Rejected Gamer

Review: Naughty Bear

MrB4 — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 21:29:01 +0000

Here’s the deal, I was a big fan of Conker’s Bad Fur Day for the N64, and absolutely loved the remake of it for the Xbox, Conker: Live and Reloaded. The idea of a cute, cuddly, and furry animal wreaking havoc in a peaceful world is so twisted that it’s awesome. What helped that game succeed was the humourous dialogue, varied level design, and satisfying, yet rewarding combat mechanics. Now Naughty Bear has arrived, and he is trying to cash in on the same idea. The problem with this is that Naughty only ends up succeeding in concept, and fails in getting everything else right.

Developer/Publisher: 505 Games
Genre: Action
Platform(s): Xbox 360, PS3
If you like: Some brutal looking executions, clunky combat mechanics, a frustrating camera, annoying announcer voices, and repetitive level design of the worst kind.

Welcome to Perfection Island, a place where all bears live together in perfect harmony, except for Naughty. On the way to Daddles’ birthday party, a few friends (without using words) let him know that Diddles never wanted him there in the first place. Now being the outcast of the town, Naughty is ready to let everybody know that they messed with the wrong bear. A revenge concept in a cute and cuddly world is a nice idea, but the lack of interesting characters, or a decent plot for that matter end up leaving you with no reason to care about what’s going on whatsoever.

So where did everything go wrong, dear god where do I even begin. Three different locations (which look ugly at best) over seven chapters, with 35 different missions to play, that is just flat out ridiculous. The announcer’s voice is so creepy and annoying as well, and not in a good way. Seriously, the mere thought of hearing his voice gave me the willies. In an effort to make the game even more annoying, the designers decided to play lullaby music in the background, which is understandable, but what killed it was the idea of “hey, let’s make it the only song you will ever hear”. Creating levels must have been the last thing on anybody’s mind, because each of the three levels looks exactly the same. Everything else looks it came from a generation ago, please 505 games, do us a favor from now on, leave ideas that worked 10 years ago where they belong, in the past.

In order to seek out proper revenge, Naughty will have to approach each situation in a different way. Sometimes stealth is the name of the game, other times killing creatively is the way to go, and there are even those rare occasions in which you doing nothing at all is the best thing to do. There are a few items in the environment that can be used to distract enemies long enough for you to be able to sneak up being them, and kill them in order to earn points. Don’t be fooled, regardless of any varying objective you might be given, the main idea is to rack up as many points as possible to move on to the next stage. This would work out fine if the camera didn’t lose control every single second, and if the player was actually allowed to hit something on screen, but since one is just as unresponsive as the other, the cool looking kills lose their appeal very quickly.

Not sure why anybody would want to play more than an hours worth of this horrible mess, but there is replay value for anybody out there who wants it. People can duel it out with friends in a four play competitive mode with a couple of different game types, whoo-hoo. Scores from each level can be posted to online leaderboards, and different costumes can be unlocked based on your trophy rankings(gold, silver, and bronze) in the singleplayer mode. There is also the promise of some DLC in the near future, but I wouldn’t get my hopes up on that.

Naughty Bear is an interesting concept that fails to deliver in just about every category. This is by far one of the worst games that I have played in 2010. Don’t rent, buy, or even look at the box, keep this game where it belongs, in the trash. (D-)

- Matt H.

Review: Heavy Fire: Special Operations

MrB4 — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 17:58:04 +0000

One type of game that seems to succeed really well on the Wii is the light-gun shooter. This could have something to do with the fact that the pointer functionality on the Wii remote is deadly accurate compared to the guns from the old school arcade machines from back in the day. It also gave opportunities for series like Resident Evil, and Dead Space, to try out something new and unique with their respective franchises. Teyon has decided to jump onto the bandwagon as well by releasing their own take on the genre entitled Heavy Fire: Special Operations, exclusively for the Wiiware service. Can a game like this succeed on the downloadable front?, let’s find out.

Developer/Publisher:Teyon
Genre: Arcade Light-Gun Shooter
Platform: Wiiware
If you like: Shooting random groups of terrorists, blowing stuff up, and getting points for it.

Let’s face it, most storylines in light-gun shooters are vague, and only really give you one reason to play through to the end, and Heavy Fire is no exception. Basically, a rebel group of terrorists are trying to take over Somalia, and it’s your job to make sure that doesn’t happen. Each scenario plays out like this, move from one area to another, take out all of the enemies onscreen, then rinse and repeat until the mission has been completed. The concept is to keep things simple, and to keep the player entertained throughout the entire experience, and this game hits the mark on both of these attributes pretty well.

If you haven’t figured out by now, the control scheme is about as simple as can be. Point the target at an enemy, press b to fire, and shake the Wii remote to reload. My only gripe here is the reload mechanic, I have found that pointing offscreen to reload is much faster and easier to do than using motion controls, but everything else feels tight and responsive for the most part. Graphics are a little on the bland side as far the environments are concerned, the explosions and destructible portions of it help break up the monotony a little bit, but not that much. Sound effects are good, the lack of any music however(other than some heavy metal at the beginning of one level) really takes away the feeling of any sort of tension in the later parts of the game.

Ranking up as many points as possible is the only way to survive, and here’s why. As you acquire points in each level, they go towards unlocking new weapons, and unless everyone out there is a superb marksman with a pistol, getting through each stage without the help of a new and more powerful weapon each time is going to be a chore to say the least. Don’t worry though, there are a few different things that all of us can do to improve our scores. What the developers did here was they awarded bonus points for those of us who decided to do stuff like shoot down a certain amount of enemies in a row, destroy parts of the environment, take out leaders of a certain group, and so on. This unique leveling system may seem like it was tacked on at the last minute to add some variety to the gameplay, but I thought it was a cool idea that other games in this genre should consider trying out.

Heavy Fire can be completed in less than two hours, and there is a little bit of incentive to play through it more than once. You can play through each level in co-op mode, but honestly, this will add maybe an extra hour of gameplay at best. There are four medals that can unlocked, one of which can only be accomplished with a second player. A secret code will also be given to you upon completing the game, which can be used to post highscores onto the official Heavy Fire website, and that’s about it. Not sure why this idea was chosen over an online leaderboard system, still, any form of replay value for a budget title like this is much appreciated.

Heavy Fire: Special Operations is a short lived, action packed, arcade style shooter that is fun while it lasts. Anyone looking for a quick fix of some good old fashioned arcade shooting fun should not pass this one up. (B-)

- Matt H.

Gaming Night 7/30

MrB4 — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 19:57:28 +0000

It is time for another Rejected Gamer gaming night. It will take place this Friday at 10pm Eastern time on Xbox Live. Send me a message on there, to my gamertag MrB4 if you are interested in joining. You can also leave a comment here to let me know if you want to be a part of it or not.

I will be hosting one room for whatever game you guys vote for, and thats about it. Now all I need you to do is choose which game we should play by casting your vote below. Voting will close at 5 pm est on the day of gaming night. Hope to see you all on Friday.

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Review: Match Fish

MrB4 — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 19:19:13 +0000

Sometimes appearances can be deceiving, which is the case when it comes to Match Fish for the IPhone. At first glance, this may look like an easy puzzle game that requires little to no skill whatsoever. The easy to understand controls, calming background music, and simple concept are all a decoy. Eventually the frustration will sink in, and you will realize that this is one of the most challenging downloadable titles ever made.

Developer/Publisher:IFun4All
Genre: Puzzle
Platform: IPhone
If you like: To drive yourself insane, being underwater, and match colors of fish together at the same time.

Here’s the deal, a grid is on the right side of the screen, and different colored fish are on the left. Move them onto the grid, match four or more of the same color together, tap the screen to make them disappear and earn points, get enough points to advance to the next level, and thats about it. You can move the fish by tilting the screen up and down, or by touching the screen and dragging each one individually to a certain row. The way that worked the best for me, especially in the more tense situations, was to combine the control schemes together. This made it very simple to micromanage each and every action onscreen. It’s an accessible setup that makes the game easy enough for anyone to be able to pick up and play.

Everything else on tap here is pretty standard for a budget title. Backgrounds look like the inside of a fish tank, and the fish themselves are well animated, nothing special, but not too bad. A lighthearted musical score gives off a sort of saturday morning cartoon vibe, which is okay for me because being reminded of what it’s like to be a kid is something that I don’t get to do to much anymore. What can I say about the sound effects other than the bubble noises sound like they should (sounds stupid, but it’s all i could think of).

There are two modes of play, each with three different difficulty settings, easy, medium, and hard. Play is kind of like a survival mode, choose the desired difficulty level, and try to get as many points as possible without dying. The second mode, entitled challenges, is composed of 24 different levels, each one harder than the next, with a specific amount of points that need to be acquired in order to complete them. One is more suited for casual players, while the other offers a level of depth that more experienced gamers can appreciate.

Like I said before, the game can get pretty frustrating, especially in the later levels of challenge mode. While playing Match Fish, be sure to keep an eye on the missed meter, because if it runs down to zero, you will have to start the level all over again. The best way to avoid this is by making sure you don’t let the rows fill up too quickly, luckily, there are a few powerups that can help out with this problem. Some of these will clear out an area, flip the fish around to provide a better chance to get matches, add more misses to the missed meter, and so on. Heed my words here people, use them as much as possible, because quick reflexes will not always be the most reliable solution.

IFun4All knows how to add replay value to their games, and Match Fish is no exception. Each of the games 24 levels has three sets of medals that can unlocked by getting a high score. By obtaining the highest medal in each stage, a piece of a jigsaw puzzle will start to come apart, giving the player some incentive to keep on playing. I’m only about halfway done with all of them, and I’m already at around 6 hours of gameplay time.

Match Fish is a solid puzzler that anyone can enjoy. There is enough on offer here for causal and hardcore gamers alike. If you’re looking for some fun and easy on the go, this is just what the doctor, or scubadiver in this case, ordered. (B)

- Matt H.

Nintendo Download of the Week: 7/26 Edition

MrB4 — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 15:56:47 +0000

The lineup this time around actually doesn’t look all that bad. Wiiware gets a couple of interesting new titles that look like they are worth checking out. DSiWare, as usual, gets an abundance of new releases with the possibility of only one or two of them being any good. Last, but certainly not least, the Virtual Console rises from the grave and gives us old school fans something to play as well. Recommending only one game might be a hard thing to do, but I’ll give it a shot. Here it is, my pick for Nintendo Download of the Week for July 26th, 2010.

My pic for this week goes to a type of game that is rarely seen on Wiiware, the arcade style on-rails shooting game Heavy Fire: Special Operations. It has an ESRB rating of T for Teen, and is available for download through the Wii Shop Channel for the asking price of 500 Wii points. The reason that I picked this as my download of the week was because I love a good old fashioned light gun game every once in awhile. Those of you who are looking for something simple and fun to play with your friends might want to give this one a shot(no pun intended), download it now.

If shooting up terrorists doesn’t sound all that fun, then check out some of the other games available on the Wii Shop Channel. Anyone who enjoys scuba diving and exploring the mystical creatures of the ocean might want to check out the Wiiware game Dive: The Medes Islands Secret. Not sure how bats and circus performing go hand in hand, but those of you who have that nocturnal feeling would probably be interested in playing Aero: the Acrobat for the Virtual Console.

For our friends that are into the handheld scene, the DSiWare has five new games for you to try out. I’m scared of heights, but for those people that are not so intimated by them, playing Face Pilot: Fly With Your Nintendo DSi Camera! could end up being more fun than frightening. Exploring mystical dungeous with dangerous monsters is the name of the game in Crystal Monsters. Those Puffins are at it again, and this time, they are taking their problems to the race track in Puffins: Let’s Race! . Ever wondered what a hamster family has to deal with on a day to day basis, me neither, but Petz Hamsterz Family could be a nice little diversion for anyone who has ever wanted one of them as a pet. It’s time to brush up on those brick breaking skills, because they will be put to the test in Absolute BrickBuster.

All of this, and more can be found in the DSi and Wii Shop Channels right now, have fun!

Games that need to be on the VC

MrB4 — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 19:55:12 +0000

Checking out the latest and greatest in the world of video games game can be fun, but sometimes we need a reminder of why we enjoy them so much in the first place. Before there were high res graphics, leaderboards, and gamerscores all that mattered was having a good time. Watching your friend crumble after a punishing fatality in Mortal Kombat(SNES and Genesis), or hitting a homerun in Ken Griffey Jr.’s Baseball(SNES), or finally defeating the final form of shredder in TMNT 3 (NES) are events that can only be experienced in their original form, until now.

The Virtual Console service was a brilliant idea when it was released at the Wii’s launch. Being able to play old school games, without the need to go on ebay to look for a system, made it much easier for us to relive some of those great moments from our past. That being said, there are still alot of games from my childhood in which i have yet to see come out for the VC. Here is a quick list of some of them, and keep in mind, these are my own personal experiences, so whether you like them or not, I’m still not going to change my opinion.

1. Ken Griffey Jr’s Major League Baseball (SNES)

Roster updates be damned, playing as a bunch of nameless nobodys surrounding one big star is where its at. This is one of the first sports games that I have ever played, and the main reason why I enjoy over the top arcade style sports titles like The Bigs 2 so much to this very day. Everything about it made my laugh my ass off, like running into a wall to go after a fly ball(hey that rhymed) and hearing the crunching sound of a missed opportunity, or hitting a ball damn near 700 feet for a homerun, or watching a player run like an orangutan with his arms flailing about, good times. Anyone else who shares these fond memories with me should plead to Nintendo to release this one to the VC ASAP.

2. Tetris Attack (SNES)

Who would have thought that a puzzle game with the name Tetris in the title would have nothing do with the franchise whatsoever, I sure didn’t. This little insignificant problem didn’t stop me from playing what is quite possibly one of the most challenging, fun, and underrated titles to ever be released for the SNES. It’s a simple match 3 sort of game, like bejewled, that requires the player to achieve chains or combos of a certain amount of objects in order to drop blocks that will fill up the space on the other players screen. The cute and cuddly shapes and colors are just a decoy however, be warned, this is no walk in the park at all. This is especially true if you choose to play against a friend, because if they are at the same skill level as you, the match will go on forever.

3. Any of the other TMNT games for the NES, SNES, or Sega Genesis

Anyone who knows me should not be surprised to see that the TMNT made the list. I mean come on, my all time favorite cartoon only has one title out for the VC, which is, and I mean this is the nicest way possible, one of the worst games ever made. When are the die hard fans going to get the chance to play those games that really paid homage to what the show was all about, over the top action and fun. Instead of beating up on Krang, mousers, foot soldiers, and saving the world from the likes of the Shredder, we will have to stick with beating up sandmen and frogs, and not being able to swim underwater until this whole mess gets resolved.

4. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island(SNES)

Don’t get me wrong, the first Super Mario World was an instant classic, but the fact of the matter is that it’s sequel, which is my personal favorite, has still not seen the light of day on the VC. Using Yoshi’s eggs to uncover obstacles sounds kind of strange, but the concept was so well implemented into the overall gameplay experience that It really didn’t matter all that much. Not to mention that the accuracy of the targeting system used in shooting the eggs was absolutely spot on. Baby Mario, despite his annoyingly loud crying, made a pretty good first impression in the video game world in this one.

Off the top of my head, these are all of the games that I would like to see come out for VC as of right now. Did you agree with my picks, or have some of your own that you would like to share with the rest of us. Let us know either way, and leave a comment below.

Making up our minds for us

MrB4 — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 19:37:56 +0000

Just because I am a gamer doesn’t mean that I don’t keep up with current events, especially when it’s related to video games. Back in 2005, California State Senator Leland Yee wrote up a bill that would propose a ban on the selling of violent video games to minors. It was signed into Law by the governator of California himself, Mr. Arnold Schwarzenegger, and would enforce a $1,000 fine to any retailer who would sell these types of games to minors, as well as make them place a two by two 18+ sticker on the front cover. In 2007, a Circuit Court judged said that the bill was unconstitutional, and last year, an Appellate judge made the same ruling.

Now the bill is being presented to the supreme court in hopes that it will finally get passed. Eleven different states, including Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, and Virginia, are now showing their support for the bill as well. Apparently somehow these people still have this thought firmly implanted in their brains that they have to make decisions for us, because obviously we are not smart not to decide what is, or what isn’t appropriate for our children. Then again, the decision is based solely on the responsibility of the parent, and sometimes they don’t make the best choices either.

I don’t claim to have expertise on any of this stuff at all, I am just offering my opinion, thats all. Whether you choose to listen to it or not is entirely up to you. There are just a few problems with this whole idea. To begin with, there is still no clear cut evidence to this day that shows that acts of violence committed by children, and young adults, have anything to do with video games whatsoever. Let me ask you parents out there this one question, when was the last time you saw your kid playing a violent video game, then when he or she was done, they went out and performed a criminal act based on the game that they were playing? The answer is never, its never happened. If, under any circumstance, this has happened, i apologize sincerely, but honestly, it probably had nothing to do with the game at all.

Secondly, if this is the major issue that any government is worried about in this day and age, then they they are either really bored and have nothing else to do, or can’t figure out how to solve any of the countries real problems, and try to look productive by doing something like this. Oh no, we are in a recession, lots of people don’t have jobs or homes, there’s an oil spill, and soldiers in our military are dying every day, that’s okay though, let’s get a pointless bill passed first before we worry about that stuff. Now correct me if im wrong, but isn’t this something that is protected by the first amendment to begin with. Guess freedom towards our own beliefs and ideas has become a thing of the past.

Last, but certainly not least, let’s say the bill does get passed, do they really think that it will stop parents from buying games for their kids?, hell no. For one, it’s a way for parents to keep their kids quiet, and two, if the kid enjoys an activity like this, why take it away from them. Kids aren’t stupid either, if you teach them the difference between reality and fantasy when it comes to video games, they will be able to pick up on that idea very quickly. Even if this does happen, the kid could still go to a friend, who is of age, and have him or her buy the game for them anyways.

Sorry if this comes off as angry or misguided, but it was a story that just rubbed me the wrong way. Video games are meant to be played for a simple reason, because they are fun. Trying to believe that they have anything to do with the real world as a whole is a misguided idea. Here’s a crazy thought, instead of making up our minds for us, let us do it. I know this sounds like a scary thing, but it just might work.

The Link to the original story can be found here

Live – The Electronic Addiction

X3R0 9 — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 00:31:11 +0000

Won’t anti-video game lobbyist love the title of this post? The joke will be on them though because it won’t be what they think it’s going to be about. Now if you follow me on Twitter or if you’re on my 360 friends list, you already know that I’ve had a bit of bad luck as of late. First I had a serious tire issue on the way back home from vacation. Then last Monday on my way home from work, I check the mail like I always do and my truck wouldn’t start. Luckily it was only my battery – probably couldn’t take the heat from sitting so long, plus it was over five years old. And according to superstition, “bad luck comes in threes,” which brings me to the third bout of bad luck. During a typical afternoon thundershower, lighting had struck nearby and zapped part of my router and my Xbox 360 ethernet port. While losing connection to Xbox Live through an ethernet cable isn’t a total loss, it is financially when you consider the cost of an adapter and any possible future repair costs, to the price of a new console. But the real loss is losing a way to socialize with friends.

While there are many ways to socialize with online friends, like Twitter, Facebook, Skype, Myspace (if that even exists anymore), but nothing beats hoping on Live to chat with friends while playing some multiplayer games. There are folks out there that would say that myself, and many others in a similar situation are addicted to games, but honestly most of us aren’t. I think that most of us enjoy sharing the OMG moments with our friends. It gives us something to talk about for days on end until the next Kilimanjaro happens, or watching a friend take out a helicopter that falls on top of a tank and destroys that too in Battlefield Bad Company 2.

On the bright side to all this, I now have plenty of time to play all my single player campaigns. I can now finish Dragon’s Age, Bioshock 2 (that never really impressed me), Oblivion (that feels to be an ongoing game), and hey, I have loads of time to find all 500 Agility Orbs and 300 Hidden Orbs in Crackdown 2. My word of advice to all the complaints about Live, while it may feel that it costs a lot and we may feel that we’re getting screwed, either remember or imagine gaming without Live.

Review: Limbo

MrB4 — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 21:33:35 +0000

Very few games nowadays completely suck you into the experience to the point in which nothing else in the real world tends to matter that much. That is the case with Limbo, a puzzle platformer unlike any other in terms of style, presentation, and overall gameplay experience. Creative thinking, problem solving, and strategic planning will put even the most experienced players skills to the test here. Get those thinking caps ready, cause it’s time to jump into a world unlike any other.

Developer/Publisher: Playdead
Genre: Puzzle Platformer
Platform: Xbox Live Arcade
If you like: To die alot, use your brain, games with a black and white art style

The story is simple and straightforward, your sister is lost in this bizarre and strange world, and you have to find her, that’s it. My first thought here was “Oh god, another mario rescuing princess peach story” , but the way the developers suck you into the world makes this experience much more engaging than annoying. Moving left to right in almost total darkness without knowing what’s going to happen next keeps the player on his, or her, toes every step of the way. Now that the stage has been set, let’s get to work.

Just because the visuals were in black and white doesn’t mean that Limbo scores an A for presentation at all. It’s the subtle things, like the grass moving in the wind, the steam coming off a compressor, or the glow of an utterly destroyed hotel sign that really shows that flashy colors, explosions, and detailed character models are not the bread and butter of great game design. There is no music to speak of, but the sound design is absolutely fantastic, and adds a more strategic element to some of the more challenging puzzles later on.

Let me get something out of the way right now, you are going to die, A LOT!. Don’t get discouraged though, because nothing is ever too impossible to do. Every obstacle has an obvious solution, and has a certain amount of things that need to be done in order to complete it. Sometimes a crate may have to be moved in order to reach a high platform, a switch might need to be pulled to trap an adversary, a gun turret may need to be triggered to release an object, a fly’s leg could be involved in helping the player reach a higher platform, and so on.

The game itself can take about 5 to 6 hours to complete, depending on your skill level, and there is some replay value to be had here as well. There are twelve achievements and avatar awards that can be unlocked. A leaderboard system has also been included so that people can show off their game completion percentage to others. If there is a sequel in the works( and there very well should be), the addition of a time trial mode is something that the developers should consider. Still, 1200 MS space bucks for something this unique is well worth the price of admission.

Limbo is one of the best Xbox Live Arcade games to date, and is something that everybody should check out. Feeling completely connected and responsible for every decision made in a video game world is an awesome thing. Solid gameplay and art design choices are nothing to sniff at either. These are the types of games that only appear once in a lifetime, so show some love to the indie developers out there, and download it right now. (A+)

- Matt H.

Gaming Night 7/23

MrB4 — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 19:07:17 +0000

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Nintendo Download of the Week: 7/19 Edition

MrB4 — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 15:20:43 +0000

Seems like everyone is living in the past as of late, because I keep on hearing them complain about how there are no Virtual Console titles being released onto the Wii Shop Channel. My answer to this is that maybe sometimes we need to give the newer games a chance. However, with that being said, this can be a hard thing to do, especially when week after week Nintendo releases nothing but shovelware crap for each of their downloadable services. As bad as most of them might be, there is a rare gem in there somewhere. So here it is, my pick for Nintendo Download of the Week for July 19th, 2010.

The winner for the game that might have a chance to be something good for this week goes to Furry Legends for the Wiiware service. It has an ESRB rating of E for Everyone, and is available for download for 1,000 Wii points through the Wii Shop Channel. The reason that I picked this game as my download of the week was because I am a sucker for physics based, puzzle solving platformers (like Limbo). Keep something in mind when playing a game like this, you will have to use your brain (scary stuff). If that sounds good to you also, then go ahead and check this game out right now.

There might be some people out there who don’t like furry creatures, which means that they may want to check out one of the other two games that the Wiiware has to offer. Anyone up for an old fashioned game of hoops should give Hoopworld a try. Ever wanted to turn your TV into an aquarium (me neither) might want to check out AquaSpace .

For our handheld friends out there, the DSiWare service has five games on tap for this week. You could take care of a creature that I’m allergic to in Petz Kittens . There are times in which I don’t know how to spell a certain word, hopefully Scrabble Tools can help me out. Being a patient in one of of these places might suck, but running one could be even worse, hopefully Hospital Havoc proves that it can be fun at least. Turn one of the best times of the year into a buisness in Happy Birthday Mart . There are so many iterations of this game that it drives me crazy, but anyone who enjoys number crunching (literally) might want to check out Crazy Sudoku .

All of this, and more can be found in the DSi and Wii Shop Channels right now, have fun!

Vid Review: DeathSpank

Qualitybeats84 — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 20:30:46 +0000

(A) ” Hothead drops a bomb with this RAD action-adventure-hack & slash RPG. ” – Jeffrey d

Microview: DeathSpank

Qualitybeats84 — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 03:23:45 +0000

Ron Gilbert does no wrong! He proves it time and time again with every project he puts his hands on. DeathSpank is Diablo meets Monkey Island in the best of ways. That alone is all that needs to be said in this Microview. Not only will you stumble upon loads of hilariously named loot, you’re also going to run into tons of hilarity — period. With little to no complaints in my first 4 hours of play, I’d expect nothing but a roaring review from QB. Full review coming soon!

Review: Quickpick Farmer

MrB4 — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 18:11:26 +0000

As the title of the game implies, Quickpick Farmer is one of those games that doesn’t last too long, but is still fun nevertheless. It’s a simple and accessible title that is perfect for people who are looking for something to do if they’ve got a few minutes to kill. The idea of putting sheep into containers, and using their wool to shoot into barns for points may sound like animal cruelty to some, but the light-hearted tone of the whole experience more than makes up for it. That being said, even the most experienced gamers reflexes will be tested here, so don’t let your guard down for one second. Get those sewing needles ready, because you’re going to need them.

Developer:Dancing Dots
Publisher:Dancing Dots
Genre:Strategy
Platform:DSiWare
If you like: Reflex and memorization games, arcade games, etc.

Here’s how it works, three barns are displayed on the top screen, and many different kinds of sheep, and storage trucks are displayed on the bottom screen. The idea is to store the required amount of the sheep into the truck, then they will turn into a ball of yarn(no kidding), a barn door will open with a point value, and you launch them into the barn to earn points. A wolf will also also be moving from side to side, and if you let him wander to close to the trucks, the game will be over. This may sound like a strange setup, but trust me, it works.

Controlling every action with the stylus feels fluid, the musical and audio presentation is what one should expect from a two dollar game, nothing special, but still effective in getting it’s point across. The games sense of humor is it’s real selling point though. When the wolf gets hit by the yarn, or when the sheep are being touched by the stylus, the reactions they give are priceless. Level design is basic, making it easy for any gamer to understand what is going on on both screens at all times.

There are two modes of play, 30 Days, and Non-stop. 30 Days is kind of like a survival mode, in which the player will have to survive wave after wave of oncoming sheep. Non-stop is exactly that, an arcade mode that only ends when the gamer wants it to end. The only real difference is that 30 days offers bonus points for completing specific objectives, such as hitting the wolf, finish a level in record time, and so on, and Non-stop offers points just for getting the sheep into the barns. A local ranking system has been included, but honestly, once you have played through the game once or twice, there really is no reason to go back.

Just a little tip, memorization is the key to success in this one. Some sheep may have only a little bit of hair, or a shaved head, maybe some spots, or different colored skin. Always keep an eye on which area they need to go into on the bottom screen, because if they are put into the wrong truck, you will lose points. I can’t tell you how many times I forgot where to put some of the sheep just because I wasn’t looking at the bottom of the screen. Be sure to also hit the wolf every once in awhile just to keep him in check, and to also earn some bonus points in the process.

Quickpick Farmer is a short, but sweet, time killer that anyone can play. The exciting and fun gameplay, the quirky yet humourous game design, and the amount of strategy involved in each task will satisfy even the most resistant gamer’s ability to have a good time. It may be on the short side, but what do you expect, it’s only 2 dollars. A worthy purchase for anyone who is interested in trying something that is far from the norm. (B)

- Matt H.

Sanity Saving iPhone Games

X3R0 9 — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 00:47:23 +0000

I know last week I mentioned that I was going to share my thoughts on games that I have played during my hiatus, but because I had left my power cable at home during my vacation, I wasn’t able to share those thoughts. Now that I’m home, I want to share my thoughts on a few iPhone games that I have been playing the past few months.

First up is a game that tests your true ninja skills while climbing up trees. Ninjatown: Trees of Doom! is a great 2D game using a very simplistic, but challenging concept! Playing as a Wee Ninja, players challenge themselves and others on a global leaderboard, to see just how high they can climb while avoiding foes and obstacles. Your objective during this game is to climb, jumping from tree to tree or climbing as high as you can on one tree until you run into an obstacle. These obstacles vary. You have devilish looking creatures that fly between the trees, you will have to avoid tree warriors as they try to stab you with their spears or shoot you with purple ooze, purple ooze that seeps out of the trees, parts of trees that are bare and slippery, and smiley face bees that attempt to knock you off the tree, and that’s only the ones I ran into. You may think this game won’t interest you, but once you play it, you’ll be hooked. With trying to outdo my high score and others on leaderboard, Ninjatown: Trees of Doom! makes the list as one of my most addictive games on my phone.

The next game deals with a lot of pig looking egg thiefs and a whole lot of angry birds. Angry Birds is a unique game that delivers great physics and different ways to destroy the enemy pigs. The story of the game is really simple – save the bird race by rescuing the bird eggs the pigs have stolen from the nest. Each level you play is unique in how the pigs are protected by ice, wood, and/or stone blocks. Along with the unique levels, the birds vary and have their own “special” powers like speed, egg bombs, boomerang, mulitshot, and a bird that acts as a grenade. For a 2D game, Angry Birds is a great physics based game and visually looks great too. Just like Ninjatown: Trees of Doom!, Angry Birds is also on my list of games that will not leave my iPhone.

The last game I want to mention that helped keep my sanity was Tweet Defense. Tweet Defense is what it sounds like, a tower defense game that uses your Twitter stats to give you bonuses. What’s different about this game is that you’re protecting your backyard from invading zombies. You have six different towers at your disposal that have different abilities to use against the various forms of nasty zombies. Some of the zombies are basic and easy to destroy, while some take a lot of firepower to bring down and pack a surprise after you destroy them. With ten different levels to play on with three difficulties, this makes for a quick pick-up-and-play game while putting your Twitter account to another good use.

Now these three weren’t the only iPhone games that I played. I did get a chance to play Crap of Defense, Silent Swords, and Dragon’s Lair. I’ll share my thoughts on these games in the upcoming days. If you haven’t played any of the three that I shared my thoughts about, make sure you do because they are highly worth the price and you won’t be disappointed.

Move vs. Kinect

MrB4 — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 20:59:47 +0000

Seems like copying ideas from others is the name of the game when it comes to the latest and greatest in gaming technology nowadays. Whenever I would talk to a fellow gamer, they would tell me one of the reasons that they didn’t buy a Wii was how stupid the wiggling of the Wii remote and Nunchuck would make them look, as well as the lack of hardcore titles being released on the system. All of them thought that a controller in your hands was the best way to play a game. Apparently, Sony and Microsoft do not feel the same way at this point, and are now trying to succeed in the casual market with both the move controller, and the Kinect Camera peripheral. So who has the better device, let’s take a look.

Sony’s latest invention, the Move controller, just looks like a blatant ripoff of the Wii remote and Nunchuk if you ask me. Looking at it from a non fanboy point of view however, there may be a few games with this feature that could end up being alot of fun to play. The different spells and attacks in the game Sorcery look like they would be exciting to pull off, and the onscreen activity between the gamer and the in-game character in Eyepet could give the term “interaction” a whole new meaning.

Making you use two controllers(other than the nunchuk controller) for just one character in one game could end up being a little bit on the pricey side, which could turn plenty of gamers with a limited budget away from it real fast. Not sure if this is true or not, but I heard that you will need to purchase a playstation eye camera in order to play each of the games. Why couldn’t it just come with a sensor bar or something, instead of making us have to pay even more money for something that may or may not work.

Now moving on to Microsoft’s latest toy, the Kinect Camera. The idea of controller-less gaming sounds like an awesome concept, but unless you bring some quality games to the table that really show off the potential of what it could do, all you’re left with is another fad that will die out in a couple of years. As I said in my impressions of the E3 Microsoft Press Conference, the third-party titles shown were way more interesting than the first party ones. Honestly, the girl showing off Kinectimals freaked me out, and watching people do hurdles in Kinect Sports made me sick to my stomach. As stupid as it looked, Harmonix’s Dance Central could be a big hit at parties, and Ubisoft’s Your Shape Fitness Evolved could be the next big step in the world of excercising in video games, so there is some potential here.

My only real gripe with this device is how much it is going to cost. Just like with the move controller, paying an obscene amount of money, such as $149.99(which is how much it costs) for something like this just seems like an outrageous thing to do. The 360 itself costs $299, and for those people who don’t own the system yet, and are looking to get one because of Kinect will have to pay in upwards of $450, plus the price of games in order to experience the total package. If it does come bundled with a few games, and i’m sure it will, then this may not be a hard one to swallow, but at the moment, this feels like gamers are getting the short end of the stick.

The Winner is: Microsoft and their Kinect Peripheral

In the end, I had to go with Kinect as the better device, simply because it is a step in the right direction. Sony took the easy way out on this one. The Playstation Move left a been there, done that sort of feeling in the pit of my stomach. At least Microsoft had the gull to try something new, and whether it ends up succeeding or not, at least it is something creative and unique.

Did you agree with my pick or not, either way, leave a comment below, and share your thoughts.

Gaming Night 7/16

MrB4 — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 19:34:15 +0000

Online Surveys & Market Research

Nintendo Download of the Week: 7/12 Edition

MrB4 — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 15:26:00 +0000

Wow, this may just be the hardest decision that I have ever had to make when it comes to picking a favorite download, as there is really nothing here that sparks my interest. Virtual Console problems aside, I have never heard of any of these games. Who knows, there may be a rare gem in here somewhere, so let’s give it a chance. Here it is, my pick for Nintendo Download of the Week for July 12th, 2010.

The only game that could possibly any good from whats on offer for this week would have to be Toribash for the Wiiware service. It has an ESRB rating of T for Teen, and is available for download through the Wii Shop Channel for the asking price of 1,000 Wii points. The reason that I picked this one was because it honestly looks like one of those rare gems that might actually appeal to a core audience on this service. Even though I’m not much of a fighting game fan myself, something about manipulating every joint in the body to do fighting moves just sounds interesting to me. If you are interested in something like that, then check this game out right now. If you’re not up to this task, then go ahead and Pop some balloons in Balloon Pop Festival.

Our little handheld friend the DSiWare has five games on tap for this week. Puzzle gamers who want to take it easy should give Primrose a try. The infamous Pop Island has returned, try to survive it’s latest challenge in Pop Island: Paperfield. Anyone who remembers any iconic video game sound from the 80′s might want to check out Music on: Retro Keyboard . Obsessed with playing card games all day, if the answer is yes, then 24/7 Solitaire is the answer to your prayers. Planning a vacation to France, be sure to learn the language first and play 4 Travellers: Play French.

All of this, and more can be found in the DSi and Wii Shop Channels right now, have fun!

Blame is an Easy Thing to Shift

Guest Writer — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 00:28:31 +0000

I had the opportunity to go home for the 4th of July with my family and was reminded how ignorant some folks can be. Living in the city you will not hear a parent complaining about how a video game has corrupted their child, but that they have to buy the game due the child not being of the chosen age for a particular game. During an outing to pick up a copy of Crackdown 2 with my husband, I had the pleasure of standing in line behind what would have to be one of those parents that would blame her child’s illegal behavior on a game. Apparently the cashier was having a difficult time with a customer on the phone and the customer turned out to be an adolescent using vulgar language. When apologizing for the inconvenience, the cashier explained to the parent waiting in line what was going on. I’m not one to talk bad about random folks, but this mother stated that the rude behavior was due to video games and that she was battling the same problems with her son. Once I heard the unintelligent statement that came out of this woman’s mouth I became enraged.

A video game has nothing to do with the child’s behavior and if the parent seems to think it does, then the parent needs to prevent their child from playing it. To blame a video game on a misbehaving child is like blaming a dog on a misbehaving child. Even if the game is the cause of an attitude adjustment, the parent needs to take the game away or better yet, don’t buy it for them. What kills me about the entire situation is that the mother knew she was going to have to pay for the game being that her child did not meet the ESRB Rating requirements, but then had the gull to blame the game. Is it the child’s fault, is it the parent’s fault, or is the game to blame? This has been an ongoing battle for many years and will most likely continue to be ongoing issue. Parents do not want to deal with their kids, so they figure the best form of a baby sitter is a video game.

A video game is not the cause of a child being disrespectful, violent, or disregarding the law. The parent is the one who teaches these things and if the moral compass is off for the child, then the parent needs to take a long hard look at their selves. A video game is not with the child telling them to rip off a store or to back mouth a teacher. A video game is not there telling the child to beat another human being or to shoot a cop. Is any of this depicted in a game….of course, but since when is it ok to allow fantasy the ability to run your life? Blame is an easy thing to shift, especially when you do not want to claim it yourself. Blaming a video game makes the parent feel better. Blaming a video game means that the parent does not have to claim the consequences to the actions you choose with your child. A video game is simply an object that has no conscience and a definite end. A child’s morality grows and molds to what it’s taught. If you only teach that blame can be shifted than the parent deserves the disrespect, attitude, and complete disregard.

While this parent was part of the 93% of parents present during the purchase of a game, she definitely didn’t fit into the 64% that thought games have a positive impact on her child’s life (theeca.com). While the ESRB and all these games stores are working together to make sure the ratings are in plain sight for parents, parents need to conduct research on games their children want to play. While this may be a rare instance, I feel that parents and video game retailers need to communicate more prior to a purchase to find something that satisfies the child’s requests and the parent’s comfort level.

- Heather K.

Review: Jett Rocket

MrB4 — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 21:30:30 +0000

I’m all for games that take chances with their design and gameplay ideas, but sometimes there’s nothing wrong with sticking to the tried and true, and Jett Rocket does just that. Shin’en offers something that Wiiware has been lacking for quite some time, which is a true 3D platformer that is as beautiful to look at as it is fun to play. Seasoned gamers may be turned off by how short lived this experience is, but for those people who choose to go along for the ride, they will not be disappointed. So fuel up that jetpack, and get ready to collect those solar panels, because it’s time to save the world.

Developer:Shin’en Multimedia
Publisher:Shin’en Multimedia
Genre:3D Platformer
Platform:Wiiware

Welcome to Yoroppa, a beautiful planet that is being attacked by the evil Power Plant Posse. It is now up to a pilot named Jett to find out what is going on, and restore peace to the world. Along the way, you will explore such places as a tropical island, a swamp, and a frozen glacier. This is no deep storytelling going on here, it is just your typical case of good versus evil, but it works.

One of the first things I noticed is how beautiful the game looks. This is truly the most beautiful downloadable title to ever be released onto the Wiiware service. Each environment is bright and vibrant, and has a glossy look to it, which for some reason reminds me of Mario Galaxy 2. The characters themselves have a surprising amount of personality as well.

As good as the game might look, the same can’t be said about how it sounds. I’m not saying everything was bad, the explosions sound great, and the music was lively and engrossing, but dear god, the voice acting was just plain awful. The controls are simple, press a to jump, use the joystick on the nunchuck to move, use the d-pad to adjust the camera, and that’s it. They work fine, just wish the camera didn’t fight me at certain points, would have made it alot easier to survive some of the more challenging levels later on.

Here’s how it works, each world is separated into three or four different stages, all of which have a certain amount of solar panels that need to be collected in order to unlock the next area. Collect as many of them as you can, traverse through each level as fast as possible, hit the switch at the end, then rinse and repeat. Most of the time, simple platforming is all that needs to be done. There will be a few times however in which Jett may have to grab a magnet to move across large gaps, grab a propeller to fly up to a high platform, ride a jetski to move across water, or use a hanglider to travel to areas that are farther away. All of this, along with the boss fights, add some variety to the gameplay, which is nice to see, but things can still get repetitive after awhile.

All in all, Jett Rocket can take up to 3 hours or so to complete. There are a few things to do once the journey is over though. A gallery of concept art can be viewed, and there are 20 in-game achievements that can be unlocked. It’s nice to see a developer of a downloadable title care about the dedicated people who want to see every aspect of what it has to offer. Some online leaderboards for speed runs of levels would have been nice to see, other than that, 1000 Wii points is not a bad price to pay for this one.

Jett Rocket is a real treat for those of us who have been waiting on a game that sticks to the basics. The idea is simple, it looks gorgeous, and has replay value to boot. If a few minor quirks here and there are tweaked in the sequel, this might just be the next hero that the video game industry has been waiting for. (B-)

- Matt H.