The Robot Gamer

Under The Radar (Games) Podcast!

noreply@blogger.com (matthewtaylor) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 01:29:00 +0000

Under The Radar covers new and old games that slip through the cracks of other games media outlets. We have a three step process.1: Expectations - We discuss our expectations for this game based on how much or little we know before playing it. 2: First Impression - We play the game for 10 minutes (excluding cut scenes and updates or loading screens) and provide immediate feedback on the game so far. 3: Long Haul - If we think the game is worth a deeper look, we play it longer and provide a broader description of what the game has to offer. Hosted by Blake Leftwich of Salute Games and formerly of Gamebot Online, Matthew Taylor of The Robot Gamer and Stephen Smith of Kombo.com and Video Game Collector.

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A Sort Of "Week In Review"

noreply@blogger.com (matthewtaylor) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 17:42:00 +0000

1) Any publisher who decided to go up against GTA: Chinatown Wars this week really lucked out in my mind. Most every video-game news outlet could not stop talking about what a great week it was for DS owners, and whenever your game is mentioned in the same breath as a GTA game, you're going to get some hype (I’m looking at you, Henry Hatsworth).

2) "Twitter, 3/15, 12:01am EST: I can dig insane gore and swearing, but Madworld seems so incredibly juvenile. It’s not repulsive (to me), but it’s certainly not funny." – Trent Polack - Game Developer, Stardock. I couldn't agree more, Trent. I'd like to add that GAMEINFORMER called the in-game commentators, "Hilarious". There are things to appreciate in Madworld, the commentators aren't among those things.

3) If you're into chip-tune music (or if you just like good music) you can't go wrong with Anamanaguchi's new CD, Dawn Metropolis. You can stream the whole album on DawnMetropolis.com and while you’re listening, be sure to check out TheRobotGamer’s interview with Anamanaguchi right here.

4) Salute Games; a new face in the Atari 2600 homebrew scene, is looking to release their first game Prehistoric Times this May. I had a chance to play an early copy of the game, and so I can attest to its greatness. You can read more about it, and pre-order your copy at SaluteGames.com

-matthew taylor

Video Game Journal 1.14.09

noreply@blogger.com (matthewtaylor) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 00:56:00 +0000

The holidays are over, the leftovers are long gone, and things are generally back to normal. One thing that isn't normal is the amount of video games waiting for me to complete them. The holiday season brought with it tons (and tons) of triple-A goodness. It's been overwhelming (in the best way possible), but I've slowly been progressing through several games. Let me tell you about them...

Prince of Persia (Xbox360/PS3):I'm starting on a bit of a sad note. Let me start by saying that I have NOT finished Prince of Persia, and refuse to cast (permanent) judgment. However, at the moment I'm far from a fan of the game. The controls thus far have been frustrating, the writing is painful ("Thank you for helping me reach here," really?) and the dialogue is nothing short of _horrible_ (why must every triple-A video game character be a badass Han-Solo-only-less-clever type). On a positive note, the graphics are wonderful and have kept me playing, and I'm hoping that better gameplay is around the corner (any moment now...)

We Love Katamari (PS2):

Although "We Love Katamari" was released in '05, I haven't gotten around to playing this sequel to "Katamari Damacy" until now. I loved the first Katamari game and was excited about playing the sequel, "We Love Katamari". My last Katamari experience was "Beautiful Katamari" which, although it was sharp, crisp and colorful on the next-gen Xbox360, showed almost no variety in its level design and gameplay. I can whole-heartedly declare that "We Love Katamari" is as good if not better than the original "Katamari Damacy", and far better than the last game in the series, "Beautiful Katamari". The game features wonderful level design and environments from snowy landscapes to beautiful garden levels. The soundtrack (like the first game's) is fantastic and among the best video game soundtracks have to offer. Overall, "We Love Katamari" is a joy to play.

Gears of War 2 (XBox360):

This sequel to the best-selling Xbox360 game "Gears of War" improves on almost every aspect of the original while maintaining the super-satisfying controls and game mechanics that made the first game such a home run. While the overall story has been improved through the use of 41 in-game collectibles that tell the stories of heartbreak and anguish in war, the dialog has not been improved; nothing takes you out of a game quite like picking up an opponent for use as a shield and hearing, "You're mine now, bi***." (I mean, seriously. Who the hell thought that was clever enough to use?).

Guitar Hero 4: World Tour (Xbox360/PS3):

Guitar Hero 4 is an improvement on every aspect of previous Guitar Hero games, but that's what we've come to expect. The drums feel great and are well built. I can't imagine breaking this kick pedal (though I did break the one packaged with RB1) and I enjoy playing open notes on the bass guitar. On the other hand, the setlist is garbage showing no variety and flooding the shows with at least 75% classic rock (I don't necessarily hate classic rock, but I like to discover some new music when I play a music game, I don't really want to hear "On The Road Again" again.)

Rock Band 2 (Xbox360/PS3):
There is no doubt in my mind that RB2 beats both Guitar Hero's built in setlist and download content. I'm also happy with my current setup of Guitar Hero hardware and Rock Band software. Though, if you're not looking to spend your life savings on video games, you might be better served by just picking up the RB2 Band Bundle and using both RB hardware and software.

Ninjatown (NDS):

Though not quite an independent-level game, Ninjatown is far from a triple-A budget game. While some might judge the game by its Flash game-like art style (the good part is that it's colorful and has a cute, though sometimes patronizing, story/dialogue). The gameplay is a variation on tower defense wherein you find yourself building "Ninja Huts" where two Ninjas will stay until an enemy walks by, in which case they spring into action and proceed to attack the passerby. The game is fun, simple (though never dumbed-down) and a great time waster (which I consider a plus in a handheld videogame.)

-matthew taylor

Peripheral Vision

noreply@blogger.com (matthewtaylor) — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 01:18:00 +0000

Yesterday, I stopped by my local gaming outlet to purchase the “Socom Confrontation w/ PS3 Headset” bundle. I mainly decided to buy because I wanted the official Sony PS3 Bluetooth headset, and since I could get Socom for only 10 dollars more than the headset alone, I went with the bundle. I must admit that Socom has proven to be a little disappointing, but that's another topic.

Keeping in mind that the headset alone will run you a cool 50 big ones, it's tough to say if it's worth it. It's got plenty of good things going for it, but it also has some downsides as well. Take a look:

Good Things:

● It's pretty. The headset has a nice black matte finish, and the overall design complements the PS3 very well.
● The ear-piece feels great and fits perfectly in my ear. Keep in mind that the comfort of any ear-piece will vary from person to person.
● Adjustable ear-clip.
● Easy pairing with the PS3 system. Simply plug the headset into the PS3 system with the supplied USB cable and BAM!, it's paired.

Bad Things:

● The volume buttons are not only very small, but are also not nearly as clicky as I would have liked.
● Power button nonsense. Because the power button is also used for wireless pairing and all kinds of stuff, powering down is more complicated than it should be. An example of this is having to hold down for 3 seconds to turn on, and five seconds to turn off. This is my biggest complaint. I've only had the headset for a couple days and I have fought with this countless times.

So, that's about it. The good definitely outweighs the bad. If you're a fan of Socom, then I would definitely recommend this bundle. However, if you're just interested in a Bluetooth headset, it might be a good idea to seek a 3rd party.

-matthew taylor

Venture: A Game Odyssey

noreply@blogger.com (matthewtaylor) — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 04:23:00 +0000

Our impressions of a game we've never played before.

I know absolutely nothing about football, to the extent that before playing a game entitled “10 Yard Fight”, I had no idea it was about the sport. Now, I have nothing against football. However, I do have something against most sports games (one exception being “Ice Hockey” for the NES, and a couple of others.) So when I found out that “10 Yard Fight” was a sports game, I was skeptical.

The few sports games I like combine very simple gameplay with even simpler controls, so I was interested to see if “10 Yard Fight” could get the classic sports formula right. And for the most part, it does. It has a nice, clean, top-down perspective that scrolls along with the play.

The controls are simplistic, using only 1 button to pass on the offense while the same button tackles on defense. After playing a few games, I have come to the conclusion that it achieves exactly what I want from a classic video game rendition of football: it's simple, sometimes even to an extent of stripping down an otherwise complicated sport.

I was expecting a good port of a 1984 arcade game that I admittedly haven’t played since I was too young to understand it. But I do remember shaking off tackles, which I was greatly looking forward to; albeit with concern that the directional pad of the NES pad would pale in comparison to the coin-op’s joystick.

I discovered I was right on the NES pad issue, wiggling the pad is much tougher than a stick and sometimes the players didn’t quite move in my intended direction. This game was clearly designed around a joystick, but besides the interface, the game seems pretty close to the original.

I appreciate the simplicity of early sports games. You do not select plays, you just pick the point from where your receiver runs up the field and choose to either pass or run. Interceptions occur from time to time if opposing team members are in the path of the throw.

The defense picks a player to control before the ball is hiked then tries to cover the receiver or go for a sack. Defensive players can also perform a leaping tackle, but if you miss it takes a second to recover. Other than kicking field goals, which is a timing challenge, this description covers the entire game.

10-Yard Fight is super slow, slow enough to turn most players off completely. The game moves at a snail’s pace. However, if you have an affinity for classic games or never cared for modern sports games like Madden, it’s good for an hour or so of Rah Rah Sis Boom Bah!

-matthew taylor

-blake leftwich

The Perfect Game

noreply@blogger.com (matthewtaylor) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 18:18:00 +0000

Mortal Kombat 2, despite its technical flaws and glitches is a perfect game, and this isn't coming from someone who couldn't stop shoving quarters into the arcade cabinet when the game first came out. In fact, I had never even touched the game until earlier this year when I purchased my PS3 for Metal Gear Solid 4 (which, if I may say, isn't too shabby either).

I had heard Blake talk about his love for Mortal Kombat 2 before, but I never really thought to ask about it, I had always imagined all Mortal Kombat games being about complicated combos and cheesy fatalities. But considering the game was a mere 5 Dollars on the Playstation Network, I gave it a shot. Now, I won't say that you will love it from the get-go, even I was torn over whether or not I liked the game, but I stuck with it and with Blake's help I had all of Liu Kang's moves down in about a week (playing the game for about 30min to 1 hour a day), and from there I was hooked.

There are a lot of reasons why I'm so fond of MK2, mainly the fact that it has the best speed and controls of any fighting game I have ever played. Now that I think about it, its really hard to name just one or two things that make me love it. So, in a semi-disappointing conclusion, you really just have to play it. There are a lot of different platforms from which to try it, I'd recommend the PS3 if possible, its a perfect arcade port with online play, plus the game works really well on the PS3 controller and its only 5 bucks on the Playstation Network. I've played a couple of other ports, but I'm sure Blake has played more, so I'll leave it up to him to recommend some other versions in the event that you haven't bought a PS3.

Unlike Matt, I come from a time when gamers still huddled around arcade cabinets in smoky pool halls hoping for a peek at a new Fatality. MK2 is a big part of my life; a game I consider more of a religion than simply an obsession. I saw the game release in my local arcade and watched in shock as a Mysterious monk named Kung Lao split a screaming victim in two with the brim of his razor sharp hat, spattering blood and exposing bones and sinew. This took everything the first MK had to offer and amplified it 10,000 times. As I inevitably became addicted, I once spent $70 dollars (a whole paycheck) on the game learning every single move, fatality and babality through word of mouth and game mags while defeating opponents with crowds of ohhing-and-awwing onlookers and being slaughtered by players too proud to speak when spoken to. MK2 was a big deal when it came out.

The two-player experience is a perfect blend of strategy, timing and skill with controls that are complex enough for a fighter, but easily memorized after a few games. The 9 playable characters share the same move set excluding special moves. Beyond that are some of the advanced techniques like crossover kicks, corner trapping and of course, combos... Not 15 hit combos but 2 to 4 hit combos that are balanced, extremely gratifying and require quick reflexes and positioning rather than simple memorization. The speed and timing of each character and these special moves is tweaked to perfection and MK2 is one of the last fighters to effectively use blocking as a major part of the gameplay. In fact, a battle between two experienced players is more like a game of chess and often consists of predicting your opponent's next attack and countering with the best possible move or combo.

Do you remember the last time you played every character in a fighter? When you think you've squeezed out every ounce of joy and exploited every nuance of a particular character, you will find a new favorite and start all over again and because all kombatants have the basic moves in common, picking up a new fighter is easy.

Of course, what makes the series famous is its buckets of blood and fatalities any horror fan would

appreciate. The developers added Babalities and Friendships in response to the "outrage" caused by the first game. These friendships are a sight to behold and are sure to leave you happily dumbfounded if you're new to the concept. Also, the game is plagued with a few glitches that add to the charm such as the conveyer belt on the Armory Stage and eternal Deep Freezing that resets the Fatality timer. The characters are motion captured, digitized actors so the visual style is a little outdated and campy by today's standards but this simply adds to a game that never took itself too seriously.

The premium choice should be the PS3 version. It's arcade perfect, it costs $5 and has free online play which is only occasionally laggy. I have played this game more than any other title on my PS3. Next I would choose Midways Arcade Treasures 2 for the PS2, It includes MK 1, 2 and 3 and lots of other great games like Xybots and Timber for under $20. The SNES and Genesis versions were nothing to sneeze at either. The SNES one sounds, looks and plays very close to the real thing and includes all the gore. The Genesis version is a little faster at the expense of a few missing frames of animation, sound and music. In the case of this game, avoid the portable versions and you're set.

That said, the coin-op is my first choice. Nothing beats the feel of a joystick in your hand and a flesh-and-blood opponent at your side.

The best strategy for a newcomer is to select a character with easy but effective moves like Liu Kang or Mileena and practice the basics like Foot Sweeps, Uppercuts and Blocks until they feel comfortable. Next, try mastering the special moves and a few fatalities. Finally, take on the advanced techniques like crossover kicks and combos. By this time you'll be having a blast. Trust me, give it a shot. I am still addicted after 15 years, this is why it's the perfect game.

-matthew taylor

-blake leftwich

Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe Refers to Captain Marvel as "Shazam", Makes Mistake.

noreply@blogger.com (matthewtaylor) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:54:00 +0000

In the upcoming fighting game Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe the character most people know as Captain Marvel will be referred to as Shazam (assuming this isn't fixed before the game ships, but right now he is listed like this on the official site, WorldsCollide.com). those familiar with the Capitan Marvel comics should already know that Shazam is the wizard who gave Billy Batson the power to transform into Captain Marvel

"Because DC Comics has billed Captain Marvel's adventures under the name Shazam! since 1973, the superhero is often mistakenly referred to by his mentor's name." -Wikipedia

i would let this slip with anyone else, but a 'Triple A' title like MK VS. DCU should take the time to get things like this right.

Sources: Wikipedia.org, WorldsCollide.com

Top 3 of E3: Sony

noreply@blogger.com (matthewtaylor) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 19:33:00 +0000

It was a tight race between Sony and Microsoft for my favorite press conference, but I think Sony took first place when they gave they're sales numbers via a LittleBigPlanet level (check that out: here). But now, lets take a look at the Top 3 Things Playstation 3 owners have to look forward to.Number 1: LittleBigPlanet. Of all the games coming out this year (and next year, too) I have to say I'm most excited about LittleBigPlanet. the game (both graphically and gameplay wise) looks amazing, and I am super-pumped about sharing my levels with friends. No official date right now, but a recent target pre-order card for LBP hinted at an October 21 Release. Be Worried About: Maybe Too Much Awesome?Number 2: MAG (Massive Action Game). Heres the basic idea behind MAG, take all those online multiplayer shooters that sport they're huge online matches, and crush them. MAG supports 256 player online matches with 8 person squads (the higher your ranking, the more likely you are to be picked as a squad leader). Unfortunately, we have no release date yet. Be Worried About: Just Another Shooter.

Number 3: Home. the only reason Home isn't above MAG on the list is because nothing really new was revealed about home at E3, you could tell that they didn't really have anything new to say, but were pressured into showing the game again just to keep the hype up. the above screenshot shows an Uncharted mini-game that you can play in the Uncharted Game Space. a Game Space is a public place in Home where you can hang out with friends, play games and all that good stuff. the Game Space itself is basically a Museum to its game. Besides the Game Spaces, nothing new was revealed. As usual, we don't have a date, but Sony promises a public beta soon. Be Worried About: Not Getting in the Public Beta.

Top 3 of E3: Microsoft

noreply@blogger.com (matthewtaylor) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 23:40:00 +0000

alright, we've talked about Nintendo, now lets see whats going on with Microsoft. overall, i really enjoyed Microsoft's showing this year, i felt they had a good mix of "Core" titles like Gears of War 2, Fallout 3, and Resident Evil 5. but, lets take a look at the top 3 things Xbox 360 owners have to look forward to.

Number 1: New Xbox 360 Dashboard. lets face it, the Xbox Dashboard needed an update, badly. the first thing i thought when i hooked up my 360 was "man, their is a lot of stuff going on here", it all felt very overwhelming. so i was very happy to hear that the menu would soon be getting an update, the new Dashboard looks clean, fresh and easy to navigate, and while i'm sure "Avatars" were greatly inspired by "Miis" they certainly are not the same, even Miyamoto admitted that "the basic ideas behind those two different systems are different...". other cool features included; watching Netflix downloadable movies on your 360 and the ability to install your Xbox 360 games to the hard drive. be sure to update this fall. Be Worried About: Maybe Too Much Change.

Number 2: Portal: Still Alive. Portal was easily one of best games last year, and i'm really counting this as a big win for Microsoft, just the fact that they were able to snag the exclusive rights to some extra levels in the forum of an XBLA title is awesome, my only hope now is that the price is right. look for it this Fall. Be Worried About: Too Short.

Number 3: Gears of War 2. the first Gears (thats what the really cool people call it.) was a big console seller for Microsoft, and with the PS3 catching up with games like Metal Gear Solid 4, and soon to be titles like Resistance 2, the Xbox 360 needs that console seller again. Gears of War 2 looks bigger and better, featuring beautiful vistas, great new gameplay features and an overall tightening of the screws, Gears 2 can't fail. check it out on November 7th. Be Worried About: A Terrible Story, Again.

Top 3 of E3: Nintendo

noreply@blogger.com (matthewtaylor) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 20:41:00 +0000

Well, today is the last day of E3 and i wanted to do a bit of a recap while giving my opinion on some stuff. I'll start with Nintendo, here are the top 3 things Wii owners have to look forward to.Number 1: Pikmin 3. while no specifics were given, just hearing the words "Pikmin 3" come from Miyamoto's mouth is enough to get most Pikmin players excited. Pikmin 1 & 2 are now considered rare (at least by Gamecube standards), so Nintendo will have to do a good job at introducing new comers to the characters and environments, maybe we could even see some sort of re-release or combo pack in the future (hey, i can wish). right now, we don't have a date, but i'm willing to bet we won't see this game again until 2009. Be Worried About: Wii Controls.
Number 2: Animal Crossing: City Folk. one of the few highlights from Nintendo's Press Conference was the announcement of a brand new Animal Crossing game. the biggest change is the addition of the City; a place where you can visit the Auction, hang out with friends, get a new hair cut and more! look for this game on November 16. Be Worried About: Not Having Enough New Stuff.
Number 3: Wario Land: Shake It. i've played most of the Wario Land games, and they're all a lot of fun. this one has a great art-style and looks to continue the trend of Simple, 2D Platforming fun. look for this game on September 29th. Be Worried About: Hmm... I Suppose Wii Controls.

Wii Music and Wii Sports: Resort were left out because they didn't look fun.

Elefunk Looks Like A Fun Game

noreply@blogger.com (matthewtaylor) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 23:07:00 +0000

According to the PlayStation Blog, Elefunk, a title for the PSN will be available for download tonight, before watching the above video, i didn't know much about the game, but after watching, i'm pretty excited. i'm a sucker for a good puzzle game and this one looks really nice. check out the Demo on PSN tonight, and if you like it, buy it for $4.99

Interview: Frontier Developments (LostWinds)

noreply@blogger.com (matthewtaylor) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 14:10:00 +0000

When WiiWare launched, critics and gamers alike united around one game, LostWinds. I recently sat down with the team behind the game to reflect on LostWinds, and see whats next for Frontier.

1. I can tell that LostWinds is hand crafted for the Wii. Which came first,: the idea for LostWinds or the choice to develop a game for WiiWare?

The story of how LostWinds came about is a little unusual: at Frontier we have long encouraged debate and discussion on games design / ideas, and have an internal forum dedicated to sharing ideas and opinions under the name of Game of the Week. The scope ranges from one-line game ideas like 'we should do a game about monkeys with detachable limbs' to fully-fledged design documents being posted. This causes a great deal of debate, criticism and argument, with many improvements, problems being raised and solved - we have likened the process to dangling a leg of lamb into a piranha-filled stream: the water boils for a while, but then whatever is left must be pretty tough.

The idea for LostWinds dates from the time that the Wii was first announced, when we were brainstorming design ideas that made good use of the Wii controls – it is one of many strong ideas we have built up over time, and it gathered a number of very enthusiastic internal advocates.

The actual original idea for the game came from when Steve Burgess was watching the trees and leaves from the window on a windy day. He remembers thinking about how many ways the wind shapes and manipulates different things within the world, and if only there was some way to become the wind in a game. He then applied this train of thought to the Wii controller.

The game gathered a number of very enthusiastic champions internally who worked on the concept, setting art direction, generating gameplay ideas, and inventing the mythos surrounding the gameworld.

Timing is often everything. Out of the blue, in late 2007, Nintendo invited us to a mysterious meeting in London: as it turned out, to explain their plans for WiiWare. We were delighted that their ideals for WiiWare were almost exactly fulfilled by LostWinds; allowing developers like us to create something innovative specifically for the Wii and, most importantly, its controller. We went well-prepared, and took a copy of the LostWinds concept document to the meeting. Since some people were available after finishing another game (“Thrillville Off the Rails”published by LucasArts), we decided to go for it, as the chance to be a launch title for WiiWare was too good to pass up. So we said “sounds great, and *this* is what we’d like to do”.

Also we were very keen to get some experience with digital distribution channels for games – which must surely be even more important in the future as they are with music now, for example. There are significant costs and risks associated with manufacturing DVDs and shipping them to shops, so LostWinds could be a very interesting first step for us into this world.

2. Did controls for any existing Wii games have an impact on the way you wanted LostWinds to be controlled?

Not at all – the whole idea came from thinking about how to best use the Wii’s controller; the whole point of the game is to allow the player to use the Wii control system in a coherent, intuitive, satisfying way.

Although it should be said that our experience in doing Thrillville: Off the Rails for the Wii in 2007 was invaluable in terms of our basic experience developing for the Wii as well as the many different control systems we’d used for the different types of gameplay in that game.

3. What were some of the hurdles during the development of LostWinds (If any)?

Probably rather boringly there weren’t any, really – if anything it was the opposite:

Normally in development there are ideas that look good on ‘paper’ but when you come to implement them in a game they are not as fun as you thought they would be, or you have an even better idea along the way, and so they end up on the ‘cutting room floor’, to borrow an expression from the movies.

One of the most striking things about the LostWinds development was the lack of such ‘wastage’ – the game transferred from concept to screen almost exactly. This is probably a big compliment to the large amount of effort that had gone into the early concept development of the game within Frontier before we started production.

4. What would you like a player of LostWinds to experience from playing your game?

Good question!

We essentially developed LostWinds for ourselves, and to satisfy our feeling of a pent up need for the Wii owners amongst us who wanted something more than another party game, something fresh that delivers deep, involving, Wii-specific gameplay in a beautiful skin.

We wanted to make the use of the different powers in the game to be very natural, tactile and playful, and the whole of Mistralis, the game-world, has been constructed to reward players who explore.

For us, a lot of subtle but very important appeal comes from the fact that the player controls two characters, and the dynamic between them. [For those readers who don’t know, Toku is a young boy who is relatively vulnerable and whom you basically just move left or right with the Nunchuck, and he stays vulnerable throughout the game (although he does get to use a couple of cool items of ‘kit’ to help his flying along the way), but what he provides is a physical presence in the world. The other player character, Enril the Wind Spirit, is controlled by the Wii-mote and does get much more powerful as the game progresses.] There is a nice symbiosis to their relationship because Enril has almost god-like powers in many ways, yet lacks the physical presence in the world that Toku provides. So the two work very well and naturally together as the player wields the power of the wind to protect, guide and do battle on behalf of Toku.

Its been very gratifying to get the very large number of messages from people who have taken the trouble to write to us saying how much they liked LostWinds, and a common thread is a feeling of excitement, discovery and exploration that has been missing for a while in their gaming lives, it takes them back to the feelings they first had when falling in love with gaming. We regard that as a huge compliment.

The short, simple (and obvious) answer is ‘to enjoy themselves’, in any way that the game enables.

5. Metanet, the developer behind the indie-hit N+ has been pretty vocal about Microsoft and the Xbox Live Arcade. How satisfied have you been working with Nintendo's WiiWare (development, distribution, etc.)?

To say we were running towards a deadline to be in with a shot of being a launch title, the whole thing has been remarkably smooth and we’ve got no issues at all. I can only commend the people at Nintendo who worked very hard to get the WiiWare system up and running; they’ve been great to work with.

6. When the Wii was first released there was much talk about downloadable game demos. Does Frontier have any say about offering demos of their games or has Nintendo ever mentioned demos to Frontier?

Nintendo were clear at the start that there would be no WiiWare demos. It's their system, so until they change their position that’s the way it is and we are happy to respect that.

7. What made you want to be a game developer?

Back in the days of “Elite”, I started writing games as a hobby – I had a huge fascination for 3D graphics and what could be achieved by the simple computers of the time. The initial motivation to do this commercially was to be able to fund the hobby, but pretty soon it became apparent that it could be a career – and my University work became the hobby!

8. I think its safe to say Lostwinds was a success. So what's next for Frontier?

Thank you! We’re working on several things, but the only one we can talk about is The Outsider, an action-thriller game for PS3, Xbox360 and PC that gives the player unprecedented control over how the game’s story unfolds based on what they do and how they do it in the game.

We certainly have plans to support the Wii in the future, too!

9. Great, thanks for taking the time to speak with me.

It’s an absolute pleasure, thanks for the opportunity to ‘talk’ to your readers!

[Special Thanks to Jordan Pike for helping me write the questions.]

Mega Man 9 Confirmed for WiiWare

noreply@blogger.com (matthewtaylor) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 19:59:00 +0000

Cubed3.com is reporting that Mega Man 9 is headed to WiiWare, the game will be going back to its roots, in true 8-bit fashion. some bosses have already been confirmed including: Magma Man, Galaxy Man, Jewel Man, Concrete Man, Hornet Man, Tornado Man, Plug Man and Splash Woman. More info can be found here.

[Via Cubed3]

Awesome: Pixies + Weezer Rock Band DLC

noreply@blogger.com (matthewtaylor) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 20:36:00 +0000

This week's rock band DLC features two great bands, Weezer and the Pixies. if you like Weezer, you'll be delighted with 3 great songs from their new album "Weezer (Red)" and if you like the pixies, you can pick up their classic album Doolittle.

Weezer Pack (440 MS points / $5.49) -- All songs are also sold individually (160 MS Points / $2)

"Dreamin"
"The Greatest Man That Ever Lived"
"Troublemaker"

The Pixies' Doolittle (1520 MS points / $19) -- All songs are also sold individually (160 MS Points / $2)

"Crackity Jones"
"Dead"
"Debaser"
"Gouge Away"
"Here Comes Your Man"
"Hey"
"I Bleed"
"La la Love You"
"Monkey Gone To Heaven"
"Mr Grieves"
"No 13 Baby"
"Silver"
"Tame"
"There Goes My Gun"

Nintendo Spent 3 Months Working On Twilight Fix

noreply@blogger.com (matthewtaylor) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:01:00 +0000

"This update to the menu only accomplished one thing, as far as I can tell — the blocking of the TP hack. (I guess we can count the IOS30 patch together with it.) They spent 3 months testing it — this isn’t actually that surprising, when you consider the potential financial damage if they roll an update out that bricks Wiis." - Bushing from HackMii.com

yes, it appears that while working on a patch for nintendo's hole-plugging wii update, Bushing from hackmii.com discovered that the wii menu (version 3.3) update that stopped the twilight hack had been in development/testing for 3 months, not a big surprise as he mentions "the potential financial damage if they roll an update out that bricks Wiis". at least we have some closure as to why nintendo didn't do anything to stop the hack for so long.

Interview: Anamanaguchi

noreply@blogger.com (matthewtaylor) — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 02:20:00 +0000

Among all the chiptune artists out there, my favorite has to be Anamanaguchi. i recently spoke with their frontman Peter Berkman to see whats up with the new album, the upcoming tour and of course, video games!

1. first off, you guys have a new record coming out soon, tell us a little bit about it.

The project is actually pretty secretive (laughs). We're working quite hard on it as we speak. What I CAN say is that it's called "Dawn Metropolis" and will be released over the internet.

2. whats your writing process like, where does a song start and end?

Our writing process is a little different for each song - certain songs start with an idea for the Nintendo, others an idea for the guitar. It's always the most fun when you get to mesh the two worlds though.

3. according to your myspace, you guys have some shows in South Africa coming up this august, whats that all about?

We're doing a worldwide tour this August and South Africa is our first stop! We're incredibly excited about it, because the first time we tried to head out of the country we ended up getting ourselves deported from the UK! We'll be hitting up South Africa, Seattle, New York, Los Angeles, Taiwan, Japan and the UK (for revenge!).

4. your debut, Power Supply was available for free on your label's website 8bitpeoples.com can we expect the same for the new record?

Our new record is actually not going to be released via 8bitpeoples - however, Dawn Metropolis is going to be released around the same time as a DIFFERENT 7-track EP on 8bitpeoples. Still don't know what we're gonna call it, actually (laughs).

5. taking a step away from the more serious topic, what are some of your favorite video games?

Well I just finished playing Metal Gear Solid 2 again, which is totally amazing. My favorite games probably goes a bit something like - Deus Ex, Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past, Mega Man 2, and a ton I don't have room to list (laughs). However, we all have a copy of Super Mario Strikers and are incredibly intense about it.6. lastly, after this new album comes out, whats next for Anamanaguchi?

We'll see! I'm predicting some more touring, some music videos, and then of course the inevitable selling out.

7. (laughs) awesome, thanks for taking the time to answer some of my questions.

No, thank YOU!

"Metal Gear Solid 4 Data Base" Coming To PSN

noreply@blogger.com (matthewtaylor) — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 00:32:00 +0000

This Just in from the Playstation Blog:

"The MGS4 Database is a free, downloadable interactive application that contains the official knowledge base of everything that is Metal Gear, reaching all the way back to the very beginning of the franchise. Including complete storylines, character profiles, relationship diagrams, and much more!".

"if you want to make use of the database, but have not yet fully played through MGS4 yet and are worried about spoilers – all MGS4 spoilers are “blacked out” until you’ve beaten MGS4. Give it a try!"

i guess they can tell via your save file, pretty neat download. you can check it out tomorrow (Thursday June 19th) on the Playstation Network, 100% Free!

Lastest Wii Menu Update 3.3 Stops Twilight Hack

noreply@blogger.com (matthewtaylor) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:08:00 +0000

"Because unauthorized modifications to save files may impair game play or the Wii Console, updating to Wii Menu version 3.3 will also check for and automatically remove such save files."

well, it was awesome while it lasted. anyone who wants to perform the twilight hack and enjoy some great homebrew should steer clear of the update, and those who are dieing to move their Miis from the Mii Channel to the Mii Parade should go ahead and update.
i wonder if consoles with pre-3.3 firmware will become big-ticket ebay/used items, kind of like the PSP and firmware 1.00.

Update:
" 17 June 08: Bushing has already announced a workaround after just 6-8 hours of work! Big thanks to all involved! (Note that the workaround is not yet available publicly)" - Wiibrew.org

Gamefly Summer Sale

noreply@blogger.com (matthewtaylor) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 14:39:00 +0000

right now, gamefly is having a "Under $20 Summer Blowout Sale" which features some pretty awesome deals. i'll list a few of the best

also, if you don't frequent the gamefly store here are some of the over 20 dollar games that aren't in the sale, but are still great deals

and remember, you don't have to be a gamefly member to shop in the gamefly store, however, if you are a member you get free shipping. all games come with case and manual, and are guaranteed to work.

Pictures from TooManyGames

noreply@blogger.com (matthewtaylor) — Thu, 29 May 2008 04:29:00 +0000

i just uploaded some more pictures from the most recent TooManyGames to the robot gamer bubbleshare account. we had a great time and hope to be back for the next TooManyGames!!

Monteverdi TV Sports 825

noreply@blogger.com (matthewtaylor) — Mon, 26 May 2008 17:24:00 +0000

upon first glance the Monteverdi TV Sports 825 is your everyday, stand-alone pong unit. but take a closer look and you'll see that it also features a Gun Peripheral. you'll find everything you expect from a good pong system (Practice Mode, Hockey Mode, Tennis Mode and Squash) plus two new modes (Straight Line Target and Moving Target) for use with the gun.at first we had a pretty difficult time getting the gun to pick up on the target, scott mentioned that "its probably just so old... it just doesn't work anymore." but after turning off all the lights and stripping the gun of all its attachments, (the gun itself looks like some sort of handgun, but it comes with attachments to turn into a rifle) we had a working light-gun. in both modes you're given 15 bullets. unfortunately, we were unable to get the gun with the rifle attachment to work. there are plenty more unboxing pictures of the Monteverdi TV Sports 825 over on the official robot gamer BubbleShare Account.

Viva Pinata Getting Sequel

noreply@blogger.com (matthewtaylor) — Mon, 12 May 2008 16:39:00 +0000

i'm a fan of Viva Pinata. and there's nothing wrong with that. it was fun and original, so i'm very excited to hear that Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise has been revealed. we don't really have any information at the moment, Microsoft quickly pulled it from they're press site and sealed the 'leak', luckily the folks at NeoGAF snagged some screens. i'm most interested in the snowy one, could this hint at some sort of season system? i guess we have to wait and see.

Stunt Cycle by Atari

noreply@blogger.com (matthewtaylor) — Sat, 10 May 2008 23:10:00 +0000

for me, having fun with a classic game is all about enjoying its simplicity, and stunt cycle is a very simple game. after plugging in the stand-alone peripheral, you have 4 game options: Stunt Cycle, Drag Race, Motocross and Enduro. Stunt Cycle mode presents you with three lines on screen (each line bleeds in to the next, allowing for a longer track), the first two allow you to adjust and perfect you speed, once you reach the third line you hit the ramp and jump the buses! now, if you're going too fast you'll fly right off screen and lose points, but if you hit it at just the right speed you'll land perfectly on the other side of the buses. each successful land adds another bus to your jump. in Drag Race you have three lines and a timer on top of the screen, you're only goal is to shoot for the fastest time, in order to do this, you must perfect the art of switching gears by letting off the throttle, this will perform a wheely/gear shift. In Motocross (my favorite out of all the games), you're presented with the standard three lines, only this time a block appears in the middle of each line, in order to cross them you have to perform a wheely, me and some friends had a blast perfecting our times. you'll have to forgive me because i can't quite remember the object of Enduro. all of the games offer two difficulty options (AM/PRO). Overall, everything is very fast paced and a lot of fun.

unfortunately, fun like this doesn't come cheap. when i asked scott how much he paid, he reluctantly replied "sixty bucks". blake and i quickly reassured him "thats how much most new games cost". more pictures of Stunt Cycle can be found at the official robot gamer BubbleShare Account.

Robot Gamer Will be Attending "TooManyGames"

noreply@blogger.com (matthewtaylor) — Sat, 03 May 2008 02:16:00 +0000

Yes, you heard right, Robot Gamer will be attending this years TooManyGames convention in Reading, PA. it all goes down this sunday (May the 4th) at the Greater Reading Expo Center. you'll probably spot me with the name tag "Matthew Taylor". good friends Gamebot will also be there. it should be a lot of fun, and i hope to see you there!

Classic Video Game Pictures

noreply@blogger.com (matthewtaylor) — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 22:15:00 +0000

outside of playing video games, i'm something of a shutterbug, and i recently broke out some of my classic consoles and games for you're viewing pleasure.

Update: expect more pictures of more systems in the near future. intellivision, anyone? requests are welcome.