Digital Something

DS on DS: LEGO Rock Band

2009-11-08T22:39:02-05:00

Welcome to DS on DS. This is where I'm going to be taking a look at the Nintendo DS and all of it's games. And when I say all, I mean it. I will be going from WarioWare Touched! to Petz Catz Clan. From Planet Puzzle League to Grey's Anatomy. Every Friday, I will write a review on the game I have chosen for the week.

This week I am going to be taking a look at LEGO Rock Band.

When Guitar Hero first hit the Nintendo DS, it was fun to play, but only for short periods. That is all thanks to the hand cramping that everyone experienced with the required add-on controller that went in the GBA slot. Then, on top of that, the DSi was released and everyone who got one could no longer play any of the Guitar Hero games. Along comes LEGO Rock Band, and now it doesn't matter if you have a DS Lite or a DSi. You also don't need a goofy peripheral to play.

If you haven't played/seen any of the versions of LEGO Rock Band, it's pretty much what you would expect it to be. Much like with the other LEGO branded games, everything here is made of LEGOs. The notes you play, the vehicles, even the famous rockers (like the band Queen) are little LEGO dudes.

The game is played similar to Rock Band Unplugged on the PSP. You use four buttons to play the four notes in the songs: Left, Up, X and A. Also, instead of only playing one instrument, like the drums, you play all four. To do this, you switch through the instruments by pressing the L and R buttons. You don't have to worry about missing notes either, because you get special purple notes that give you a few beats to switch tracks. When you get the purple note, the next few following notes become transparent, and those notes are okay to miss. You want to switch between tracks anyway, because for each track that you have hit a purple note on adds to your multiplier. If you have all four tracks, you get a 6X multiplier. Add Overdrive into that, you can get up to 12x. It's not as complicated as it sounds. Everything works exactly as it should. The only problem is just how unconventional it is for those who are used to playing these type of games with a guitar controller. You can play with the touch screen too, but using the buttons is the way to go.

The other important part of any rhythm game is the soundtrack. The console versions of this game have 45 tracks, where the DS only has 25. The songs that are included have some of the best audio quality of any DS game that I have ever played. They are all very close to MP3 quality. The only issue is that some of the songs, most notably The Final Countdown, are shortened. Most of the songs that are shortened only have the tail end cut down (usually on those songs where the ends just kind of repeat over and over until it fades out), and with those it isn't an issue, but The Final Countdown is only about 60% of the song! Part of the intro is shortened, and the song ends one minute and forty seconds early. The first time I played it, I thought I failed the song somehow because it just ends to suddenly. That, thankfully, is the only song I noticed this with.

This was surprisingly better than I had expected it to be. I originally had no interest in this game, and I had actually forgotten that it was coming out on the DS. I'm glad I played it though. This is a great one to ask someone for as a present for whatever upcoming holiday it may be that you celebrate.

FINAL SCORE: 7/10

If you want to read any of my past DS on DS reviews, you can find links to them all on the Official DS on DS Blog.

Review - Nostalgia

2009-11-06T16:36:06-05:00

Nostalgia is a new original adventure from the team behind the Final Fantasy III & IV remakes for the DS. Set in an alternate 19th century Earth, the player takes the role of Eddie, a young British lad who embarks on a quest to find his missing father, the famous adventurer Gilbert Brown. Nostalgia has a lot to live up to. The developers have proven they can take a classic and remake it well, but can they be just as successful with a new IP?

The game's storyline is a fun light-hearted one. It proves a little weak in some areas, the biggest one that comes to mind is the very beginning where Eddie finds out his father is missing. The dialogue is something along the lines of "Oh, dad is missing? I'll go on a dangerous quest to find him. Bye!" But despite the somewhat weak start, it definitely picks up later on.

Set in an alternate Earth during the "Age of Adventure", airships have become the most common method of travel. Perils exist in the skies however, in the form of monsters and sky pirates.

The game really does capture that spirit of adventure. Soaring over new lands and exploring sites like the pyramids of Egypt and the Tower of Babil, all the while feeling the threat of the game's antagonists, The Cabal, it feels like an Indiana Jones movie.

The mechanics are crisp and work very well on the DS. Exploration mode has the bottom screen displaying a map, which can be moved by using the stylus, while the main window is up top. Combat uses the bottom screen to display information such as character stats and turn order while all the action takes place on the top.

Combat is fairly traditional. The four characters each fulfill a different role- warrior, rouge, mage, priest. Each character unlocks skills as they level up, which in turn can be improved by spending skill points, allowing for some customization. The only flaw with normal combat is that the game is way too easy. I found one strategy early on (I won't mention it here, even though it was a very simple one), that allowed me to essentially defeat almost any boss in one or two turns.

More difficult is airship combat. Your airship can be upgraded with different parts to improve performance throughout the game. Each party member mans a different station on the ship, allowing for some strategy.

Enemies in the air are typically stronger and with the freedom of being able to fly anywhere, it's sometimes all too easy to stumble into a battle you can't win. And with fleeing sometimes impossible, if you aren't careful, you could find yourself loading your last save regularly.

Eddie gains three more companions throughout his journey and is regularly joined by guest party members- uncontrollable NPCs that provide different benefits in combat from damage to healing and buffs. Each character has their own backstory and are well developed.

In addition to the main quest, there's loads of side quests that can be picked up at the Adventurer's Association. Each mission has a rank and by completing it, you earn points. These points improve your own rank and allow you to take on more difficult missions.

Of course you also make a good amount of money from these missions as well, allowing you to outfit your characters and airship to deal with challenges in the main storyline.

For the collector gamer, Nostalgia won't disappoint. An adventurer's journal can be found in the main menu, providing lists of everything the player can complete in the game, with percentages cataloging the progress. Everything from main characters you've met to side quests and items all are listed and trying to complete it should keep the dedicated gamer busy.

The graphics look great for a DS game. A similar style to the Final Fantasy remakes, the world is all in 3D, as are the characters, although they're somewhat more anatomically correct than the FF characters (No oversized heads). No voices will be found in this game, but plenty of cut scenes and lots of action make up for that.

Overall, with very solid gameplay, a fun, lighthearted storyline, memorable characters and loads of side quests, Nostalgia is a fantastic game and one that no RPG fan with a DS should pass up.

Final Score - 8/10

Madden NFL 10 Wii Showdown: Week 9

2009-11-06T01:59:24-05:00

After a pathetic showing for week seven, Madden NFL 10 has rebounded in a BIG way with the results of week eight. Last week, as you may recall, Madden went 5 - 8. This week, the wins were doubled and Madden went 10 - 3. That brings the total record for the season to 69 - 47. Can Madden NFL 10 keep up this newfound momentum with week nine, or will it once again fall flat on it's face?

Here are the Madden NFL 10 Wii simmed results for week nine:

Redskins at Falcons: Atlanta wins, 33 - 24

Cardinals at Bears: Arizona comes up to the cold weather in Chicago and takes it, 29 - 26

Ravens at Bengals: Two TD from Chad Ochocinco were not enough, as Baltimore wins it, 21 - 14

Texans at Colts: Houston shocks Indy in OT, 24 - 21

Chiefs at Jaguars: In another OT shocker, Kansas City wins, 33 - 30

Dolphins at Patriots: No surprise here as Miami freezes in New England and loses, 3 - 28

Packers at Buccaneers: Green Bay gets the victory, 10 - 6

Panthers at Saints: Drew Brees kills another defense, 31 - 21

Lions at Seahawks: Guess who winse this one 35 - 3? I'll give you a hint: It's not Detroit

Chargers at Giants: San Diego completely shuts down New York and wins 34 - 0

Titans at 49ers: Tennessee wins with a field goal in the last four minutes of the game, 27 - 24

Cowboys at Eagles: Tony Romo sucks and throws for no TDs and 3 INTs as Philadelphia wins, 24 - 7

Steelers at Broncos: In a game of nothing but field goals, Pittsburgh wins 12 - 9

Make sure to check back next week for the week nine results, and the week ten sims!

GOG Gets Majesco Love With Psychonauts & More

2009-11-06T01:11:49-05:00

Good Old Games is now looking even better as their catalog has now gotten a dose of Psychonauts! Majesco Entertainment has teamed up with GOG to provide the under-appreciated and often overlooked title for the wonderful price of $9.99. Oh, and they got Advent Rising, BloodRayne, and BloodRayne 2 in the deal. You take the good with the bad, I guess!

Digital-Distribution Revolution Continues as Psychonauts and More Join GOG.com’s Catalogue

Majesco Entertainment brings Psychonauts, the BloodRayne series and Advent Rising to the DRM-free classic-gaming megastore.

Warsaw, Poland – November 5, 2009. GOG.com (http://www.gog.com), the premier destination for fans of classic PC games, now offers titles from Majesco Entertainment. The agreement expands GOG.com's catalogue with the additions of Psychonauts,&nbspBloodRayne, BloodRayne 2 and Advent Rising. Coinciding with the announcement, GOG.com has releasedPsychonauts for $9.99 and Advent Rising for only $5.99.

Created by legendary game designer Tim Schafer, Psychonauts is a classic action-adventure game that was highly acclaimed by critics and received numerous awards. Players step into the shoes of Raz, a ten-year-old circus acrobat with psychic powers, as he takes up training at the Whispering Rock Summer Camp, a breeding ground for Psychonauts. Raz sets off on an incredible trip through the psyches of many of the camp’s inhabitants, and the ensuing adventure is full of hilarious dialogue and time-tested gameplay.

Advent Rising is a science-fiction action-adventure game that features a script written by famed sci-fi writer Orson Scott Card, the author of “Ender's Game” and “Speaker for Dead,” both awarded the Hugo and Nebula awards. The game introduces Gideon Wyeth, a rookie space pilot who lives a happy life until a terrifying message about an alien invasion appears. Gideon has to face the vicious race of the “Seekers” and save his homeland with futuristic weapons and psychic powers.

“One of GOG.com’s main goals is to bring games that were overlooked back into the spotlight,” said Adam Oldakowski, Managing Director of GOG.com. “Games like Psychonauts perfectly embody the ‘Good Old Game’ and we’re thrilled to be bringing that game, along with other quality titles like BloodRayne and Advent Rising, to a new audience.”

Psychonauts and Advent Rising are already available for download at GOG.com for $9.99 and $5.99, respectively, DRM-free and compatible with Windows XP and Vista. Other titles from Majesco’s catalogue will be added in the coming weeks.

Prepare For Modern Warfare 2 With Avatar Gear

2009-11-06T00:51:52-05:00

Next week's pending release of what is probably the biggest game of the year has brought about some new goods for you to stock up on for your 360 Avatar. Along with the usual assortment of game branded t-shirts and hats, there is also a full body "Ghost" uniform and a handheld UAV. The shirts and hats will set you back 80 MS Points, the UAV 240 MS Points, and the "Ghost" gear will set you back a full $5 (400 MS Points).

Microsoft and Infinity Ward have teamed up to offer players a series of high-speed/low-drag avatar items that help players show what kind of fans they are. Available items include a full “Ghost” outfit, a carriable UAV prop, and various clothing items that will rig out the hardest of hardcore players.

Rumor: Phoenix Wright Headed to Wii

2009-11-05T00:00:44-05:00

Apparently, today the German USK ratings board leaked that Phoenix Wright would be coming out on the Wii. There is nothing else known at this time, but the early speculation is that it would be a WiiWare title. If it were to just be a port, the game was released on PC in Japan, so that is probably what would be used.

Either way, it would be more Phoenix Wright in some form, and that's a good thing.

Nintendo Download Update - 11/02

2009-11-02T10:25:44-05:00

Today brings eight new downloadable titles from Nintendo, and it seems to be a very mixed bag. For the DSi, there are dragons, vikings, and sparkles. WiiWare gets a puzzle room, mini games, and card games. And the Virtual Console gets the TG-16 version of the original Street Fighter and R-Type on the Master System.

Nintendo DSiWare

Sparkle Snapshots
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points^™
Description: Take photos and embellish them to your heart’s desire with Sparkle Snapshots. Choose from a large variety of fancy frames, backgrounds, stamps and funny outfits to decorate your photos, or use the powerful paint program functions to manipulate them in detail. Want to take a new photo and add it to your collection? Adjust the lighting conditions and lens type to match your subject and even use a shutter timer to allow yourself some extra time to get everything perfectly in place. Save your favorite snapshots in your Nintendo DSi Camera album and use Nintendo DS wireless communications to send your masterpieces to your friends. It’s all the fun of a photo booth – and more – in the palms of your hands.

Viking Invasion
Publisher: BiP Media
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Fantasy Violence
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: They come from the North, and they’re about to invade your Nintendo DSi system. Beware of Olaf the Viking and his motley crew. Even now, their drakkars are sailing up the rivers to attack your castles. It’s up to you to construct fortifications to prevent them from pillaging everything you own. The more you defend yourself, the more ferocious they’ll become. Before you know it, they’ll be invoking legions of fantastic creatures straight out of the mythical land of Asgard. Fortunately, the experience you gain will help you to build even more powerful defenses. Thwart all your assailants’ ruses and unlock new kinds of buildings: tornado-blowing windmills to repel the ships, monoliths that strengthen your fortifications or canons that shoot studded shells. Discover more than 10 levels, tons of units, a Campaign mode, a Survival mode and three difficulty levels. There’s even a little surprise at the end. Can you rise to the challenge and stop Olaf from taking your treasure home to his sweetheart Olga?

Battle of Giants: Dragons – Bronze Edition
Publisher: Ubisoft
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Mild Fantasy Violence
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: As last of the noble and rare Bronze Dragons, you must defeat the evil SALMU dragons and reclaim the 25 exclusive bronze gems they stole. Explore 10 maps and travel through the great jungles of Earth, the scorched grounds of Fire, the frozen wastelands of Ice and the floating islands of Wind. Customize your dragon’s appearance by changing its body, wings, tail shape and colors – even add stripes. Test your dragon’s fighting skills against your friends in head-to-head combat or four-player tournaments.

WiiWare

Carnival King
Publisher: Incredible Technologies
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 700 Wii Points^™
Description: Carnival King is a fun-for-all-ages video game that brings the spirit and energy of competitive carnival games to the screen. Players compete for top scores and prizes while visiting three different amusement parks: Arcadia, Dreamland and Lagoon Park. Each park has four sets of games and a Bonus Round to test players’ speed and accuracy. For novices or sharpshooters, the games are continually challenging, and the difficulty level can be adjusted to match each player’s growing confidence.

“Aha! I Got It!” Escape Game
Publisher: Ateam Inc.
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Play alone or with family and friends to solve this puzzling adventure game. Today is Milo’s birthday, and he just got an amazing present from his dad: a room full of puzzles. Milo needs to solve all the puzzles to escape from the room. Shake, push and twist the Wii Remote^™ controller to collect and use in-game items. There’s plenty to solve – see if you have what it takes to figure it all out.

Family Card Games
Publisher: Aksys Games
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Suggestive Themes
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Daddy, Mommy, Sarah and Billy are back for some good ol’ card game action. Try your hand at one of three card games: Daifugo, Speed or Memory. Family Card Games offers appealing cel-shaded graphics, endearing music and friendly, competitive match-ups. You can play one-player Daifugo or play against up to three other random players in an online match. You can also view your ranking and see how you match up with players around the world. Test your reflexes against another player in Speed and see who truly has the fastest hands. Memory will test your mental capacity as you try to remember where cards and their respective matches are.

Virtual Console

Fighting Street
Original platform: TurboGrafx16 CD-ROM
Publisher: Capcom
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Mild Blood, Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: A port of the arcade version of STREET FIGHTER, the legendary fighting game that started it all. Players control RYU or KEN and battle against unique fighters from all over the world. The first fighter to knock out an opponent and win two rounds is the winner. Power up your attack to three different levels – the longer you hold a button, the stronger your attack. Input commands to perform special attacks and deal serious damage to your opponent. Combine your normal and special attacks effectively to fight your way to victory.

R-TYPE^™
Original platform: SEGA Master System
Publisher: SEGA
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Fantasy Violence
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: R-TYPE is a classic, side-scrolling arcade shoot-’em-up that was developed by Irem in 1987. It’s the 22^nd century, and you are humanity’s last hope against the evil Bydo Empire. Your ship is called the R-9a “Arrowhead” and comes with a standard gun, but power-ups and upgrades are available in each mission. Navigate through eight challenging levels that will test even the best gamer’s reflexes. The SEGA Master System version features an exclusive secret level not found in any other release.

Madden NFL 10 Wii Showdown: Week 8

2009-10-31T23:27:50-04:00

What an abysmal week seven for Madden NFL 10! There were a whole five games that were right in who would win. That means that Madden went 5 - 8 for last week. The overall record going into the halfway point of the season it 59 - 44. Here's hoping that week eight turns out better. Honestly, a lot of the games this week could end up going either way. It looks like at least five of the games should be right, but the rest are just anyone's guess. There should be a lot of good football for week eight!

Here are your week eight sim results:

Broncos at Ravens: Baltimore shuts down the Denver offense, 26 - 6

Texans at Bills: Buffalo wins, 28 - 18

Browns at Bears: In a result that shouldn't surprise anyone, Chicago wins, 16 - 10

Seahawks at Cowboys: Dallas trounces Seattle, 37 - 6

Rams at Lions: In a sim that I personally hope is wrong, Detroit loses yet again, 13 - 18

Vikings at Packers: In Favre's return to Lambeau Field, he leads his current team to victory, 33 - 24

49ers to Colts: Indianapolis gets the victory, 31 - 17

Dolphins at Jets: Miami takes this one, 35 - 10

Jaguars at Titans: Tennessee wins this rivalry game, 34 - 13

Raiders at Chargers: San Diego comes out on top, 38 - 12

Panthers at Cardinals: Carolina wins, 31 - 18

Giants at Eagles: Brandon Jacobs is the difference maker here, scoring three rushing TDs in New York's win, 27 - 19

Falcons at Saints: Atlanta keeps Drew Brees to 2 TD passes and wins it, 41 - 27

That's it for the week eight sims! Check back next weekend for this week's results, and Madden NFL 10's sims for week nine!

DS on DS: The Horror!

2009-10-30T23:18:27-04:00

This week I am going to be taking a special look at games fitting for Halloween.

With tomorrow being Halloween, I figured that this week I would give you a small glimpse into a variety of Nintendo DS games that fit the theme of the season. There are a decent number of DS games that could fit under the umbrella of Halloween, a lot of the ones I have here on this list I had completely forgotten about until I started working on this, but are they tricks or treats?

Resident Evil: Deadly Silence - TREAT (Though, it's one of those candies that are kinda tasty, but they are so cheap that everyone gives them out and you might be sick of getting them)

Not only did Capcom take the full PS1 game and transfer it perfectly to the DS, they also added some new modes. There was an arranged DS mode which included some first-person elements and touch screen puzzles, and a multiplayer mode where you played through parts of the map competitively. These added a little bit of new life into a classic game, but when you still get all the cheesy goodness of the live action opening movie and the great dialog, the game would have been fine as a straight port. Also, if you are looking for an awesome RE wallpaper, check this one out, made by our very own Scott!

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin, and Order of Ecclesia - TREATS (Like three full size candy bars)

These are all excellent games, and if you are a fan of Castlevania games at all, you are doing yourself a great disservice by not playing these games. It is really hard to pick a favorite out of the three, but I can easily tell you the hardest of the three: Order of Ecclesia. This game is merciless. You die. A lot. In fact, I haven't even finished it yet because I got aggravated. Maybe I'll work on it this weekend.

Little Red Riding Hood's Zombie BBQ - TREAT

If you want to read my full impressions on this game, you can find my review here. I'll just say that this game is crazy, kinda hard, and lots of fun.

Touch The Dead - TRICK

This is an on-rails shooter, similar to the House of the Dead series of games. It isn't completely horrible, but it isn't a whole lot of fun either.

Dementium: The Ward - TREAT

This game, I only recently played. Recently, as in earlier today. I saw the new trailer for Dementium II, and I realized that I never played this one. This is a horror FPS, and it is very well done. There is a very good atmosphere in this game, and for being a portable game, there is actually a decent amount of tension. It can actually get creepy at times. Of course, I'm a wuss.

Barnyard Blast - TREAT (but only kinda... like an apple. Or a popcorn ball.)

Looking at the title, it's hard to understand what kind of game this is. You wouldn't really expect it to be filled with zombies and monsters of all sorts. And believe it or not, this game doesn't completely suck. It's a pretty decent spoof of classic video games, with the most direct being Castlevania. I mean, come on, the main character is named Robert Belmart, and one of the weapons is a "slayer whip". The humor in this game is spot-on, but the gameplay is just plain spotty. Again, this isn't a horrible game, and it's cheap enough to possibly warrant a purchase.

Teenage Zombies: Invasion of the Alien Brain Thingys! - TRICK

The game looked promising, The title made it sound like it had a possibility of being good. Unfortunately, these shambling undead could not live up to any sort of hype (pun not intended). It's a decent game, but nothing really makes it stand out as something you should be clamoring to get your hands on.

All in all, not too bad of a smattering of horror games on the Nintendo DS. I know there are a few others out there, but I was trying to limit this to games that I have actually played. Got any that I missed?

DJ Hero DLC Available Today, Overpriced

2009-10-29T14:27:30-04:00

The first downloadable content for DJ Hero hits today, and I hope you have a stockpile of cash sitting around. If you get this DLC, you will need it. The first pack, Extended Mix Pack 01, will set you back 480 MS Points ($5.99 on PSN). The kicker here is that it is only for two mixes! Yes, for more than the cost of some classic XBLA games, you get a whole two mixes for DJ Hero! Also, you have to buy both of them unless you have the Wii version, on which you can only buy them separately for 300 points each. The second batch of DLC coming is the David Guetta Mix Pack, which is three mixes, and it only $2 more expensive. So, why are they so expensive? Chris Lee explains to IGN.

There's additional work in the creation process of the DJ Hero DLC – licensing multiple pieces of content and bringing in a professional DJ to mix the tracks – that brings the price to 300 Wii Points for the mixes individually; 480 Microsoft Points or $5.99 in the PlayStationStore for Extended Mix Pack 01. The David Guetta Mix Pack coming in November will be 300 Wii Points for the mixes individually; 640 Microsoft Points or $7.99 in the PlayStationStore.

And the two mixes from the Extended Mix Pack 01 are:

All Of Me" by 50 Cent featuring Mary J. Blige vs. "Radio Ga Ga" by Queen
"DARE" by Gorillaz vs. "Can't Truss It" Performed by Public Enemy

So what do you think? Is this worth it at all?

Nintendo Announces DSi LL / XL - UPDATED

2009-10-29T10:29:32-04:00

Do you like using your DSi, but find those screens just too gosh darn small? Do you wish that Nintendo would make a new version, in more sophisticated, old person colors and a screen 93 percent bigger than the DS Lite? Wish no more, because Nintendo has officially announced the DSi LL (in Japan, LL is used in place of XL)! This system is specifically designed with you in mind. The screen is 4.2inches, and this means, of course, that the entire system will also be bigger. The DSi LL will come with two different size stylus, with one being normal size and the other being about the size of a tablet pen. It will also be available in three colors: Dark Brown, Wine Red, and Natural White. There will also be three pre-loaded DSiWare titles.

Probably the only issue here is the fact that the resolution is going to be the same, and with the screens being that much bigger, I don't foresee that looking too hot. But, hey, if you are old and seeing small things are hard for you, this might make it a little easier on your failing eyesight. You can pick this up on November 21, for ¥20,000. Or if you are in Europe (where it will be known as the XL), you can pick one up sometime in Q1 for a little more than the DSi.

UPDATE: Nintendo has announced that the DSi XL will also be available in North America in early 2010.

Muramasa Halloween Party

2009-10-27T14:38:43-04:00

The folks over at Ignition love giving stuff away. And I know you all love getting stuff for free, so I thought I'd share their next little promotion.

Knowing the Ignition crew, it should be a pretty fun time, so if you're on the fence about Muramasa and want a chance to win some sweet swag, it's definitely worth the time to drop by. Not one to miss out on free stuff, you can be sure I'll be there as well.

Review: Three Cards to Midnight

2009-10-27T14:19:25-04:00

In 2007, Aaron Conners and Chris Jones returned to the world of gaming as Big Finish Games. The creative minds behind the Tex Murphy series have since released their first title as BFG, Three Cards to Midnight - a psychological point-and-click puzzle game. Does the game live up to expectations though? Read on to find out.

"I know this isn't easy, Jess, but I need you to try and stay with me." says a man shrouded by darkness. "Where am I?" a young woman replies. "Just try to relax." says the man. "There will be time for questions later."

So beings your journey into Three Cards to Midnight. Jess, the game's protagonist, is a young woman on the eve of her 30th birthday. She has a great relationship with a man she cares about and life is good. Yet for some reason, she finds herself in a room with a man she's never seen before. Her memories are gone and she has no idea when her last memory was. The man says he's there to help her remember as he has her pick out cards from a Tarot deck.

The game is divided into several chapters, which allow you to review completed ones. Each chapter is then divided into typically four sections: three Tarot cards and one puzzle.

The game then begins for the player by allowing them to pick one of three cards to proceed. After doing so, the man will ask Jess what sort of images the card brings to mind. She'll describe a memory then and he'll ask her to identify key words of that memory.

At this point, the player is given their task. A still scene is presented before the player. In the very first scene, we see a family room in a house. The goal at this stage is to find items on the screen that identify with the key words. For example, the first keyword is "Note". From here you have to find several items that connect with the word "Note." Clicking on a book onscreen will yield the result "Note Book" while clicking the "C" on the wall will give you "C Note."

Often the choices will be more subtle than that however. As with most of their games, this one makes you think. Not all the connections are obvious and on a few occasions they're downright obscure. The game allows you ten misses before making you restart the chapter.

Not to fret though, as Three Cards to Midnight continues a tradition started in Under a Killing Moon. At the beginning of the game, the player chooses from one of three difficulty levels. Pick the easiest, and you don't even have to find all the key words, the hardest will add new key words. There is also a hint system, though using it will take a toll on your score.

Choosing what difficulty to play on is important as your performance throughout the game will ultimately decide which one of the multiple endings you get.

After Jess recovers a memory from each of the three Tarot cards each chapter, she's presented with a puzzle. Here the game really shines as it moves away from the standard game play. Any veteran of the Tex Murphy series will feel right at home as some of the puzzles are clearly inspired from the old series, though Three Cards to Midnight has plenty of original puzzles. All challenging though not overly difficult, completing them will allow Jess to regain an additional memory that ties the chapter together.

The storyline starts off slow but quickly picks up in later chapters. With many twists and turns, Three Cards to Midnight proves a strong psychological mystery.

The weakest point of Three Cards to Midnight is definitely the graphics. The cutscenes are in small windows with a somewhat low resolution and some of the human animations look robotic. The cutscenes are only meant to tie together the story and ultimately the game doesn't suffer on this weakness.

With a strong storyline, solid and fun gameplay, multiple difficulties and several endings, Three Cards to Midnight is a small game with a lot going on for it. The team at Big Finish Games still knows how to build a great story and solid game play.

Final Score - 8/10

New Releases: Week of Oct 25th - 31st, 2009

2009-10-27T09:49:38-04:00

This week is jam packed with new releases. DJ Hero, Forza Motorsport 3, Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time and Tekken 6 all land on store shelves. It would seem that the Holiday rush is officially starting!

Borderlands
League of Legends
Painkiller: Resurrection
Press Your Luck: 2010 Edition
The Stronghold Collection
World of Zoo

SpongeBob's Truth or Square

DJ Hero
Ni Hao Kai Lan: Super Game Day

DJ Hero
Fairytale Fights
Madagascar Kartz
Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time
Tekken 6

Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader? Game Time
DJ Hero
Fairytale Fights
Forza Motorsport 3
Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City
Madagascar Kartz
Tekken 6

Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader? Game Time
The Backyardigans
Diner Dash: Flo on the Go
Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter
Madagascar Kartz
Ni Hao Kai Lan: Super Game Day
Nostalgia
Press Your Luck: 2010 Edition
SpongeBob's Truth or Square
World of Zoo

Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader? Game Time
Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party 3
Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter
Fairytale Fights
Hasbro Family Game Night 2
Madagascar Kartz
Mountain Sports
Ni Hao Kai Lan: Super Game Day
Press Your Luck: 2010 Edition
Remington Great American Bird Hunt
SimAnimals Africa
SpongeBob's Truth or Square
World of Zoo

Stick Your Sackboy in a Free Pumpkin

2009-10-26T13:02:58-04:00

For whatever reason that you may have missed last year's free pumpkin head costume for LittleBigPlanet, you will soon have a chance to snag it again. Just head to the PlayStation Store on Thursday, and for the always awesome price of free, it can be yours.

Nintendo Download Update - 10/26

2009-10-26T10:41:39-04:00

This weekend brings Halloween, and Nintendo is trying to celebrate with a few of their digital releases this week. The best game for the Big N this week comes for the Virtual Console in the form of Zombies Ate My Neighbors. Also on the Virtual Console this week is the arcade version of Golden Axe. WiiWare gets more Monkey Island and yet another party game, and DSiWare gets sudoku and bluffing.

WiiWare

Ghost Mansion Party
Publisher: Gameloft
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 1,000 Wii Points^™
Description: Fazzy the ghost has been locked out of his mansion by some evil spooks, and he’s willing to give his treasure to anyone who can chase them out. Work cooperatively and competitively with friends and family to defeat the ghosts and discover a huge hidden treasure. Travel around this wild mansion in board-game fashion, landing on mini-games that everyone can enjoy. You’ll even engage in challenges on the board itself as you try to collect magic scrolls and hints to reveal the secret word that will open the doors to the treasure. Get your Wii Remote^™controllers ready – you’re about to play with them in ways you’ve never imagined.

Tales of Monkey Island: Chapter 3
Publisher: Telltale Games
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Comic Mischief, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes
Price: 1,000 Wii Points
Description: In the third Tales of Monkey Island chapter, Guybrush gets in deep – literally – as his quest for the voodoo exfoliating La Esponja Grande takes a scenic detour through the guts of a giant manatee. Our hero encounters a surprising band of castaways, including the long-lost explorer Coronado De Cava. Can the Mighty Pirate win the suspicious De Cava’s trust? Will sexy pirate hunter Morgan LeFlay prove to be a ruthless enemy or an unlikely ally? Will the group find La Esponja Grande in time to save Elaine from the rampant Pox of LeChuck? And will the world be crushed by the gnashing teeth of a certain demonic skull? Tales of Monkey Island’s moist and absorbing third episode, “Lair of the Leviathan,” will answer some of these urgent questions and raise even more as the five-month adventure builds to its epic climax.

Virtual Console

Zombies Ate My Neighbors^™
Publisher: LucasArts
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Cartoon Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: You will play the game as one of two brave kids: Zeke or Julie. Both kids use the same control scheme and have the same characteristics. If you’re playing in two-player mode, each player must pick a kid. You can’t have two Zekes or two Julies. Each player starts with three lives. When your life bar runs out, you lose a life. There are hidden 1-Up bonuses in the game. You may also earn bonus lives if you have 10 victims left when you finish a level. Get ready to conquer 48 levels of giant ants, mad scientists and big babies. Find seven bonus levels (look for the question marks), earn points and stockpile your water pistols and other weapons.

Golden Axe
Publisher: SEGA
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Blood, Fantasy Violence
Price: 900 Wii Points
Description: In this original arcade game that launched the popular Golden Axe series, the evil Death Adder has invaded your land and taken the king and princess prisoner. Three mighty warriors step forward to bring the villain to justice: powerful fighter Ax Battler, Amazon warrior Tyris Flare and mighty dwarf Gilius Thunderhead. They will use their weapons and magic to fight their way through Death Adder’s hordes. Along the way, they’ll mount fearsome, fire-spitting beasts to help even the odds. Team up with a friend and enjoy two-player simultaneous game play for a better chance of survival.

Nintendo DSiWare

PictureBook Games: The Royal Bluff
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points^™
Description: Aristocratic opponents square off in PictureBook Games: The Royal Bluff, a game of strategy and deceit. Compete for points by adding or subtracting colored chips from rows on the game board and trying to guess each of your opponent’s secretly assigned chip colors. Once you’re confident in your deduction, issue a Call Out attempt to earn bonus points – at the risk of giving your opponent an extra point if you’re wrong. Three modes of play (Tournament, Free Play, DS Wireless Play) offer a variety of options, from facing off against an assortment of computer opponents to competing in a wireless match with up to four players. Throw Trick Cards into the mix and you’ve got a winning combination of tactics and trickery that’s sure to score points.

SUDOKU
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: SUDOKU offers hundreds of number-crunching puzzles that will stretch your brain power to the limit. Take it even further by playing in the exclusive Newspaper Mode. Add a daily puzzle from your favorite paper and build your very own collection. From Easy to Insane, a total of five different levels are available for novices and masters alike. Enjoy a host of grid designs that will keep you coming back for more. This worldwide phenomenon delivers an exhilarating game of logic that’s not only challenging, but also surprisingly relaxing. It’s everything you want for a quick puzzle getaway. Make life easier by taking advantage of smart features like automatic annotation for effortless calculation of your achievements. Stumped? Get help with error-checking tools and friendly cell hints. Track your stats and test your reaction time with the in-game timer. This addictive brain game has been polished to perfection and renders a sleek design that’s easy on the eyes.

Netflix Coming to PlayStation 3

2009-10-26T09:34:39-04:00

As of next month Xbox 360 owners will have one less feature to brag about. Sony has announced a new partnership with Netflix to bring their instant streaming service to the PlayStation 3. Unlike the Xbox 360 service, PlayStation 3 owners will have to use a free Blu-ray disc that will be made available to all Netflix members. The disc then uses BD-Live to access the Internet and large selection of streaming titles.

No exact date has been given but users interested can sign up early at http://www.netflix.com/ps3 and be ready when the service launches next month.

DS on DS: WWE Smackdown Vs Raw 2010

2009-10-23T23:29:20-04:00

This week I am going to be taking a look at WWE Smackdown Vs. Raw 2010.

Two years ago, the perennial Smackdown Vs. Raw was released for the first time on the Nintendo DS. That version solely used the touch screen to play the game through the usually dreaded Quick Time Events. The second iteration of the series on the DS used the d-pad to maneuver your brawler around the ring, and the touch screen to perform the attacks. Both of these were less than ideal for a wrestling game. The latest entry in the series, Smackdown Vs. Raw 2010, has finally been released, and thankfully it is a big change from the prior two games.

With SvR 2010, they have finally brought a more traditional control scheme to the DS. This is, after all, one of the most important aspects of any wrestling games. Thankfully, bringing this type of controls to the handheld has worked out well. I wish they would have implemented these controls into the first game, because trying to play the game with only the touch screen wasn’t entirely the best way to go around playing things. While they aren’t as robust as those on the console versions, but there are still all of the necessary components. You still have your weak and strong grapples and striking attacks, even if you my not have as many options for each type of attack. The only thing that the touch screen is used for in this game is the card system. These cards are used as power-ups during a match. You can set three cards during your wrestler’s entrance, and you can use the cards one time each during the fight. These cards will help you by providing you the ability to instantly kick out of a pin, or to have another wrestler perform a run-in attack. I have yet to use these for myself, but the CPU can also use them, and usually ends up using all three during a fight. It doesn’t drastically change the gameplay mechanics, but it does give the game something unique. As for the match types, there are nine included in the game. You have your one-on-one, Last Man Standing, Ladder, Steel Cage, Table, TLC, Extreme Rules, Ambulance, and Backstage matches.

The story mode here is solely for a created wrestler. Much like in any other wrestling game, your CAW starts out barely average, and playing through the story gives you the opportunity to beef them up. In this game, you level up your skills by working out, one exercise per in-game day. There are four separate attributes you can work on, with power, submission, and speed affecting which moves you can assign. The fourth attribute is your durability. Throughout the story, you will also earn new cards and money for the unlockables.

The look of the game resembles a graphically beefed-up version of No Mercy or the PSOne Smackdown games. It runs about the same speed of NM, but there are no instances of slowdown (at least that I have encountered). All 30 of the included wrestler entrances are fully represented, well, at least as best as the DS can handle. Triple H has the multicolored lights and the water spit. Undertaker even has the stage smoke in his entrance. All of the entrance music is pretty high quality here as well.

Overall, this is the best of any of the SvR games that have been released on the DS, and I can only see the series getting better.

Final Score: 7/10

If you want to read any of my past DS on DS reviews, you can find links to them all on the Official DS on DS Blog.

Madden NFL 10 Wii Showdown: Week 7

2009-10-22T17:12:23-04:00

With a few blowouts, shutouts, and a very disappointing meeting between two undefeated teams, week six seems to have given Madden NFL 10 some trouble. The game only went 7 - 7 last week. The game does still has a pretty good record of 54 - 36, but this week hurt a bit. How will Madden 10 fair in week eight? Things don't look too good for a few of these picks. In fact, I see at least five games there that are all but guaranteed to be wrong

Without any further ado, here are your sim results of week seven:

Bears at Bengals: Chicago wins it, 16 - 6

Packers at Browns: I think Madden got this one wrong, giving Cleveland the win over Green Bay, 26 - 17

Vikings at Steelers: In what is sure to be a great game, Adrian Peterson runs one in with 0:44 left in the game to give Minnesota the win, 27 - 26

49ers at Texans: Houston gets the win, 24 - 12

Chargers at Chiefs: San Diego keeps Kansas City to one win this season, 20 - 13

Colts at Rams: In another one that Madden is sure to have gotten wrong this week, St. Louis wins here, 30 - 14

Patriots at Buccaneers: One more shocker for you has Tampa Bay winning over New England, 10 - 6

Bills at Panthers: Buffalo is victorious, 14 - 6

Jets at Raiders: I think this week's results are going to be pretty sad, as Madden gives Oakland the win here by keeping New York's offense from scoring any TDs. They take it 16 - 3

Saints at Dolphins: Drew Brees is at it again this week, leading New Orleans to the victory, 51 - 17

Falcons at Cowboys: Dallas holds on to win, 24 - 21

Cardinals at Giants: New York gets back to winning this week, 17 - 10

Eagles at Redskins: Washington somehow comes out on top, 33 - 14

Make sure to check back next Thursday to see how poorly Madden NFL 10 did with these week seven picks, and to see what kind of shockers are in store for week eight!

Fable 3 Getting Natal Support and Microtransactions

2009-10-22T00:47:25-04:00

Peter Molyneux was speaking at BAFTA in London, and he revealed a couple of interesting tidbits about the forthcoming Fable 3. The first of those should not be of surprise to anyone, with Peter announcing that Fable 3 will support Natal. Seeing what he did with Natal and Milo, this seemed to be a given. The other one, well, it kinda sucks.

Fable 3 will be getting the most evil of all video game trends: microtransactions. That's right, Fable 3 will be doing everything possible to separate you from your money. You will be buying things like special weapons and even trips to different lands. Thankfully, none of the items that you could purchase with the game's currency (dyes, tattoos, and the like) were mentioned to be a part of these microtransactions. This still completely sucks though.