Thoughts On... PlayStation 4

It's been a little while since I've gotten my PS4 and per my friend David's request, I have to go over how things are going with the system. As I said in my previous post, I knew that basically the whole world was going to be logging on to the PlayStation Network to get updates and start playing around with the new console, so I chose to go to sleep. I wasn't going to wait for over an hour to connect to the PSN just to then wait another hour to get the update. So, the next day while I was phoning it in at work, my overly tired brain came up with an idea! They say Necessity is the mother of invention and they would be right. I was trying to figure out a way to stay awake the whole day and I logged in to the PSN at work. I was able to access it with no problem and downloaded the PS4 update to my ever present USB drive. When I got home, I plugged in the PS4 and immediately updated the software. Total time: 5 min.

Thoughts On... PS4

Okay, I just finished watching the live stream of Sony's PlayStation Meeting 2013, which was basically the official reveal of the PlayStation 4. (Good bye Orbis!) They covered a lot of ground and if you're into gaming at all, I'm sure you have TONS of gaming websites that will go over every single minute detail of the stream, so I won't go into any detail. Plus, I'm not a reporter so I have no idea how to properly cover an event like this. What I will do is give you my impression of the meeting. And I can do it in a word: EXCITING!

So here are the broad strokes: They covered the machine specs of the console, debuted the final version of the PS4 Dualshock controller, talked about the overall design philosophy behind the PS4's creation, They had some game demos, some engine demos, and a couple of major announcements.

I like the new DualShock 4 controller. It looks wider, which is awesome cause I have HUGE hands. The drawback is that with the new Touchpad on the controller, I might have issues accessing features of the game by accident. I guess we'll have to see. They also integrated the PlayStation "Move" tech into the controller now, which I find.. interesting. It looks like they got rid of the "Start" and "Select" buttons, but I like the idea of the "Share" button. Which brings us to the philosophy of the PS4.

Despite the awesome technical stuff discussed and displayed at the meeting, I found myself most captivated by the philosophy of the PS4. The Lead PS4 system architect, Mark Cerny, stated that the development of the next gen console started 5 years ago, but they seemed to have tapped into a lot of really current ideas. Some stuff was expected, like game integration across all types of devices. (The DriveClub segment covered some interesting ideas on that front with the idea of racing in teams, and using apps to affect other parts of the game or create challenges for others to play.) What was most interesting for me is the idea of social integration into what Cerny called "the PlayStation ecosystem".

I like the idea of being able to easily share videos of my game play with friends (Most likely to help me out with whatever part I can't seem to beat), play games while they are downloading, and testing out games without downloading or paying for them. (That little tidbit was the only part of the whole conference that referred in any way to money. Again, interesting.) The coolest part was being to be a spectator, and watch the games my friends are playing (if they are broadcasting) and possibly jump in and help. For someone who is a hermit, I was actually impressed with the social media aspects of the PS4.

The game demos were cool. I'm loving "Watch_Dogs" more every time I see it. And, it looks like it will be available for PS3 and PS4. There's a new KillZone game coming for the PS4 which looked pretty awesome. Actually, so did the next Infamous game, Second Son. I was impressed with "The Witness" an upcoming puzzle game which reminded me a lot of Myst. But what really impressed me weren't the game demos per se, but the details in what I was seeing.

I have a background in computer programming, not game programming exactly, but I know about writing software. And as a developer myself, I know how difficult certain things are to create. I was truly amazed at the level of detail displayed in the game demos, but more in the ENGINE demos. The level of power to create such believable real time lighting effects while handling things like millions of particles flying around AND handling character movement and animation is simply astonishing.  Quantic Dream really FLOORED me with their new engine. I also LOVED Capcom's "Deep Down" demo. Again, the handling of the particulates was fantastic, but what really got me was the dragon fire. The flame was so fluid, and smooth; it was impressive.

There were several announcements, but the biggest one was the at the very end. The PS4 is coming for the holidays 2013. What they DIDN'T say is for how much. Or what the PS4 actually look like. All in all, the live stream was 2 hours of interesting stuff, and what they covered was interesting. And what they DIDN'T cover was also interesting. It looks like E3 is going to be a major battleground this year. As for this year's holidays, we'll see if I can afford to get a PS4. I might wait awhile on that.

If you saw the live stream, my dear readers, what did YOU think??

Get In The Zone...

The first I had ever heard of the Zone Of The Enders (ZOE) was when I was reading an article about the PS2. It seems that, at the time, Sony had come to the conclusion that developers weren't using the system to it's full potential and so they decided to create a game that really showcased what the PS2 could do. They turned to Hideo Kojima (most famously known for developing the Metal Gear Solid series). Taking inspiration from Japanese Robot/Mech anime, he gave them Zone Of The Enders.

I bought ZOE on the sake of curiosity and was pleasantly surprised. The graphics were amazing, including the real time updating "warning" ring", the responsiveness was almost instantaneous and the action was very fluid. I always have issues with flight mechanics, but after a short stint in the training arena I was flying my Orbital Frame (more on that term later) with no problems. The storyline was interesting, but the main character (being a 10 year old kid) was a bit annoying.  Still, like so many others, I quickly fell in love with the game.

About the story, ZOE takes place in the late 22nd century. Humanity has expanded out to colonize Mars and even has some colonies in orbit around Jupiter. This was done with LEVs (Laborious Extra-orbital Vehicles) and a new metal ore called Metatron. Tensions between Earth & Mars escalate (Anyone born outside of Earth were nicknamed "Enders", hence the title of the game.) and give birth to rebel factions on Mars, most notably BAHRAM, who developed a new type of LEV called Orbital Frames making extensive use of Metatron based tech. The game follows this 10 year old homeless kid named Leo who accidentally discovers the Orbital Frame, Jehuty and bonds with it. There's nothing like a story about a kid and his robot. (Don't believe me? Check out Real Steel!)

Anyway, it turns out that the rebel group BAHRAM had built Jehuty and it's opposite, Anubis (the main villain of the game) as keys to an unstoppable weapon that would destroy the evil Earth minions, free Mars from Earthling tyranny, spread candy bars and twinkies across the galaxy and make everyone have a nice day. As events play out in the game, you find out the real deal about BAHRAM's plans. And then there was the sequel, Zone of The Enders: The 2nd Runner.

When I found out that a sequel was going to be released, I was ecstatic! Not so the gaming critics. It turns out that for the game critic community (and a disturbingly large number of gamers) ZOE was "the free game that came with the $50 demo of Metal Gear Solid 2". (It was a marketing thing, Konami wanted to boost the sales of ZOE. It didn't quite work.) To this day, that line pisses me off. GRRR!!!

Anyway, ZOE2 follows a new pilot, Dingo Egret (I know, the name is dumb. Get over it.) who after an accident finds himself physically BONDED to the orbital frame, Jehuty. You can imagine the fun THAT'S going to be for him! Especially when Leo comes back piloting the Vic Viper, (Yes, it's a Gradius reference. That battle was simply awesome! You never realize how powerful that little 8-bit ship is until you have to fight it yourself!) gunning to get Jehuty back. Since ZOE2 takes place only 2 years after ZOE, Leo is still annoying, but slightly less so. The major note for ZOE2 was that the game made a giant leap forward in tech with the seamless blending of actual anime footage into the gameplay. (Paving the way for games like Catherine.)

At the same time, the producers also released an OVA (original video animation) that would serve as a prequel for the video game series AND a new 26 episode anime series ZOE: Dolories, i. ZOE2 was well received by fans and critics but it was overshadowed by other major titles and didn't really do as well as it could have done.So, after all of that, why am I writing about this? That's simple, my dear readers! In about two weeks, they are going to release the Zone of Enders HD collection!!!

They've updated all the interfaces to HD standards, created brand new opening animations, as well as recreated the original opening animations for HD. This release is for the PS3, Vita and for the first time ever, the Xbox 360! And paving the way for critics to downplay this release, Konami, in it's infinite wisdom, decided to include a demo of Metal Gear Rising: Revengance with this collection. If I hear someone call this "the free HD game that accompanied the $40 Revengance demo" I will rip their heart out and sacrifice it to the Mayan god of corn!!

But I can forgive Konami for this slip up. I can. No really, I can. Why? Because the creator himself, Mr. Hideo Kojima himself said that planning has begun for ANOTHER game in the Zone of The Enders series!!! Granted it's seriously early planning, but it's better than nothing!! Now, I will leave you with a clip of the new opening animation for the HD collection.


So, after watching that, anyone interested in the game?? You better be, Anubis is watching you!

Lara Croft Reborn...

I have to admit I never actually played any of the original Tomb Raider games. The concept came across too much like Indiana Jones only with a hot chick packing twin handguns. I watched as the series got worse and worse, and when the movies came out, I figured they were the final nail in the coffin of Lara Croft. It looked like it was over. And I honestly, didn't give it a second thought.

I first heard about this reboot of the Tomb Raider series  when Game Informer did a feature article on the series. What made it interesting was that the people behind this reboot, decided to revamp everything from the ground up including Lara herself. The magazine with the feature revealed Lara's new look and I was amazed and encouraged. Gone was the teenage boy's wet dream of big boobs, tight shorts, and pistols, and in her place was a very realistic, beautiful woman facing some serious stakes. From what the article said, this Tomb Raider game was going to be not only the beginning of a new more realistic Lara Croft, but also the beginning of her story. This game is going to play out her first adventure and show the world why her story is so captivating.

The article talked a good game, and it did gain my interest, but I still had my doubts. Today, I got a look at the first trailer for the new Tomb Raider game, and I am encouraged. Check it out:





It really looks interesting, doesn't it? For the first time ever, I'm actually interested in Lara Croft, and don't see her as a female Indiana Jones. For that alone, the producers of the game (Crystal Dynamics & Square Enix) should be lauded! When the game comes out, playing it will be an interesting experience.

New Info on Batman Arkham City...

See, this is why I love E3. So much awesome information comes out in such a short period of time. And I've been really looking forward to what is coming up next for all my interests!!! And so far, I haven't been disappointed at all!!

For all my fellow Bat fans, we get a new look at the gameplay for Batman: Arkham City. This includes some in game cinematic footage of the man (or men?) himself (themselves?): Two-Face!!  They show off a little more of what you can do as Batman, including interrogating a Riddler informant!! And they start it off with a surprise reveal!!! Check it out:

Tags: GameTrailers.com, E3 2011: Catwoman Trailer, PC Games, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

Talk about awesome, right? I can't wait till this game comes out!! It is SO going to rock! And with 25+ hours of gameplay, it's going to allow for a longer trip into the world of Batman!

Life Is Hard In The City Of Angels...

As you all know, my dear readers, I am an avid movie fan. One of my favorite genres of movies is "film noir". While the specific characteristics of the genre tend to be difficult to pin down, you know when you're watching film noir. There's just something about the mood the film puts you in, the way film is shot, the manner of the actor's speech that blends in just the right way to pull you in to the seedy underbelly of a seemingly innocent or glamorous area. Film noir is an awesome genre; stylish, yet simple, compassionate, yet brutal. And it's one of the few genres that I would love to just dive into. The interesting thing is, I was given just that opportunity yesterday when, in a moment of rare solvency, I was able to purchase what is surely to be a landmark video game, L.A. Noire.

Now, I'm not one to go with fads, sticking with what's currently popular is a great way to get and stay bankrupt. But in reading up on the game, and what they were trying to do, I couldn't help myself. I just wanted to play. I saw a few of the game trailers, and I could feel the edges of that Noir vibe. So, I ordered the game and waited patiently for it to arrive. I got it yesterday, and started playing almost immediately after I got out of work.

Just the start up screens alone were awesome. The menu screen in the shadow of harsh white lights with the buzz and flicker of fluorescent bulbs immediately dropped me into that Noir state of mind. Then as the game starts, that world just solidified around me. The soft, cool jazz. The rough voice of the narrator. The presentation and style of the visuals. It all came together and immersed me directly in my own Noir world. I played the first few cases and like few games before it, time just evaporated. What felt like 20-30 minutes, turned out to be 2-3 hours. It was truly amazing!

Admittedly, I haven't completed the game yet, but I still recommend it to anyone who is into story-based gaming, and is a fan of the film noir style. If this game is a hit, and they make a sequel, I hope they try their hand at a new city. Chicago, perhaps.. or, dare I say it... New York City!  In the meantime, pick up the game. You'll love it!

This Ain't No Place For A Hero...

For those of you who don't know, one of the greatest superhero games ever released (Batman: Arkham Asylum) is getting a sequel: Arkham City. The first game covered the events that happened when the Joker broke out of custody and took over Gotham City's most notorious mental health facility, Arkham Asylum. Batman, already on the grounds since he's the one who brought the Joker to the asylum, immediately takes steps to deal with the issue.

The sequel takes place a year after the events of the first game. The former warden of Arkham Asylum, Quincy Sharp, took credit for the defeat of the Joker and parlayed that credit to get elected as mayor of Gotham City. Sharp then initiates a plan to wall off the slums of Gotham and dumps all the inmates of Arkham & Blackgate prison into the newly created Arkham City. In this new region, the inmates can do whatever they want, so long as they don't try to escape. To run Arkham City, Sharp appoints the psychiatrist Hugo Strange, who seems to have his own agenda, according to the trailer.

Bats, of course, keeps an eye on the place knowing that eventually hell is going to break loose. Which happens when Two-Face, newly arrived to Arkham City and looking to gain clout, decides to kidnap and publicly execute Catwoman. Batman enters Arkham City to stop the execution, which is (presumably) where the game starts.

Today, video game developer Rocksteady Studios released THE FIRST actual game play trailer for Batman: Arkham City on IGN!! I've been DYING to see this ever since I saw the full trailer for the game. Seeing this trailer, made me put in my pre-order within mere SECONDS of finishing it. Check it out:

More Batman: Arkham City Videos

Rocksteady claimed that Arkham City was going to take what was good about the first game and expand on it, and seeing this trailer, they have done an EXCELLENT job! You have more areas to explore, more abilities and gadgets, and rumor has it that they are adding even more Easter eggs through the game! I can't wait to get this!!!

My good friend, David, has been virtually orgasmic about this new show coming to HBO called Game of Thrones, based on one his favorite series of books. While I'm not at his level of enthusiasm (I haven't read the books.), I do find the show appealing. Normally, I would be making fun of his excitement, since he's normally a very stoic person. But, in this case, I can't. Because, I know EXACTLY how he feels, because I feel the same way... about Batman: Arkham City!

They Shouldn't Have Gone After Our Women...

The impossible has happened. Yes, dear readers, the IMPOSSIBLE has happened!!! There is a release date for Duke Nukem Forever!!! This is the ONE FPS even I would buy just because of the Duke!! According to this article on GameInformer's site, the game we've all been waiting over a decade for, will be released in the US on May 3rd, 2011. The rest of the world jumps in on May 6th! To tide you over, here's a trailer for the new game!!

Who Ya Gonna Call?

Well, I've completed my sojourn into the depths of the madhouse that is Arkham Asylum. Having finished the story line, I can see why that game is so popular. And I plan to go through and finish getting all the Riddler challenges and earning a couple more trophies. Now, the question is what game do I go to next? When plagued with unexplainable feelings of doubt and dread, who do I turn to? Who ya gonna call??

Ghost Busters!!!

Yes, I purchased this game awhile ago, and even started playing it before I found out that my trophies were all on another user's account and I couldn't transfer them. Then I got into Castlevania and Batman, but now I'm back. Ghostbusters is next on the list of games to play. From the little that I played before, it's fun. The dialogue is hilarious, and as always, I love the music. I can't wait to see what the storyline has to offer.

"Ray, when someone asks you if you're a God, you say YES!!!" 

Difference between Thought & Action...

I finally finished Castlevania: Lords of Shadow and it was a good game. The ending was really interesting and I'm eager to see what the DLC packs that Konami are going to release this year have to offer! This past weekend, I started a new video game: Batman: Arkham Asylum.

I bought the game because everyone told me how awesome the game was. (I wish I could have afforded the collector's edition with the Batarang!) It got game of the year, and tons of people (including a large subset of my friends) absolutely loved it. Now that I've finally played it, I can see why. Like Bioshock, Arkham Asylum engrosses you into the events of the game in such a subtle way that I didn't realize I was hooked until I checked the clock and realized that what had felt like 20 minutes of playing was actually THREE HOURS!! And as I played the game, I realized that as much as I love Batman, I had no idea just how difficult it is to be in his shoes.

I remember tons of arguments I've had with many a Superman fan, arguing about the quality of Batman's mind. Not just about it's alleged superiority, but also the subtle manipulations that Batman engages in almost every encounter that allow him to perform as he does. Yet, for all my vaunted knowledge and in depth reading, actually having to perform those same manipulations is another challenge all together. While I'm still just in the beginning of the game, the aspect of the game that I absolutely LOVE is how the game puts you in Batman's mind.

The last part of the game I played was in the Asylum's medical facility where a couple of my choices backfired on me. I had been given a couple of upgrade options and, in typical gaming fashion, I upgraded my armor first, thinking that it would be an advantage in any fights I get into. But that's not Batman's style. If Batman is in the middle of a shoot out, he's lost his main advantage: stealth. At the height of his ability, the only time someone gets to see Batman is when HE wants you to, not before.

And I paid for that mistake, time and time again as I tried to take out 5 guys and ended up getting killed over and over. But rather than frustrate me (as what would happen in most games), this setback actually gave me a deeper understanding of my favorite comic character and just enhanced my enjoyment of the game. It's most likely going to take me awhile to complete Batman: Arkham Asylum, but I'm going to LOVE every single instant of it and when I'm done, I'll have a much greater, more delicately nuanced understanding of Batman and the way he sees the world. 

Video Games Live - Oh, What A Night....

Last week, I went to one of the most amazing events I've ever experienced: Video Games Live. Some friends and co-workers told me that it was a great time and I was going to love it, but I had no idea how much fun it was going to be. I have to say that anyone who recommended VGL to me in the past was 100% correct!! I went with two friends of mine who had NO CLUE what they were in for. Both were video game fans, and both of them absolutely LOVED it. (They even took video clips which they STILL won't upload so I can see!!) So, it's not just me going off on some tangent. Normal every day folks love VGL just as much as I do. And the age range of the appeal was amazing, I saw people ranging in age from 3 to 83. One family brought their youngest in a Link costume from Legend of Zelda for the costume contest! (My guess: They were going for the Wind Waker Link.)  Of course, they won. Who's going to vote against a mini-Link?

For those of you who don't know what Video Games Live is, let me explain. At it's core, VGL is a concert. Yes, there is usually a bit of a "festival" in the hours leading up to the concert where people can play games and enter in contests, and stuff, but the point is the concert. Anyway, the producers of the show get local orchestras to play out the themes of popular video games, and display scenes from the games in accompaniment. But the show doesn't end there. They also add a live show on stage that interacts with both the scenes playing out on screen and with the music. It's a mind blowing experience to hear a full orchestra play out pieces of music that you've only come out of tv speakers coming from a video game console.

The best part is this concert isn't partisan to any specific console. VGL gave props to games all across the board like the Metal Gear Solid series (but no Snake Eaters, dammit!!), Sonic The Hedgehog, Chrono Trigger, Castlevania, Legend of Zelda, the God of War series, Resident Evil, Halo, Street Fighter 2, Final Fantasy, Super Mario, and others. They even went back to the real classics of video games: Frogger, Centipede, Asteroids, and Pac-Man all got their props.

The most surprising segment for me was for God of War. It was done so well, they started it with an intro from one of the producers of the game and then went into the intro for one of the games with that creepy old woman narrating the events of Kratos's current life. Then the orchestra came in and just swept me away in this grandiose wave of sound that was simply thrilling. In fact, I was so caught up in the music that I didn't notice a woman come on stage (despite the spotlight on her) until she started singing. That woman (by the name of Laura Intravia, look her up. Seriously, do it!) knocked me for a loop. I've never heard someone sing with that level of strength and power live. And it was for God of War! Stunning! Absolutely stunning!!!

Ms. Intravia did a couple of other bits where she showed off her flute playing talents with the themes of Legend of Zelda (and she looked SO HOTT in the Link costume! Never realized how sexy that outfit would be on a girl!) and Super Mario Bros. I did have one nitpick about the Super Mario Bros bit, though. While her flute skills were amazing, I didn't think they should have used a recording for the background music. They did have a full orchestra on stage with her... so why not USE IT? But that's just a minor detail.

My personal favorite segment was, without a doubt, Tron. Hearing an orchestra play the various themes from the game (and the movie, since the games borrowed heavily from the movie's score) literally gave me chills. So much so, that I had goosebumps all up and down my arms. It made me want to watch the new movie even MORE!! It was also amazing to see and hear the reaction the audience had to Tron. It was one of the biggest cheers of the night.

They also had a special guest, the inventor of the home video game console, Ralph Baer. This is the man that parents everywhere can blame for having to spend hundreds of dollars on video game systems every couple of years. It was cool to learn some of the early history of video games (like he invented his Brown Box System here in Nashua!!), it gave the perfect sense of scope. Especially when they set up a replica of Baer's original Brown Box and played the ORIGINAL pong. With the orchestra adding music to it for the first time! To go from that to the music of World of Warcraft really emphasized how far video games have come in the last 40 or so years.

If you ever get the chance to go to Video Games Live, you should. Even if you're not a video game fanatic (but really, who ISN'T these days?) you'll love the vibe and energy of the event. I wholeheartedly recommend it, and I'm a hermit-of-sorts!! You can see a bunch of clips of their various shows on YouTube, but they don't compare at all to being there live. I can't wait for them to come back around here, so I can go again! Seriously, do yourself a favor and check it out!

A Lost Opportunity Found Again...

Unless you vacuum seal your entire life, whenever you move you lose stuff. Knick knacks, papers, you know small stuff. In my move to Nashua, I noticed that some of my paperwork was gone. Including some tickets to an event I was really looking forward to for a couple of months: Video Games Live.

For those of you who don't know, VGL is basically a concert where a live orchestra plays the themes of a bunch of classic video games: Mario, Halo, Zelda, etc, while playing clips of the games on a screen above the orchestra. As I understand it, there's also a live stage show to go along with it.

A friend of mine went to the show in NJ and he said there were events before the concert. One audience member won a Guitar Hero contest before the show, and got a chance to play the Guitar Hero song live on stage with the orchestra!! Cool, huh? I'm going next week and I'm going to have a blast!! I found a video that give a glimpse of the show.




The show tours around the world. Check out their site VideoGamesLive.com to find when they're going to be in YOUR area!!

The Battle Resumes...

I wrote a post awhile back about acquiring a PS3. It's been about a month since I've had it and I must say, I'm still LOVING it. I'm now up to 4 games:

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
Bioshock
Prince Of Persia: Forgotten Sands
and
Ghostbusters!!

I've played all of them a little bit, but I'm focussing on Castlevania. Why? Because it's Castlevania. I'm a huge fan of the series. I've played a bunch of the games, though not all. And I've always enjoyed them. I was worried about LOS at first, but Konami did a good job with the game. Translation: I can't believe how freaking difficult this game is!!!

Now, I've been out of the video game scene for awhile, I grant you, but it shouldn't take 5 hours of battle to beat ONE boss. Who are they making these games for anyway?? People who have PS3s & XBoxes linked directly to their brains using neural jacks??  As you can probably surmise, I've beaten the first of the Lords of Shadow, a schmuck named Cornell who thought being the Lord of Lycans made him something special. But since it was such a massive battle (two game sessions, one for 2hrs and the other for 3hrs cause I had to restart the battle from the beginning), I took a break from playing. But, I'm going to start back up again tonight.

Wish me luck!

A New Acquisition...

Last Friday, I received a exceedingly pleasant surprise: a bonus in my paycheck. As you know from last posts (and from how few there were during Sept), dear readers, my life has been exceedingly stressful of late. So, I decided to use this money to get something that could provide stress relief. After an initial desire to hire a hooker for a half-hour session (it wasn't THAT big of a bonus, people!), I decided to go for something that would provide more long term stress relief: a new video game system.

Once that decision was made, an immediate debate started as to which console I should purchase. Factions formed around their token consoles: the Wii, the Xbox 360, and the PlayStation 3; and then the inevitable battle raged. Blood stained the air, fire rained from the heavens, the earth trembled, and the oceans boiled. In the aftermath of that great war, one warrior was left standing. The chains bonded to his arms rattled with each step he took walking towards me. As I stood frozen in shock, and fear, he pointed his twin blades at me and roared.

"I am Kratos! God of War and you will buy the Playstation 3 to relive my adventures or you will feel my wrath!"

Needless to say, I bought the PS3.

Now, I want to be clear on this. I did not buy the PS3 because I was afraid of Kratos. Not at all. Deep down, Kratos is just a big softie. But he seemed awfully determined, and I didn't really want to disappoint him. Since Kratos didn't really specify where I should purchase the PS3, I went on CraigsList and got a great deal on a first generation PS3 that is backwards compatible! I also got 3 games with it, but I traded them in for 3 others. Currently, my PS3 video game library consists of:

Bioshock
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
Prince of Persia: Forgotten Sands

I'm sure more games will soon be purchased (probably as Christmas/birthday gifts *cough* *cough*) in the future, so please don't balk that the small size of my library. Remember, size doesn't matter!

My Metroid is Back & Better Than EVER!!!

Two days ago, I wrote a post that was essentially geek fanboy gushing about my favorite game series ever, Metroid. Now, I wake up from my self induced coma and am reminded that the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3 to those in the know) is in full swing. After that initial stab of pain of not being able to ATTEND the damn thing subsided, I got smacked in the face with a couple of pieces of news. First, the rumors of a new Metroid game ARE TRUE!! The second:

Metroid: Other M comes out THIS SUMMER!!

I went to the Metroid site and watched the intro teaser, and it was good. Then I watched the gameplay movie. And my jaw hit the floor!! MY Metroid is back!! Side Scrolling deliciousness!!



There's going to be occasional first person views to find items and other such fine, detailed tasks. But, Metroid is BACK!!! YEAH!!! The only problem is that now I have to buy a Nintendo Wii. I have to own a game system with such a RIDICULOUS name!! Why couldn't they have kept the Nintendo Revolution name! Why do you do this to me Nintendo? WHY???

Porque???

Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!!! Now, for the hardest part, the waiting...

ALL TIME FAVORITES - Game Series: Metroid

There has only been ONE series of video games that has never disappointed me. One series that has captivated me and augmented my reality since I first played it. That series was Metroid. The first time I played the original game on the NES, I had no idea how addicting it would be. I drew my own maps, I had dreams of being in the game. And if it weren't for school and chores, I would NEVER stop playing it.

Finding out that the main character was a girl didn't really stop me either. When I finally beat the game after weeks of obsession (I went so far as to draw my own maps!!), my reaction to the revelation of who was in the suit was simple: "Wow, COOL!!" I had no idea, at the time, how revolutionary that little 8bit animation was. Samus just became the first girl I ever related to. Then I started playing the game again. It wasn't until years later, that I realized Samus was one of the first female heroes in video gaming and to date, she remains a powerful role model for young girls everywhere.


But the game that sealed my love for the series was Super Metroid for the SNES. That game tapped into the obsession I had with the original from the moment I heard of it's existence, thanks to the commercial where the game turned a rowdy german shepard into a traumatized chihuahua. The day before it came out, my mother had gotten me the bazooka for the SNES. When I told her I wanted Super Metroid she said, "But I just bought you the gun. We can't buy another game." So, I made her return the SNES gun and buy Super Metroid. Never gave that gun a second thought. At one point while playing Super Metroid, I had EVERY SINGLE KID IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, staring through my windows or hanging in my living room watching me play, cheering me on and shouting out hints. I even created my first internet handle from the name of the boss I had the hardest time beating: Ridley.


This is how much I was into Metroid: I didn't buy the Nintendo64 because they never released a Metroid game for it. Neither Zelda or Mario was enough for me. I was waiting until Metroid got a game, and it never happened. The N64 got multiple Mario games, a plethora of Zelda games, yet for some reason, Samus didn't merit an appearance. Then the Gamecube was released and one of the first games scheduled to ship out within the first year was Metroid: Prime.

I have to admit, I was a bit concerned when Metroid went first person with the Prime games, but they handled it beautifully and about 30 seconds into the game, I was in love with the new format. They even worked the trademark Morph Ball of the Metroid series into the 3D prime games exceptionally well. Prime 2 rocked and the only reason I have to buy the new Nintendo console is to continue with the Metroid series. Unfortunately, I can't fund that at the moment, but someday I will.

I'm hoping that at some point, they'll make a movie or even better an ANIME of the Metroid series just to fully complete the arc! Until that day, I'll just keep my Gamecube running, waiting for the next time Samus is needed to put foot to Metroid/Space Pirate ass!!

Thoughts On... Video Games

My relationship with video games has become somewhat tenuous. It seems that all the things that have become popular don't appeal to me. I guess growing up during the resurgence of the video game industry in the mid-80s kind of defined the frame of reference I have for gaming, which affects how I react to the latest generation of video games.

Graphics do NOT impress me. I grew up with 8/16 bit games. Games that are STILL legendary today, and their fame has NOTHING to do with their graphics.

Difficulty is important. Most games today tend to be obvious/dumbed-down. There's no difficulty in gameplay, so the challenge becomes getting a bunch of awards or achievements. I don't care if I unlock the "X" costume for "Y" character. I care about finishing the game. If I can beat the game with little or no effort, then it's just a waste of time. I remember playing Gradius III for the SNES, which ironically was an easier version of the arcade game since Konami WANTED you to finish the game at home, and having my sister walk in during one of the levels and she gasped in surprise to see me fly my spaceship through what looked like an impenetrable wall of bullets and lasers. It took me days of trial and error to find the exact path to take, but once I figured out how to do it, I felt like I had earned something! After a series of levels like that, when I finally beat the game, THAT was the accomplishment that made it worth playing the game.

Story is MOST important. Every game I enjoy has a story that appeals to me. From Super Mario Bros. to Prince of Persia:Sands of Time, from Gradius to Metroid:Prime. If I don't care about WHY the character is going through the events of the game, I won't care to play. From the simple, primal story of Super Mario Bros., to the more complex story of the PoP:Sands Of Time, you care WHY these people are doing what they're doing.

The latest generation of games seem to be focussed on bigger and better graphics and not on anything else. It's deeply discouraging. To be completely honest, I constantly ask myself why I don't just drop video gaming entirely.

The answer is that every once in awhile, there comes a game or a game series that redeems the industry. The last one in recent memory for me is the Prince of Persia Series on the PS2.