Man Zero

Review: Fight Night Round 4

srdailey@gmail.com — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 17:59:50 UTC

I am not a boxer, nor am I a boxing fan. I know the greats, but beyond that, I'm a total n00b. But for my money, there's no better boxing simulation out there than Fight Night Round 4. But is it any fun?

Image Courtesy of EA Sports.That's GOTTA hurt!

Yes, but it'll take some work to get there.

Graphics:
First things first, this game is gorgeous. It even gets close to the uncanny valley at times. The boxers move fluidly and look just like their real life counterparts, the one's I recognized at least. The knock-down punch slow-motion shots are like something out of Raging Bull in their beautiful violence.

At times, the background characters in the crowd look a little shoddy, almost PS2-quality. Oddly enough, this seems more apparent when there's a smaller crowd. But that's not what you're looking at when you're pummeling your opponent (or getting pummeled).

One minor annoyance: the blurring effect can get disorienting when you're spinning around your opponent. That can be minimized to an extent by zooming the camera in on the fighters.

Controls:
The left trigger controls your boxer's movement and the right stick throws different punches. It takes a little while to get the hang of it, but in no time you're throwing uppercuts and haymakers like a pro. Using an illegal move (head-butt) is fun, just don't get caught doing it too many times.

One complaint is that to block, you have to hold down the right trigger and then the right stick up or down block high or low. This makes it difficult to quickly throw a punch out of a block as it effectively disables the punch control. Perhaps moving the directional control of the block to the other stick would feel more natural.

Image Courtesy of EA Sports.The kidneys! Go for the kidneys!

Gameplay:
Winning a match by knock-out doesn't come easily at first. The game, like real boxing, is all about timing. The key is to block or dodge your opponent's fist ("Make him miss" is the slogan I've been hearing) and then hit him with a powerful counter. Keep this up and you'll eventually either stun him or ware his health down enough to knock him down.

Getting back up from a knock-down was, for me at least, the trickiest part of the game. You have to move the left stick ever so delicately to the middle and then up to raise your boxer off the mat. Two far in one direction and you'll stumble over. It takes a lot of practice to be able to do it consistently in time for the count.

The HUD is essentially worthless, which isn't really a knock on the game. Because each boxer really shows the effects of the fight on their body and their movements, you can turn the HUD and the game feels much more immersive. It's the way I'd recommend playing it.

Legacy mode offers a lot of long-term replay. You start with a rookie boxer, either one of the stock guys or a custom fighter of your own creation. From there, you fight in an amateur tournament to get your name out there and build your career upward. You can train in the gym (either manually or simulated), schedule your fights, win popularity and new trunks- just like a real boxer! But in all seriousness, I think boxing fans will really enjoy this sort of boxer RPG.

One thing I thought was somewhat lacking is the difficulty. No matter what boxer you choose, you shouldn't be able to KO Ali or Tyson after playing for only a couple of hours. Cranking it up to G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time) mode more accurately simulates the pounding you should be receiving.

Final Thoughts:
Boxing fans will love it. Sports fans will probably dig it too. Fighting game fans might scoff at the initial slow pace of the fights, then eventually embrace the game's reliance on timing and strategy. Me, I'm not a huge fan of any of those genres in particular, but still found the game to be a blast, especially when you're sitting right next to the person pounding your face into burger.

I had a few minor quibbles here and there, but if you're willing to put the time in and learn the ropes, you'll start thinking you could actually be a real boxer, IN REAL LIFE! Trust me, if you're reading this blog, you can't be. But Fight Night Round 4 is the next best things.

Man Zero Sez: I likes!

8 Bit Remake: Battletoads

srdailey@gmail.com — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 17:49:14 UTC

Welcome to another installment of 8 Bit Remake here on Man Zero.

Seems every major 8 bit franchise has seen some sort of update or sequel in later generations. But what about some of the lesser known gems?

This week we're looking at the 1991 NES classic Battletoads.

Image Courtesy of Wikipedia.Is that Rash or Pimple?

Ok, so does anyone know what the heck Battletoads was about? I replayed the arcade version a few weeks ago (AKA Super Battletoads) and I still have no clue. You play a toad, that battles, for some reason. Also, you can turn your hand into a hammer or your foot into a giant boot. For battle!

Remake Version:
I see the new Battletoads as a 3D RPG. You play as Dr. Stephen Anura, a bookish herpatologist by day, and Battletoad by night! When an experiment in your lab goes terribly wrong, you're granted the ability to transform into Rash, a 6-foot tall toad of battle. You're mission is to battle (alright already!) various human-sized rats AND figure out how to rid yourself of the Battletoads curse.

Throughout the game, you'll level up your character to acquire new abilities, such as turning your arm into a baseball bat or changing your body into a giant hammer, just like a real toad! You'll also slowly unravel the mystery as to why a bunch of other anthropomorphic creatures are attacking you. Spoiler alert: it's because you're a Battletoad!

The really ingenious thing is that the new version will have a fast-paced hover-bike level that's LITERALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO BEAT without some sort of hack. Just like the old game! Has anyone ever beat that level?

Seriously, can someone explain Battletoads to me?

Got an idea for the next 8 Bit Remake? Drop me a line at srdailey@gmail.com

SNES: Best System Ever

srdailey@gmail.com — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 23:19:26 UTC

What did Man Zero do over the 4th of July weekend?

On a lazy Sunday afternoon, the girlfriend and I decided to break out her old SNES and travel back in time to the magical land of 16-bit. We spent pretty much the rest of that day and the vast majority of Monday (I had the day off) playing through Super Mario World. After nearly beating Bowser's final castle, I've come to the conclusion that the SNES is probably the best system to date.

Sure, we also played a little Diddy Kong Racing and Goldeneye on the N64, but there's something about the SNES that still holds up better than the blurry, flickering polygons of its successor.

My head is chock-full of visions of the hours and hours I spent as a kid playing Link to the Past and Starfox. I remember how I just happened to be home sick on Mortal Monday, the day Mortal Kombat II arrived in the mail via Chips n' Bits. And I remember the first game I ever beat completely on my own, Earthworm Jim 2.

Now I'm on a quest to dig out my old SNES from my parents basement and revisit all those classics. I know some won't hold up as well as others, but I still think the SNES is the best system to date. Your thoughts?

Valve may show the PS3 some love

srdailey@gmail.com — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:43:09 UTC

Turns out Valve doesn't hate us PS3 folk as much as we thought. According to a recent Joystiq interview with Valve's Doug Lombardi, they're just looking for a few good coders. From the article:

"We have to get people under our roof who are dedicated, talented PS3 guys and then all bets are off. We can take the same sort of strides and get the quality out of the box and offer the same support post-launch on that platform, as well."

Frickin' finally. Please, PS3 coders, drop what you're doing and go work for Valve so we can see Left 4 Dead and other cool IP's on our system. We want awesome zombie mayhem too!

Confirmed: Starcraft II to be LAN-less

srdailey@gmail.com — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:49:16 UTC

The times they are a' changin'. Joystiq today reported official word from Blizzard's PR guy Bob Colayco that LAN play will not be supported in Starcraft II, causing civil chaos and civil unrest across the nation of South Korea. Colayco explains the choice thusly:

"We don't currently plan to support LAN play with StarCraft II, as we are building Battle.net to be the ideal destination for multiplayer gaming with StarCraft II and future Blizzard Entertainment games. While this was a difficult decision for us, we felt that moving away from LAN play and directing players to our upgraded Battle.net service was the best option to ensure a quality multiplayer experience with StarCraft II and safeguard against piracy.

Now technically speaking, this won't kill off the LAN party. Players can still bring their rigs over to someone's parents' basement and play together, just over BattleNet instead of a true LAN. Still, there's nothing quite like a well-oiled LAN party. The constant connection fiddling, the installing of updates, the Mountain Dew-induced insanity that sets in at about 5 in the morning. Man, those were the days.

Anyone wanna play some classic Starcraft this weekend?

Rumor: 360 and PS3 price drops this fall

srdailey@gmail.com — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:32:01 UTC

Ars Technica's mole is back with more hardware rumors. According to a top secret source, Sony will phase out the 80 gb model in favor of the 160, which will then be replaced by the PS3 Slim. From the article:

The 80GB model is going to see some serious hardware constraints in the weeks ahead, and retailers have about 60 days worth of inventory before the systems will become hard to find. Expect to see many more 160GB units on store shelves. Those units have no constraints yet, but if the retailers sell through that supply as quickly as they did the 80GB, Sony is in a good place for the final part of its plan in 2009: dropping the price of hardware and launching the PS3 Slim in the fall.

The mole also reports a 360 price cut as well, with the 360 Pro going the way of New Coke and slap bracelets:

So what are we going to do without the Pro systems? Nothing. The Elite units, with the 120GB hard drive, are going to become the Pro-level system after an early September price cut. We'll be on the lookout for another holiday bundle as well, and that should hit around October. What titles will be included? We should be able to break that story as well, but we don't have the information yet.

This is the same person who broke the PSP Go a few months back, so he/she's got some cred when it comes to these things. Still, we'll have to wait and see what actually pans out this fall.

Michael Jackson's Moonwalker

srdailey@gmail.com — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:04:41 UTC

In honor of the passing of the King of Pop, here's a sweet clip of Michael Jackson's Moonwalker on the Sega Genesis. I could listen to that midi version of Smooth Criminal pretty much all day.

This game, and of course the movie it's based on, is completely insane on so many levels. It's also all sorts of awesome. Take that, Shaq Fu!

Game Gun Guy creates awesome PC game gun

srdailey@gmail.com — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:46:48 UTC

I've been swamped at my day-job all week, so there won't be an 8-Bit Remake today. Instead, enjoy this clip of Game Gun Guy, the guy who invented the kinda-genius PC game gun. Your mullet is win, Game Gun Guy.

Holy crap, he made a wireless one! Hardware developers, give this gun a job.

Duke Nukem Forever still in development

srdailey@gmail.com — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:19:50 UTC

It's probably the greatest case of vaporware of all time. Kotaku is reporting that Duke Nukem Forever is apparently still in development. From the article:

The disclosure can be found within court documents relating to the franchise, and specifically reads "[3D Realms/Apogee Ltd.] admits that it has continually worked on the development of the DNF for many years, and continues to do so".

Seriously? Let it die, guys. We all loved Duke Nukem, especially those of us who were about 13 when the original hit. But now I don't even think there's a market for this thing. Plus the remaining fans are so jaded about the whole debacle that I don't think it's even worth it.

Still, if someone at 3D Realms wanted to leak an early build of the thing...

Uncut God of War 3 Gameplay Footage

srdailey@gmail.com — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 23:02:51 UTC

Words like "epic" and "zomg that's the bloodiest thing i've ever seen!!!1!" get thrown around the internet a lot these days. But man oh man, you have got check out this gameplay footage from God of War 3. Never get on Kratos' bad side. You've been warned.

Video Games - E3 2009 - G4 Web Exclusive

8 Bit Remake: Burgertime

srdailey@gmail.com — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:55:00 UTC

Welcome to another weekly installment of 8 Bit Remake here on Man Zero.

Seems every major 8 bit franchise has seen some sort of update or sequel in later generations. But what about some of the lesser known gems?

This week's selection is another Data East gem, 1982's Burgertime.

Courtesy of Giantbomb.Beware Mr. Pickle!

In Burgertime, you played as Peter Pepper, a chef just trying to make some burgers in a vaguely Donkey Kong-style arcade platformer. But watch out, cause here comes the likes of Mr. Egg, Mr. Hotdog, and the diabolical Mr. Pickle, trying to keep you from making burgers. My friend Paul can go on for hours detailing the levels of Mr. Pickle's evil genius, but I digress.

Remake Version:
What's all the rage these days? Rhythm games! What else? Custom controllers! I think you see where I'm going with this.

The new Burger Time would be a realistic burger making simulation, complete with custom burger-shaped controller. You'd play Peter, a fledgling burger chef working at crappy fast food joint. You would use the burger controller to match rhythm-based instructions on-screen to make burgers for angry customers. It's part Pa Rappa the Rapper, part Guitar Hero, all Burger Time.

As you grow in skill, you graduate to better restaurants and locales, such as family picnics and competitive eating contests, eventually winning your own gourmet burger restaurant. But in order to get there, you have to do battle with Mr. Egg, owner of the local Denny's, Mr. Hotdog, a rival hotdog vendor, and of course, Mr. Pickle, heir to the Vlassic fortune. I'm not sure exactly why he wants to stop you from getting your own restaurant; the mind of Mr. Pickle is far beyond any of our comprehension.

Multiplayer will contain competitive burger offs and co-op tag-team burger making, complete with unison bonuses. DLC will offer new sponsored levels such as Ruby Tuesdays and White Castle. Company's can even sell sponsored burger controllers. Wanna play with a Whopper instead of a Big Mac? You'll have that option. The possibilities are endless!

Come to think of it, Data East was kinda-burger centric. What's that all about?

Got an idea for next week's 8 Bit Remake? Drop me a line at srdailey@gmail.com

Is third-party exclusivity a thing of the past?

srdailey@gmail.com — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:59:25 UTC

Microsoft seems to think so. In a recent interview with Gamasutra, Microsoft VP Shane Kim cites Metal Gear Solid Rising as an example of the shifting tides of third-party exclusivity. From the article:

"I still think exclusive content is really important. First of all, in games, we've said for a long time that a key part of our strategy with Xbox 360 was a level third-party playing field. Now we've effectively done that with Metal Gear Solid coming to the Xbox 360.

The economics are such that third parties also have to support multiple platforms, and you can't ignore Xbox 360. It's the second leading platform."

Third-party exclusivity has always bothered me, especially in this day and age. Fanboys can argue which system is more powerful until they're blue in their Cheeto-covered faces, but for all intents and purposes, the 360 and the PS3 are the same. There are a few exceptions, such as storage capacity, but there's always a work-around for that.

Now granted, extra time and money will have to be invested on the developer end, but I can imagine that would be more than covered by the profits from selling to an entirely new installed base.

Remember back in the days of the Genesis and SNES when just about every game came out for both systems? Sure, there were differences between the two (The Disney games were always better on the Genesis), but at least gamers were able to play just about everything out there.

If only we could get back to consoles launching with two controllers AND a pack-in game. I still blame the Genesis "Core" system for that trend.

Also, GET OFF MY LAWN!

Is Project Natal the new Xbox console launching in 2010?

srdailey@gmail.com — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 10:41:38 UTC

Project Natal is already a huge deal, so huge that Kotaku quoted a Microsoft official saying that the launch will be as big as the 360's. Well, apparently that's because Natal will be integrated into a new console to be released next year. Care of 1Up:

Yes, there will be a new Xbox console next fall.

However, the new console won't just be an Xbox 360 with a camera, though -- we've heard it will be considered a new platform and carry a new name (Xbox Natal?). It's not clear what sort of upgrades we might see, but some have suggested it will be an slight upgrade of the current Xbox 360 technology. Current Xbox 360 games would be playable on it, but future games would be able to take advantage of the added muscle. Similar to what we see in the PC space, games played on the more advanced Xbox would look or perform better, but publishers will still be able to support owners of both systems. Some developers have complained that they've already maxed out the Xbox 360; perhaps this will give them room to expand.

It seems Microsoft really wants to push the Natal technology and building it into a console is not a bad idea. This somewhat negates the Sega CD/32X conundrum of adding new hardware without leaving early adopters behind. The only question is how many people are going to buy the new system versus how many will just buy the Natal hardware upgrade separately. Better yet, will MS even sell it separately or will they force everyone to buy the new system? I guess we'll find out next year.

8 Bit Remake: Bad Dudes

srdailey@gmail.com — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 17:23:33 UTC

Welcome to a new Thursday feature here at Man Zero: 8 Bit Remake.

Seems every major 8 bit franchise has seen some sort of update or sequel in later generations. But what about some of the lesser known gems?

This week's selection is the seminal 1988 Data East beat-em up Bad Dudes (aka Bad Dudes vs. Dragon Ninja). The plot of Bad Dudes is as follows:

Courtesy of Teh Internets.A question I think we've all asked ourselves at one point.

Yeah, that's it. Back in 1988, that's pretty much all the motivation you needed to fight dogs and various different ninja with bike chains and throwing stars.

Remake Version:
Don't change a thing. Think about it. The president has been kidnapped. That's cause enough for alarm. By whom? Frickin' ninjas, dude.

I see the game opening up with Barack Obama sitting in the Oval Office, about to sign important legislation outlawing ninjas once and for all. Suddenly, we're treated to a fantastic sequence of ninjas attacking the White House, taking out secret service agents left and right with a plethora of super awesome ninja weapons. They break into the Oval Office, converge on the president, throw down a smoke bomb, and vanish without a trace.

Cut to a scene with our two heroes Blade and Striker hanging out in a bar. Blade's hustling some frat boys at pool; Striker's chatting up some broad. Suddenly, Blade gets the following text message: "The president has been kidnapped by ninjas. Are you a bad enough dude to rescue the president?"

Blade looks up to Striker across the bar. They lock eyes, a knowing look shared between them. Striker finishes his drink and apologizes to his lady. Blade sinks the 8-ball and collects his winnings. The two exit the bar together and the game begins.

It plays like any open world, GTA-style game as Blade and Striker battle wave after wave of different ninja-themed foes using various found weapons, pushing from one city to another, tracking the Dragon Ninja across the globe. Also, no guns. Ninjas don't use guns. Co-op play is essential as Blade and Striker are, collectively, Bad Dudes.

Mini-games can include working-out to increase muscle size and Bad Dude-ishness and shuriken target practice. Each section would end with an epic boss battle and upon victory, Blade and Striker would utter their famous catchphrase, "I'm bad!"

In the end, Blade and Striker will of course defeat the Dragon Ninja, rescue Barack Obama, and then have a cheeseburger with him in front of the White House. Seriously, that's how the original ended.

All sarcasm aside, I think with the proper balance of fun action and tongue-in-cheek humor, a Bad Dudes remake could be all sorts of awesome. Plus I think Data East is kaput now, so securing the rights shouldn't be too expensive.

Got an idea for next week's 8 Bit Remake? Drop me a line at srdailey@.gmail.com

Konami Code works on the Palm Pre

srdailey@gmail.com — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:44:04 UTC

Engadget is reporting that entering the infamous Konami code into the launcher screen of your brand-spanking-new Palm Pre will yield thirty extra lives and the spread gun from the start of the game. Or some kind of debug mode. From the article:

Simply type in the phrase "upupdowndownleftrightleftrightbastart" -- which if you parse with spacing might be more easily recognizable as the infamous Contra / Konami code (look it up) -- and up comes a hidden app called "Developer Mode Enabler." Looks like it was discovered via the leaked ROM from earlier this evening.

There's actually a whole host of websites that can be modified by typing the Konami code, including Facebook, Digg and Uncrate. Click here for a full rundown of all the known sites.

Also, contrary to popular belief, there is only one "B A" before "Start."