April 21, 2008
Hyped Up on Grand Theft Auto IV
I don't know how this happened. I played GTA 3 and GTA Vice City only for a few hours each. I never bought San Andreas or the PSP versions. But now after reading several articles I am obsessed with Grand Theft Auto IV and I've pre-ordered it from Amazon. Part of the reason for this is that I dug out a game from last year--Crackdown for the XBox 360--and started playing it with the help of a guide, map, and several online video tips. What did we ever do without YouTube showing us how to play video games? It made me think, wow, this world is so cool--partly the coolness comes from levelling up your cop character to do Hulk-like jumps throughout the city--how cool is the city in GTA IV going to be?
GameVideos has an analysis of all 4 trailers for the new GTA game. GameTrailers' Bonus Round program has a discussion between Geoff Keighley, Michael Pachter, and others. Speaking of everyone's favortie analyst Pachter, there's a long interview with him on the Official XBox Magazine Podcast about GTA IV--if you are interested on the business side of things, like how much Microsoft paid for GTA IV's exclusive content downloads. Over on EGM Live's 3/31/2008 podcast, you can here Crispin Boyer talk about his visit to Rockstar North in Edinburgh, Scotland--where programmers work without having any action figures on their desks--go figure that out! Finally, I read a very long and interesting interview with Rockstar's Dan Houser on one of Variety's blogs:
That's how we chose New York and once we'd chosen that, in terms of the character, we wanted something that felt fresh and new and not something that was obviously derived from this movie. We also felt over the last few years there hadn't been a great standout gangster movie. Maybe could do something ourselves that would live alongside that stuff. We wanted someone who felt tough but also like an alien. So we began to develop the character of Niko. The idea of this immigrant story began to seem fun and interesting and he was a good character. On the one hand he's an innocent, on the other hand he's battle hardened and world weary. A modern "arriving in America" story felt very interesting to us.
Cool, I am geeked out about this and ready to play. Especially with so many guides and video tips to help out a lame gamer like me. Decisions, decisions...order the Grand Theft Auto IV Special Edition
Addendum: IGN's GTA IV: The City That Never Sleeps.
Addendum: Sam Houser Interview at 1UP.
Posted by Kid Flash at 2:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)November 15, 2006
Jack Black Loves to Hate Project Gotham Racing 3
Gamespot has an online video show called Button Mashing. It's basically a game show where they get players to compete against each other on a series of videogames. This particular episode had players squaring off on NES RC Pro Am Racing (loved that game to death), The Warriors, and Marvel Ultimate Alliance. The winner, Homer from Pleasanton, CA, got a big surprise at the end: he got to fly to LA and challenge Jack Black! Black is funny to me no matter what he does. He goes down in flames on Fight Night but redeems himself on Project Gotham Racing 3. Black actually conquered PGR3 on the Platinum level, spending months on the achievement. Then he took a picture of himself, giving the finger to Bizarre Creations: "I was so mad because it was too hard...I hate you designer!!!" The Black section of the video starts at 14:30 minutes if you want to skip to that point. Nuff said.
External Link:
Button Mashing at GameSpot
November 8, 2006
Bizarro in Superman Returns Videogame
I don't really have any expectations from EA's Superman Returns game when it ships this month. It might be cool to fly around an open city, but I wouldn't pay $60 for the experience. It could be a rental or something to pick up a year from now when it's $20. Team XBox has a cool video showing Bizarro in the game. According to this article at GameSpy, you get to play as Bizarro for a while. I think it's hilarious to hear his voice: "Bizarro must do good...bizarro must kill people. It fun being hero by destroying city." Huh, I think there's a lot of cool ideas from the Bizarro world. A Bizarro Sims game, where you attrack people by ignoring them? A Bizarro Grand Theft Auto, where you do random acts of goofy kindness? What else could be done? Nuff said.
F.E.A.R. and Gears of War on XBox 360
November is the most expensive month out of the entire year, because this is the time of year when all the shiny new games are released for the consoles. Forget about the Wii and the Playstation 3, I'm sticking with the XBox 360, because there are so many damn titles and not enough time!
My local GameCrazy called me Monday and let me know Gears of War would arrive Tuesday at 6pm. You can imagine how happy my wife was to hear this news--NOT--I swore this game would keep me so busy that I wouldn't need any more until 2007. Luckily I had pre-ordered and showed up early--by the time the game arrived, there were 30 people waiting for it. In my small bay-area suburb, that's a lot. (I was glad that I was the oldest gamer in line--someone has to give these kids a good role model.) I had initially been hesitant about Gears of War because of the third person perspective, but the video previews, CliffyB's video-game rock star status, and the Metacritic rating in the 90s made this a must-have. Gears' pre-release hype reached Halo-like levels, but it seems justified. The graphics are so incredible that screenshots really can't do them justice. Not only are the brightness, detail, colors, and architecture fabulous, but the "camera" following your character really gives it a documentary-like feeling. I am still getting adjusted (or Scott McCloud might say my brain is getting re-programmed) to playing Gears-style, by taking cover, flanking around the enemy's side, and getting my shots in at strategic targets. I haven't dared to play multi-player yet without making some headway through the single player mode. I like the story, what little there is of it, about Marcus Fenix (the main character) and his squad of space-marines fighting the alien-horde called the Locust. The BradyGames guide for Gears of War gives more background on Fenix's history than I've seen in the game, but I've only played a few hours.
Last week, I picked up F.E.A.R. for the Xbox 360. It seems ridiculous to pay $60 when you can get the PC version for considerably less, but that's how much I love my flat screen TV! F.E.A.R. is a more traditional first person shooter with a strong storyline. I went back and played it briefly after Gears, and boy, the graphics just can't compare! The warehouses, docks, and office buildings that you stalk your enemies in just seem drab in comparison to Sera (Gears' planet). But F.E.A.R. is still a lot of fun, because the enemy AI in this game in almost human-like. They hide behind crates, they flank you, and never hesistate to take a good shot. F.E.A.R. has an amazing "Matrix-like" or Max Payne-like slow-motion effect that you can use to take them down when you are in a tight spot. It's good for a few seconds and it will recharge after a short time. Besides the campaign mode, F.E.A.R. has an Instant Action mode that plunges you into four settings filled tons of bad guys to kill. I've become so addicted to Instant Action that I've lost hours to it already. Despite telling myself I'm just going to play one round, it's like saying I'm going to eat one Lays potato chip. Your score is uploaded to XBox Live and you can see how much you suck compared to the other sharpshooters in the world. I thought I had finally mastered some fundamental F.E.A.R. gameplay when I received an Achievement during an Instant Action round. You can imagine my disappointment when I found out I had achieved 5 points for becoming "Suicide King"! Nuff said.
External Links:
Gears of War Metacritic Score
F.E.A.R. Metacritic Score
Gears of War Achievement List
F.E.A.R. Achievement List
October 26, 2006
Marvel Ultimate Alliance: Quick Impressions
I picked up Marvel Ultimate Alliance for the XBox 360 yesterday, based on a number of very good ratings from IGN, Team XBox, and GameInformer (see this Metacritic link for a summary). I like this game a lot, it's good, cheesy fun for Marvel Comics fans. The opening cinematic featuring the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier under attack by the Masters of Evil is excellent--if they could stretch this into 90 minutes, they would have a fantastic movie. Your first mission is to save the Helicarrier from blowing up with a team consisting of Captain America, Thor, Wolverine, and Spider-Man. You will see Nick Fury quite a bit in this game, because he's directing your attacks against the Masters of Evil, and he's got some secrets of his own that he doesn't want revealed. Besides that level, I've also played through a S.H.I.E.L.D. roving laboratory (under attack by AIM) and the Atlantis level where you have to rescue the Sub-Mariner. As soon as you're done saving his bacon, Namor rewards you by telling your team to beat it! Another level has a throwdown against MODOK, where he asks you trivia questions--if you miss them, your team gets a little electrical shock.
Soon after you start playing, you can choose different team members. When I selected Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, and Ms. Marvel, I got a special Avengers notice, with extra bonus points for damage. There's also a special bonus (resistance to damage) when you select the Fantastic Four. I really get a kick of playing Captain America, because you can throw his shield around and use it as a ranged weapon to take out numerous enemies. Thor and the Thing are both pretty cool because they can take out really strong enemies. It's even fun to play around with Sue Storm--just make her invisible and she's a great stealth attack player. I'm disappointed I can't have my Defenders dream team with Dr. Strange, Sub-Mariner, Silver Surfer, and the Hulk. Namor is an NPC and ol' greenskin is not listed anywhere.
Not everything is great. Some of the reviews are talking about how fantastic the graphics are, and I don't see much difference between this and X-Men Legends (although I just have a 480p TV). There's some graphical glitches, like Captain America floating and flickering above the ground when I was walking in a certain area. In some of the big boss battles (against creatures like Fin Fang Foom and the Kraken) the camera pans away so far that you can't really see your characters that well. Certain things don't make sense, like the Human Torch using fire powers in Atlantis! But I think if you're a Marvel Comics fan and you like video games, Marvel Ultimate Alliance is great fun. If you get it for XBox 360, you will rack up achievement points in no time. Nuff said.
Posted by Kid Flash at 1:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)August 11, 2006
Justice League Heroes Interview
Here's an interview that PopCultureShock did with the producer of Justice League Heroes. There's lots of gameplay videos so you can see how the characters perform. Flash's superspeed fighting ability is really cool. There's no "magic health potions" in this Diablo-style game--you just regenerate health Halo-style by taking a small break from the action.
Thanks to PopCultureShock for letting us steal their content! Nuff said.
Posted by Kid Flash at 1:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)July 1, 2006
Marvel's Ultimate Alliance a Must Have
Whenever the Marvel Ultimate Alliance video game appears this year, I'll probably snap it up quicker than a dog after a Milk-Bone treat. 
Raven Software is following up their Diablo-style X-Men Legends success with the "non-mutant" superheroes in the Marvel Universe. You can pick members of the Fantastic Four or the Avengers (Ultimate style) to defend the world against Doctor Doom and the Masters of Evil. You can also choose more offbeat characters like Dr. Strange, Ghost Rider, Elektra, or Blade to help out. Those comic-book gems will be hidden throughout the game and let you experience key battles in each character's past. According to the description, you will travel to Atlantis and the Skrull homeworld. Galactus gets involved at one point, and you'll also meet lots of NPC characters like Black Bolt. Check out the list below. Nuff said.
External Link:
Ultimate Alliance NPC Character List
June 6, 2006
Halo 3: The Making of the E3 Trailer
Only poor deprived Halo fans could get all hot and bothered over the Halo 3 coming soon trailer that appeared during E3 2006. Count me in as one of them--I downloaded it the minute it was available. While the graphics looked impressive, and the scene on Earth promises a lot of action, it is really hard to wait until 2007 to play this game. Today Bungie released this cool making-of-the-trailer documentary which shows a few things that didn't make it into the movie. It's always good to see Marty O'Donnell creating this great symphonic score, which really contributes a lot to the game. Nuff said.
May 11, 2006
DOAX2: Jiggling Japanababes in HD
The trailer for Dead or Alive Extreme Beach Volleyball 2 appeared on IGN and XBox Live Arcade yesterday. This is either the most exciting game ever made or the most boring, depending on your POV. Buxom bikini bitches play volleyball on a tropical island. For rewards you get to buy string bikinis to the point where they practically walk around nude. In this next gen version, the breasts jiggle and bounce to an extent that cannot be believed. Behold...the power of the 360! Nuff said.
External Link:
IGN Interview with DOAX2 Creator
May 10, 2006
E3 2006: Wii Wii Wii I Want Some Too!
It's impossible for me to try and work during E3--luckily I don't have a job now! I imagine this is what football addicts feel like when the NFL Draft is on ESPN or March Madness for basketball fans. With the internet coverage, you almost get the full E3 experience, without the wear and tear on your feet or traffic jams on the 405. Joystiq has been my main source of news, giving blow-by-blow accounts of the Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft conferences. Gamespot also has a cool blog with video opinions from key staffers. Sony went first and struck out in my opinion, by offering up the Playstation 3 in two bundles for $499 and $599. That price point will be a barrier for many gamers that I know, but Sony could still sell out to the early adopters this fall. It seems crazy to buy the $500 model when it doesn't have features like HDMI output. After reading numerous opinions of the Sony conference, I don't get any sense that people were blown away by Sony's game demos. Gran Turismo was pumped up in HD but apparently it didn't look any better than Project Gotham Racing 3. Sony's controller was changed from a boomerang design to the old classic dual-shock look, but without the shock-they put in sensor motion capabilities, which means the Rumble feature had to be disabled. The most interesting new PS3 game is Resistance: Fall of Man from Insomniac Games, which I saw Ted Price demo on G4's E3 coverage. Gosh darn it, but Hot Shots Golf looks impossibly cute in 1080p.
Nintendo's show was much better received. How can you wrong by having Miyamoto walk out and conduct a symphony using the Wii remote? It's like Mickey Mouse in Fantasia. IGN's web site has a number of videos showing off the Wii remote in games like Zelda, Metroid Prime, Red Steel, etc. The Tony Hawk game I mentioned previously is called Downhill Jam and it is very much like SSX: going downhill in various locations and pulling off tricks to acquire boost. There's a nice interview with the Downhill Jam game producer on IGN. Without the new remote, I'd say it was too derivative, but with the remote-I want it! The most irresistible game for me is Wii Sports, a title that combines Golf, Tennis, and Baseball in one package. The graphics are nothing to shout about, but the remote makes it so much damn fun. Take a look at these videos on IGN's site where Miyamoto plays tennis with Reggie, Iwata, and an audience member. I can easily see myself buying a Nintendo Wii this Christmas instead of the Sony PS3.
Microsoft's showing was better than Sony's, but not a Revolutionary as Nintendo's. Gears of War, Forza 2, Fable 2, more Live Arcade classic games, and Live Anywhere were neat but not mind blowing. Gears of War leaves me cold, no matter how Microsoft tries to pump it up-I don't like that third-person mode and I want to blow shit up at will. I really just wanna have a decent version of Unreal Tournament on the 360. Forza 2 looks pretty but the first one was such a gear-head game. I am more interested in Test Drive Unlimited, a cool Massively Online Racing game where you have the entire island of Oahu perfectly mapped out with GPS. I downloaded the TDU demo that just appeared on XBox Live and it's fun, even though the graphics aren't up to PGR3 quality and it crashed my 360 twice. 
I just want that Magnum P.I. fantasy--the game opens with your avatar eating chips and watching TV in a luxurious pad that would have supermodels drooling. There are two driving wheels coming for the 360, one from Logitech (priced at $99 I think) and another one from Microsoft, a wireless wheel. If you use the wireless mode, you sacrifice the force feedback capability, but if you plug it in, you get true FF. The Halo 3 trailer got me all hot and bothered (even though it won't ship until 2007), and I was lucky enough to download it on Xbox Live around 1pm PST. After that, XBL really got pegged and it took me over an hour to download the Forza trailer. I think the most exciting 360 game at the show is Crackdown, an open-world game featuring super-powered cops-I really hope it will ship this year. The trailer on Xbox Live shows off various game features while panning between comic book panels--but in an upscale graphic novel sort of way. Nuff said.
