In the News - June 9th, 2010

I am sad to state that this is my last 'official' blog. I might not update as regularly after today. Well anyways, enjoy more interesting gaming articles.

The Most Pirated Nintendo DS Games Are... (Kotaku, June 9th, 2010)

Oh Piracy, one of the most heated debates in Gaming. "Why should I pay for a game if it's there for the taking online as a free download?" In other words, Illegal downloading of games.

Nintendo is cracking down on this pirating, even starting with lawsuits. I could see why, they're losing hundreds of millions of dollars.

[Link]


I'll Take Achievement Trivia for $500, Thanks (Kotaku, June 9th, 2010)

A game for the iPhone, called Achievement Point Trivia, shows how desperate people are to get moolah in today's market.

This game gathers trivia about all of the achievements you can get in Xbox 360 games, and makes a multiple-choice styled trivia game.

"Sounds stupid, but then, picture the kind of person that cares about achievements and gamerscore. They're competitive. And if Xbox 360 games can't settle a test of manhood between friends, then splitting hairs via an iPhone app might have to do."

[Link]

Death In Video Games.

Death is a strange thing in Video Games. With Phoenix Downs and Life Bottles and Respawn Points, death isn't usually thought out. It is mainly used as a device to move the plot foreward, set up a twist, or many other things.

One example would be the famous scene in Final Fantasy VII in which Sephiroth takes his sword and stabs Aeris, one of the main characters, killing her. Considering the fact that she probably died multiple times beforehand by the player's fault, she is easally revived by a Phoenix Down. However, the main characters completely ignore this item and just carry on like there's no way to revive her.

Death can also be a mechanic to make gameplay interesting. In the Fire Emblem series, if a character dies in combat, they cannot be revived. The story will continue on if the character died, having the character not appear in cutscenes. This is a great premise, and means you have to be careful in how you strategize.

All in all, death in video games will always be confusing, especially in RPGs.

Pre-E3 Thoughts.

E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo), the gaming event of the year, is almost upon us, and things are starting to heat up.

The new Legend of Zelda game is going to be detailed there, but there have been a couple of possible leaks. According to posts from 2chan, a popular Japanese board, the game may possibly be out of the development phase. Here are some details.

Game is all but finished. Putting on final touches.
There will be a playable demo at E3.
Time travel does occur and it happens through the use of a new blade. (not the master sword)
Link’s hometown is much bigger than in previous titles.
There will be several “Majora’s Mask” esque sidequests.
Character interaction will be more involving than in any previous title.
The dungeon field dungeon method is changed, and one of the changes confirms a straight dungeon to dungeon portion of the game.
The current name of the girl in the picture is Adelle.
Combat is extremely fluent and innovative. No previous Wii title can give you a good example of it’s unique style.
The game relies heavily on sword combat versus other items.
There will be less items, but they will be used more frequently.
There will be another main weapon added for an alternative combat style.
The game will feature significant portions of flight.

Interesting details. This may serve to be one of the biggest mysteries and biggest games of E3.
(link)


Activision/Blizzard are gearing up for E3. They are prepared to show more content for World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, and StarCraft II. Although they may save the jucy details for BlizzCon (Blizzard's own convention).

Along with these two major events, hundreds of games will be announced and further detailed. Sonic Colors, for example, was just announced late May, and Sega will surely give more details.

E3 is shaping up to be an interesting and worthwhile event to watch.

Games in the Movies, Volume 2

IN THE WRONG: The Resident Evil series (2002-2010?)

It pains me so much to write about this movie series. I wanted to like it, I really did. The first movie, titled just Resident Evil (2002) was alright, taking a few liberties but following a Resident Evil-eske plot, but it lost a lot of what made it Resident Evil. The sequel, Resident Evil Apocalypse (2004), further expanded on the plot of the first movie, losing almost everything that was Resident Evil sans names. The third movie, Resident Evil Extinction (2007), lost everything that had to do with Resident Evil. Not even the names could take it apart from any other generic zombie movie nowadays.

The first thing I would like to adress is the character development. The games had a sense of creating characters that are both lucky and not afraid to show their flaws. For example, the heroine of the first movie, Jill Valentine, was a special forces officer, but was very nervous when it came to the attacks of the zombies. The movie version of this character was more of a gun-toting badass than anything else. In the movie, they introduced a new character named Alice, which served nothing but a superhuman that could do more action movie retardation. The characters themselves completely tore the movie apart.

Another thing I would like to mention are the settings. The first movie was going in the right for having it take place in a mansion, a la the games. After that, they tried to bring it into the city itself, a homage to the second and third games. This was still understandable, but Racoon City is suppossed to be a smaller town, not a bustling metropolis. The third movie turned it into a wasteland. You heard me right, a wasteland. This was a wild turn, and helped it break from the games and have barely anything to do with them. Great job writer and/or director.

Fun fact: The writer and director didn't play the games, and only followed plot summaries. Huh, maybe THAT'S why these were trainwrecks. And the funny thing is that these are actually doing well in the theatres, well enough to get a 4th movie, Resident Evil Afterlife (2010). I'm going to go see that movie JUST to see how bad it is.

Games in the Movies, Volume 1

There have been quite a few video game adaptation films in the past couple of decades. Some of them are pretty good, and some are well.... Not so good. Let's take a look into what you can do right, and how you can miserably fail in this new segment.

IN THE RIGHT: Silent Hill (2006)

Now THIS is a shining example of a video game movie done right. Sure, it doesn't follow the plot of the game, but it doesn't have to! The Silent Hill games were all about drawing you into its atmosphere, and scaring you without cheesy jump scenes. The main thing is that the movie retains this same creepy and unsettling atmosphere that made the games great in the first place. The director took some liberties, but at least he sat down and played through the games (I'm looking at you, director of the Resident Evil movies).

The characters felt as if they were in the games. Their reactions to their surroundings were perfect, and every character has interesting personalities. Whether it be the mother who is desperately searching for her daughter in Silent Hill, or the cop who gets dragged into silent hill with her, they all clashed and meshed together perfectly.

I would reccomend this movie to even people who don't play video games. It has alot going for it, and even if you don't catch all of the references, you'll be in for a treat.

Next week, I'll take a look at the abyssmal Resident Evil movie series.

In the News - May 24th, 2010

Recent gaming news can be a little... Interesting. Take this one from Kotaku.

Stuff Your Wii Remote Inside A Baby (Kotaku, May 24th)

"It turns out Majesco is completely serious about Babysitting Mama, the latest profession being taken up by our favorite cooking, gardening, and crafting superstar. Due out this holiday season for the Nintendo Wii, Babysitting Mama features more than 40 different activities, all revolving around a plush baby with a Wii remote stuffed inside of it."

I wish this wasn't serious, I wish it wasn't.

"Players will rock the baby, bounce the baby, feed the baby, and change the baby, all the while trying not to stare in horror at the nunchuck cord snaking out from the depths of the baby's innards."

This... Has to be the worst idea I've heard in a long time for a video game. Enough with the shovelware!

[Link]

Super Mario Galaxy 2's Sountrack Uploaded To Youtube (Kotaku, May 21st)

"Someone's uploading tracks from the Super Mario Galaxy 2 soundtrack to YouTube, under the name of Mahito Yokota, the game's composer. Whether or not it is actually him doing this, the music's there, and it's beautiful listening."

Very nice! Even if this is close to the illegal side, the score in this game is amazing.

[Link]

Now Playing - May 17th, 2010

Another volume of Now Playing.

NOW PLAYING: 無双OROCHI Z (Warriors Orochi Z, PC)

Another entry into the popular Warriors series, Warriors Orochi Z sticks with the same old formula, but still somehow feels fresh and interesting.

The Warriors series has always been about being the lone hero, hacking and slashing through hundreds of enemies and then clashing blades with the commander. Z takes things to a new level, merging the worlds of the two main games (Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors).

The combat is same-old, same-old, but it adds a new 3 character combat system, in which you select 3 characters at the start and can switch them out at will. This keeps the gameplay fresh, and helps alot when facing tough enemies that need to be tanked.

There are a few gripes though. For one, they don't seem to add much content through each version of the game. Z only adds 4 new playable characters and one new costume per character. That being said though, the game is essentially 2 games in one, and is a great bargain for Warriors fans.

In the News: May 6th, 2010

Welcome to a new segment: In the News, where I look into recent gaming coverage and give my two cents.

The Top 50 Video Game Franchises Of All Time, Voted By Gamers (Kotaku, May 6th, 2010)

"The 2010 Guinness Book of World Records Gamer's Edition features a list of the Top 50 video game series as voted by the gaming public. Which series came out on top between The Legend of Zelda, Call of Duty, and Halo?"

Yikes, I can already see some problems here.

"Instead of opting to go with game review scores or a board of experts, this year Guinness put the top 50 video games series category in control of the players. A noble sentiment, but one that leads to results that scream popularity contest."

Exactly. With results such as Halo being number 1, and Call of Duty being number 2, I can see the frat boys phoning in. Honestly, they should've gone with the experts, because even extremely popular series are completely ignored on this list (including Megaman, Street Fighter, etc).

[Link]

This Is SEGA's DRM Solution (Kotaku, May 6th, 2010)

DRM (Digital Rights Management) is always a picky topic with gamers. Sega seems to have a solution with their new game, Alpha Protocol.

• You do not have to have the disc in your drive to play the game. 


• The game can be installed on up to 5 different computers at any one time using the license key the game comes with. 


• There is a limit to the number of computers you can use Alpha Protocol on at any one time, but Sega says that the company is not restricting the number of computers you can install the game on over the life of the product. 


 • SEGA will provide a version of the game without DRM using a future patch that it expects to make available 18-24 months after the game's release.

This is perfect, considering the game doesn't require the disc to play, and the fact that they're going to patch the game in the future so that DRM isn't a problem. Genius.

[Link]


That about wraps it up for this week, folks.

Elements.

 The elements are essential in daily life. Think of ice, water, fire, wind, earth, light, and darkness. These elements make up our life as a whole. You can't live without at least seeing all of them. 

Elements in games are very personified. The characters sometimes harness them to cast spells or use attacks. In some games, the elements are their own beings, each having a seperate personality. They're essential in games as well, because without them, getting through would be practically impossible.

For example, in Tales of Symphonia, an RPG for the Nintendo Gamecube, the elemential beings are used to unite two worlds that were split apart. They're essential in the plot, and are used to bring the main characters closer together. They have to fight for the elementials, and by fighting together they make pacts with them.

The more you look at these games, the more you see the connections to nature and the elements. From Final Fantasy to Resident Evil (that's a stretch there, haha), you can always find elements where ever you go.

Now Playing - April 29th, 2010

Welcome to my oriental edition of Now Playing, where I share little tidbits of games I'm currently running through.

NOW PLAYING: Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2 (DS)

Oh boy, this game is a fun one. It's a rhythm game, in the fact that you have to tap, slide, and drag your stylus to the song. The manga/comic style of the game is colorful and fun to look at, and is easy to understand if you don't speak Japanese. The only downside of this one is that the song selection isn't as varied as the first.

NOW PLAYING: Sengoku Basara 2 Heroes (PS2)

This game is also a blast. It's a beat-em-up, very similar to that of Dynasty Warriors, where you take on hundreds of enemies as a single character. The combos are easy to understand and fun to pull off, and the game is filled with a style all of its own. One downside is that without a translation guide, this game could be tricky to play. But it's well worth the time and effort to get in and mess around with the Sengoku period of Japan.

Japanese Games and YOU!

Now I know what you're thinking, "I can't play imports... I don't understand them!" But it's actually easier than it looks. With a little practice, YOU can play Japanese games with ease!


STEP 1: The Basics.


はい (Hai) means Yes, and いいえ (Iie) means No. These options could mean life or death! (A bit too dramatic, I must think)

If you're playing a sony console, Cross (X) is usually the conformation button, and Circle is the cancel button. This is reversed in Japanese games, so pay attention to that. I ended up spending 10 minutes trying to get passed the load screen once.


STEP 2: Explore the Options.


When you see something like this:

ストーリー

天下統一

自由合戦

ギャラリー

各種設定

...Don't worry! Just explore the different options and see what they do. There might be translation guides, or you could write them down yourself. Exploring them all makes things easier for you. That troublesome list above could turn into this:

ストーリー Story Mode

天下統一 Unification Mode

自由合戦 Free Battle Mode

ギャラリー Gallery

各種設定 Options


STEP 3: Play!


After you've explored all of the options available to you, start the game and enjoy!






I just thought I'd write something about Japanese games, because I've been playing a bunch of them myself recently. More on that later. ;3

Now Playing: April 19th, 2010

Time for another 'now playing'. The source that gets YOU in the know of what I play, you creepy stalker you.

NOW PLAYING: GetAmped 2

THIS GAME IS SO ADDICTING. It has to be one of the funnest online games I've played in a long time. There's so many things to do! First of all, you can edit your character anyway you want to.

 













You can then decorate your room however you want

You can hang out in the lobby...

...And you can participate in battles. These can either be 1 on 1 duels, up to eight person deathmatch, and up to eight person team deathmatch. These battles are very fast-paced, and full of action and satisfaction when you kick someone's butt.

There's barely anything bad I can say about this game. The only issue is that the framerate seems to drop every once in a while, but it's not too extreme, and you can get used to it. All in all, this game is a must for any beat-em-up fans, as well as people who want to socialize and have a ton of fun.

Website: http://www.getamped2.com/

Violence.

Violence in video games. It's pretty much one of the biggest critisms around. It's plastered all over the news, it's involved directly with the news, and it just gets spread around like wildfire. Let me toss in my opinion on this matter.

We all know about the school massacres, Colombine for example. There has been some evidence claiming that these kids played violent video games and that's what caused them to go out and kill dozens of people. The big picture is that these kids had WAY more problems than just playing violent video games.

I can be one example for this. I'm your average 16 year old male, and I've been playing M-rated video games since the age of 7. I've had absolutely no anger problems my entire life, and I definately haven't tried to mass murder people.

Violent video games, heck, even video games in general are a way to get away and do things you can't normally do in your life (be it by imagination or legal reasons, ho ho).

Here's a question: If the parents knew that the kids had problems, why didn't they take these 'murder simulators' away from them?

It's simply the parent's fault. You need to trust your child and make sure they're mature enough to handle these things. My parents and I had a talk like this, and they knew I was mature enough to handle these games.

Parents, if you don't talk to your children about these things, you may never know.

Now Playing: April 13th

Ahhhh, first blog of the week. Since my last post, I've been addicted to a few games.

NOW PLAYING: Lunia (PC)

Oh man, is this game addicting. Like most MMORPGS, it sucks you in with atmosphere (which is a nice anime style) and addicting gameplay (beat-em-ups are always addicting). Then it keeps you pinned down with a multitude of characters (12 classes) and awesome PVP. If you hate anime, then you might not like this game, but if you love beat-em-ups, you'd have a blast here.

NOW PLAYING: Pokemon HeartGold Version (DS)

Just when I thought I'd escape from Pokemon, it drags me back in. The all-around improvements and fun addons make this game even more enjoyable than the game it's based on. That said, it's kinda sad that you can't mess around with your room, but the Pokewalker accessory more than makes up for it.

NOW PLAYING: League of Legends (PC)

Ah, DotA style games. I usually hate you, with your repetitive gameplay, bland characters, and elitist community. But League of Legends takes everything DotA is and improves it to the extreme.

First off, the characters are flat-out awesome. Each character is unique and has their own personalities, and none of them feel out-of-place. Even with guns, magic, and so on.

Second, the gameplay is extremely fun. It is of course repetitive, but it's easy to understand and once you get the hang of it, playing with friends and using superior teamwork always feels great.

Third, the community is almost completely void of elitist snobs. I hate elitists, if I wanted to be told how to play a game, I would play the tutorial (which I did). Friendly advice is one thing, but just flat out swearing and calling names is immature and rude. Good thing League of Legends pretty much has no elitists, so I don't have to worry about them! (Yay!)

That about wraps up today. Thanks for reading!

"Why Do They All Fall Down?"

We only expect the best from developers and publishers of Video Games. Despite this, you can obviously see the decline of certain series.

One obvious example is the Sonic the Hedgehog Series.

When he bursted on the scene in the early '90s, he was an instant hit. Sonic the Hedgehog 1, 2, 3, Sonic and Knuckles, and Sonic CD were immensly popular. He became Sega's new mascot, almost beating out Nintendo's Mario as the universal Video Game mascot. Things could only go up from here... Right?


Wrong.

On the Dreamcast, he blasted into 3D with a duo of great games with obvious flaws. Sonic Adventure was his first true 3D game. It featured a great sense of speed, beautiful graphics (for the time) and an actual stab at a plot. The game added a couple of new characters, which were pretty much forgetable and had no real affect on the plot as a whole. The camera angles, although good at times, would get you killed plently of times, and the game was pretty buggy. The follow-up, Sonic Adventure 2, was a step in the right direction. It added new characters that actually affected the plot, and more variety. This game too was brought down by bugs and bad camera angles, but it is still arguablly the best 3D Sonic game.

After Sonic Heroes (which was also in that same realm of 3D games), Sega decided to take a... Shall we say... Different route. We were treated with Shadow the Hedgehog, a game that lost it's sense of speed for guns. Yeah, you heard me, guns. This game steered away from almost everything that made Sonic, Sonic.

After Shadow the Hedgehog, Sega gave us... Sonic the Hedgehog '06. This is the bottom of the pit for the series. The game was extremely slow, it was extremely buggy, and the plot made absolutely NO sense what-so-ever.

After a few more horrible games, Sonic Unleashed was released. This is the turning point of the series. They tried taking a few good leaps out of the pit with original genuine Sonic platformming at it's finest, but brought it down with a beat-em-up section. Without that section, the game would have been perfect.

With the announcement of Sonic the Hedgehog 4, Sega might be getting out of the pit this time. But only time will tell.

/end rant

Welcome.

I see that you have arrived. Welcome to the Game Corner, where I'll just throw my thoughts and opinions about games, what I am looking foreward to in the future, and other things like that.

A few things you should know... I'm a huge RPG gamer, espically jRPG's. They capture a story like no other... And the gameplay is enjoyable. Keep in mind: I DO enjoy wRPG's, just not as much.

NOW PLAYING: The Last Remnant (PC)

Although this game as a LOT of technical flaws, it's enjoyable overall. The combat is like nothing I've ever seen before (and I've played a lot of games).


That being said, there are a few things that I would've liked to be done differently. The strategy itself is good, but you can't select your own skills yourself. This could be a problem, as the AI sometimes picks horrible skill choices. Also, the special attacks never seem to show up for me. I've only been able to use it once by luck. And there's no indication of how to actually use them. There is also an extreme difficulty curve. Things could be going smoothly, and then suddenly you have to fight a boss that can one-shot your entire party.



The characters for the most part are interesting, and the variety of creatures ensure that there arn't any palette swaps.

All in all, this game is very overlooked, and is a blast to play if you're in the right mindset.