like I’ll be typing. Ah well”¦

 

THE GAME ON! RATING SYSTEM

 

Ratings From Greatest to Least:

Kick Ass, Right On, Okay, Eh, and Stinker (aka CRAPTACULAR)

Has anyone noticed I’ve sort of eschewed the whole “intro” thing and gone straight into the news and reviews as of late? Huh”¦what’s up with that?

Well, another week, and another set of downloadable goodies on the Wii and Xbox Live Arcade. Today on the Wii, we’re offered up three more oldies but goodies, SUPER MARIO BROS. 2 (NES), ECCO: TIDES OF TIME (Genesis) and DRAGON SPIRIT (Turbografix 16). On XBLA this Wednesday, we have the classic MISSILE COMMAND to look forward to, just in time for Independence Day. Kinda says something, doesn’t it?

Also in the world of downloads, Tom Clancy fans may have noticed that the RAINBOW SIX: VEGAS map pack BLACK EDITION was offered and subsequently pulled, both last Wednesday. It seems it was mistakenly offered both too soon and for too much. As that was the same day that R6: VEGAS hit the PS3 (and, also offered the BLACK and previously offered RED EDITION maps included for free on the game’s disc) it’s timeliness and price were a bit of a hit to the fan’s hearts and wallets. Well Ubisoft didn’t want to hurt the Xbox loyal fans who already were playing the game to feel like the PS3 version got any perks over theirs”¦and thusly offered it again Saturday for the excellent price of FREE (much better than the previous 800 Microsoft points”¦$10 US). Apparently, this was their original intention. Not only that, but the previously offered RED EDITION will be dropped to the low, low price of FREE as well, next Saturday, July 7th. Not too shabby”¦

For those couch-bound rockers waiting for the next fret-filled entry into the GUITAR HERO series to hit multiple consoles, PS2 fans are getting a bit of an add-on with the expansion game GUITAR HERO ENCORE: ROCKS THE 80’s. While not a sequel in anyway, this expansion offers the same modes from GHII but with more spandex and lip-liner than any “Just Say No” generation kid can handle. The latest tracks announced are as follows: