Podcast #034 - The Disappointing Show

So Miles Granger and I got together last Sunday. It's surprising how talkative he can be when he's not being quiet. We talk about Call of Duty 4, Zack & Wiki, Our Disappointments, Used Games, and Final Fantasy XI.

Check out the Podcast Archive for the show.

Have a good one,
David

Left Behind

It looks like I'm the one lagging behind this week. So here's a little house cleaning.

I started Super Mario Galaxy. So far it's very Mario and very polished. The camera takes getting used to. And the soundtrack is surprisingly epic. So far it's very good, but the weak story may be the only thing hold it back from becoming one of my favorites.

Ontamarama and Contra 4 both came out for the DS. It makes me really wish I still had mine. Contra 4 got an 8.0 from IGN which is surprising. I thought they were going to have huge camera issues with the dead space in between the screens. Ontamarama I'm excited about because it's a music game for the DS. The last time I tried out a DS music game, I added Ouendan to my Top 20.

I had a slight craving to play a PSP. I wanted to play a little Gunpey, but the feeling quickly vanished. At this rate I'll probably pick up the PSP Slim when Patapon comes out.

I'm looking into getting a Wii Hori Arcade Stick. It's just coming out and I'm curious as to how well it works. It's semi-wireless because it's just a shell and plugs into the Wii Remote. Also I know that it works on games supported by the Classic Controller, but I really want to know if it works on GameCube games. I'm got my copies of Ikaruga and Soul Calibur II just itching to be played with a good arcade stick.

Need for Speed Pro Street came out this week. It's out for PS3 but delayed a few days for the XB360 version. Congratulations Sony for finally getting a game out on their system before Microsoft. Too bad no one cares about it. Remember when Need For Speed was a title that people got excited about and waited around in line for? Boy did EA run that franchise into the ground. My Prediction, in four years, is that Guitar Hero will suffer same fate as NFS and another Activision published game involving licensed music and extreme sports.

The Check Mii Out channel will be over looked but for the target it's aiming for, it's dead on and another great fit for the Wii.

I heard there's a DS remake in the works with a bigger screen and no GBA slot. It's intriguing since I just lost my DS, but damn "do I really want"/"should I have to" to buy another upgrade. I'm just terrified of a Nintendo Wii remake.


Well that's about it.
David

Nick's Assassins Creed Impressions

There has been an awful lot of hype and concern surrounding Assassins Creed for a long time. So far, the reviews have been ranging from 7 to 9 out of 10 and i've heard some pretty valid complaints with the game. I have played only about 1 hour of the game so far and I noticed some of these issues but overall, I want to say that none of the problems have subtracted from the overall enjoyment of the game. Some people have complained about the twist of the game being revealed in the opening sequence.... is this a problem? My answer is no. The twist was meant to shock the player assuming that someone didn't leak the twist onto the net. So surprise, surprise, the twist isn't that surprising. However, if the surprise hadn't been spoiled ahead of time, I am sure that most people would have really enjoyed that aspect of the story. I won't spoil anything but I really intrigued so far by the premise of the game (which is actually quite different than what you might expect). I am playing the PS3 version and I have noticed a few tears and pop ins but overall, this game is an absolute beauty to behold. This game gives Gears of War a run for its money. Considering all of the concern about bugs and graphical glitches in the past few months, the developers really did do a pretty good job of eliminating most of it. None of the remaining bugs are ever too noticeable. Now for the puppeteering controls. At first I thought these would be unnecessarily complicated but they are actually quite simple to get the hang of and a lot of fun to use overall. The combat is a lot of fun so far and the amount of space to explore is mind blowing. Unfortunately, eavesdropping and pickpocketing is about as complex as the investigations have become so far. Thats not to say that it won't get more complex but I've heard that the investigation aspect is not as fleshed out as it should have been. The only noticeable annoyance, and thats all it is, an annoyance, is that the enemies that aren't engaging you in combat wait their turn to be slaughtered instead of attacking you while you are preoccupied. This would have made combat a bit more challenging and added a bit more depth. But then again, thats what sequels are for, and trust me, their will be sequels. Overall, I love Assassins Creed and have only a few minor complaints so far. The complaints many people have given it are justified but I don't find them to be as noticeable or annoying as they seem to think. I will post my full review after I complete the game so be on the lookout for that. Also, I might add that this and Bioshock are my two main contenders for Game of the Year so far but the year isn't over yet.

-Nick

Who Ya Gonna Call?

I am such a nerd. This is by far the coolest news I've heard in a long time. Apparently GameInformer will be unveiling the new Ghostbusters Video Game for the PS3. I have been a Ghostbusters fan since I was like 5 and I have always wanted to see a follow up to the second movie. Luckily for me, a new developer is working on what will serve as Ghostbusters 3.... in video game form. This is not to be confused with the game footage that appeared on youtube a couple months ago. This is completely new and will apparently not suffer from much of the negative aspects of Licensed games. The best news of all is that Dan Akroyd, Billy Murray and Harlold Ramis are all going to be reprising their roles. I can't wait to read this article and see what the game will actually be like. It seems like i'm the only member of East vs. West that is willing to give licenced games a chance but 2008 seems like it's going to be a good year for licenced titles. I'm already fairly excited about the Bourne Conspiracy and LOST and Ghostbusters makes 3. 2008 is DEFINITELY going to be a great year for gaming.

Peace

-Nick

Learn To Spell

For Goodness Sake Nick, it's spelled Definitely.
There's no 'A.' I mentioned it on about 5 of your posts.
Don't let an Asian correct your spelling or grammar.

David

Things Could Be Looking Up.

Well this holiday season is definately going to be one to remember no matter what system you play. For Wii owners who have been itching for a really solid 1st party title, Super Mario Galaxy comes out today and is sure to be able to keep you busy for weeks. Assassins Creed ships today on Next Gen Consoles and so far the worst score i've seen is a 7.7 while most others are atleast giving it a solid 9 out of 10. Scores like that might seem disappointing at first but with the amount of skepticism and worry that has been surrounding the title, it is actually quite a relief. Assassins Creed is already confirmed to be the first of a planned trilogy so Ubisoft's first attempt to break new ground definately seems to be a success. Mass Effect will obviously be gracing Xbox 360 consoles in about a weeks time so RPG fanatics should get their fix and of course Guitar Hero 3 and Call of Duty 4 will sell well throughout the coming months. The PS3 will also see its share of exclusives such as Uncharted: Drakes Fortune and Haze so PS3 owners shouldn't have much to complain about either. Handheld gamers will have plenty of new titles such as The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass for the DS and Final Fantasy Tactics for the PSP among others. Overall, this looks to be one the best holidays for gamers in a long time.

O yeah, I managed to connect to Xbox Live and play some Call of Duty 4 last night so my aspirations to play online more may be looking up to. Final Fantasy XI, here I come!

Peace!

-Nick

Some Monday Thoughts and Update.

- Well. My fears about Assassin's Creed have been somewhat realized. 1up (a group of people I respect) gave the game a 7.0 out of 10. After reading the review it definitely seems like issues that could have been prevented with more time. Graphical glitches, repetitiveness, a somewhat unfinished story, and a ton of AI issues. I knew Ubi would fuck this up... So much potential. Luckily... I'm still excited about the game. It got good reviews elsewhere and the concept still looks pretty brilliant. Btw... all that free running looks nice but it's all pretty much done automatically.

- Mass Effect has me worried a little bit as well. As you know the street date was broken a few days ago and K-Marts everywhere have been selling the game. Of course all the K-Marts in my city have been shut down so FU world. Nothing has been too negative about this game, in fact some sources have been extremely positive. I believe the reviewer from OXM said something crazy like "the greatest game he has ever played." It was very very positive. What worries me is the games length. This isn't a long game. Well not RPG long at least. A gamer set on beating the game for story and not set on exploring (which is a large part of the game) can beat the game in about 15 hours. This sucks... sort of. Realistically I see myself getting about 25-30 hours out of this game. Luckily I know Bioware will deliver on the story and lesbian sex scenes.

- I beat Half Life 2: Episode 2 and something happened that I was not expecting at all. It hit me fast and it hit me quick. I've been so overwhelmed with so much to play lately but when I saw the credits roll I became quite sad. I was wanting to play nothing in the world but Half Life 2: Episode 3. This is now my most anticipated game and I'm going to go crazy waiting for it to come out. I just played hours and hours of Half Life and I want much much more. God I love this series. David... you must play this game.

- I don't know if you guys picked it up yet. But if you buy Mario Galaxy from Toys R Us you get a free $25 gift card. You can't beat that.

New Channel: Check Mii Out

Nintendo put out their new channel for the Wii. It's called Check Mii Out. Honestly Nintendo is hitting their market great. I think out of the big three, they have the firmest grasp on what their consumers want. I know there are people who are going to complain that there are no games for hardcore players, but honestly we're not their target audience anymore. Also it's not like their getting any less games out. If anything I'd say the game drought from Nintendo has stayed the same.

The channel is like a lot of things from Nintendo, charming. From a game player perspective it's just another one of those quasi-non games for Wii Owners, but from a consumer of innovation and creative ideas standpoint, I think it's wonderful. It's an extension on something that developers didn't do before.

Audition Dance Commercial

So here's a Commercial for Audition Dance Online. It's not Japanese, it's Thai.

[CM]

Things to look for:
A. Mic Guy.
B. Cowboy Hat Guy.
C. Leopard Print Tights Guy.

Have fun.

Thanks Casey for the link.

Very Long Call Of Duty 4 Online Impressions

Yeah, this is and FFT is what I've spent most of my time playing lately.

This game gets many things right and pulls from each of the online shooters I've played lately and some I haven't. I find this game more enjoyable than both Halo 3 and Team Fortress multi-player.

First of all... the online works great. They have a matchmaking system that is nearly as quick and as smart as Halo 3s. It works a hell of a lot better than the mess that is Team Fortresses lobby system. I've had no lag and speedy matches. Which is impressive considering...

The game looks amazing. Halo and TF2 definitely have their unique style, but this game is honestly in a class of its own. It's not just that the graphics are technically impressive, but it's the fact the the maps are so huge with so much grass, leaves, ruble, and other war torn artifacts. A sniper sitting in a bush can be amazingly hard to see even at close range. The game is detailed on an intimidating level. Never before have I felt so strongly that the people playing on large HD TVs probably have a decided advantage. The maps are not just nice to look at but also extremely well conceived. There are 16 maps and many have very unique feels to them. Yeah, you might have your "Black Hawk Down" looking level here and there, but I was surprised to see some of the venues I was placed in the middle of in some of these matches. When you play a map in TF2 or Halo or many other shooters.... it really does feel like just a "map." In this game it I'm immersed in these different environments, and the notion of map boundaries rarely crosses my mind.

The pace of the game is amazing. It's a very realistic shooter in the sense that only a few shots from any gun will take your opponent down. But unlike some other realistic shooters like Rainbow Six, the gameplay is fast and furious. When you die in a Team Deathmatch fight you can respawn instantly. You can get immediately get back into the fight or watch the quick kill cam clip which cleverly shows your death from the point of view of the person who killed you. This is useful not only because you see how the enemy outsmarted you or where he was attacking from, but it also lets you see what weapon he was using and what abilities or "perks" he had equipped.

And that is where this experience truly shines. The customization you can have for your character borders on RPG depth. As you level up in rank you unlock new weapons and new game modes. I think it's really cool that when you are level 1 you can only play team deathmatch, and as you level up, more objective based game types become available. This is a clever way at getting newer players used to combat before they start messing around with trickier strategic based objective modes. Also as you level up you unlock new perks and challenges. Perks are essentially abilities that you gain to customize your character in battle. This is a class based game, but after you hit level 3 (i think its 3) you are able to start creating your own classes. By customizing your perks you can fine tune new classes to your play style. I have one class made that uses heavy machine guns and perks set up so I can take more damage, have better wall penetration, and even rockets as backup. You get a ton of perks as you level up and can really get crazy. One of my favorites is "Last Stand" in which when you get shot and "killed" you fall onto the ground as if dead; but instead of dieing you use your last few seconds of life and can pull out your pistol and try to finish off the enemy that just killed you. It's very sneaky since you on the ground and appear somewhat dead. I can't wait till I get "Iron Lung" for my custom sniper class which lets me hold my breath longer while steadying my aim for snipe shots.

But there is more... really the game is so deep. You unlock these personal challenges as you level up in the game. These challenges are often specific to the many weapons in the game. One may say "get 25 headshots with this gun" and doing so might give you a nice new scope for easier targeting or a silencer preventing you from appearing on the radar when you shoot. You can also get other cool attachments and even new paint jobs. I've picked up some really badass weapons laying next to corpses of enemies and allies on the battlefield.

Bleh... just a little more. One of my favorite aspects of the online play is the streak reward system. In other games, if you go on a kill streak, you often just get rewarded with medals that don't mean much or nerd points that also don't mean much. Going on a kill streak in this game lets the player reach a battle high that needs to be experienced to be believed. If you get 3 kills w/o dieing you get a UAV (I think it's called that) which when deployed basically shows you where all the enemies are on the (extremely well done) player map. This gives you quite the advantage because normally you only see where the enemy last fired on the radar. Getting up to 5 kills will give you the ability to summon an air strike. You pull up a map and can basically choose where you want the planes to attack. Naturally a well placed air strike will get you more kills and when you hits a streak of 7 kills you have to ability to summon an attack helicopter which basically flies around the field and causes mass hysteria for the other team. By this time you are racking up insane kills and feel like quite the hero. My record as of now is about a 18 kill streak and it was far more rewarding than anything I ever achieved in Halo. OMFG bodies everywhere >>>>> "Killtacular!!!"

I know this sounds more like a review but I'm only Level 14 and feel I've only scratched the surface. My only complaint about the game so far is that there is no saved film feature. It's tragic that some on the moments I've had in the game were only seen by me and the killcam of the people I've killed.

I will go as far as to say that so far this is the best online shooter I have ever played. You people must must must get this game. Gamertag: King Hyral.