Do you like Pinball machine? Do you own a PS3? Then you owe it to yourself to get Zen Pinball. It is the most fun I've had with a game in a good while. The extra Street Fighter 2 Homage table is quite neat, with surprisingly clever ways of making the Pinball game feel like a Street Fighter game.
I wish I had more to say at this time, alas, my last few posts were rather lengthy and I haven't had the chance to really playanything else since then. I was planning on picking up Lord of Shadows, but seeing as it has little to do with Castlevania, I'll probably skip it. In the meantime, I've also gotten back into FFXIII. More on that as I progress further (I was at chapter 8 when I stopped playing and I'm close to wrapping up chapter 9).
If you live in Canada, Netflix is now available and you can get a free month. The content isn't that great, but there are some fun things.
Read you soon?!?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
MOVEing up in the world...
... Yeah, not a very clever play on words, but you get the idea. I have recently gotten the Playstation Move, and with it a copy of Resident Evil 5: Gold edition.
I like the Move. It picks up movements decently well, and rather than it just being a flick of the wrist like it is with the Wii motion controls: You control every nuance of whatever it is you're controlling on the screen. I've played some of the Sports Champions games. I'll put a more full fledged post about it next week. I will say this though: It's more than just a glorified demo disc, which if you've ever played Wii Sports, well... that's what that game felt like.
Now, normally when I play through a series of games, I need to play them in order, with Silent Hill being a notable exception (I actually played the first one third, since I couldn't find it anywhere). All of the Crash Bandicoots, the Spyro's, any gaming series I have I need to play them from when they began, that way I can see how the story goes from one game to the next, I can see all the little references and improvements made. With Resident Evil, I figured I would do the same thing... but then when the Gold Edition of 5 came out, with Move compatibility, I figured why not? Originally I was getting the GE for Jeff, and he was going to trade me his copy of the original version, but since he ended up getting it for himself, I wasn't going to just give my copy away...
To be honest, I've always maintained that the Wii was tailor made for shooters: All you really need to do is aim the Wii-mote at the screen, fire, and voila: Instant killing gratification. Which makes me wonder why playing RE5G on PS3 feels better than any Wii shooter I've played. The controls just work very naturally for it.
I tried the game very briefly at Jeff's place using the Dualshock setup, and I gotta admit, I much prefer just pointing at the screen. There's just something about it that makes it feel more fluid. Again, RE5 on the PS3 is what I wish Wii shooters would feel like.
On a final note, even almost two years after the games release, RE5 is probably the best looking game I have ever seen, and I've seen way too many games than could ever be considered healhty. From Press Start Two Play, I'm Chris Taylor, wishing all a pleasant Gammage.
I like the Move. It picks up movements decently well, and rather than it just being a flick of the wrist like it is with the Wii motion controls: You control every nuance of whatever it is you're controlling on the screen. I've played some of the Sports Champions games. I'll put a more full fledged post about it next week. I will say this though: It's more than just a glorified demo disc, which if you've ever played Wii Sports, well... that's what that game felt like.
Now, normally when I play through a series of games, I need to play them in order, with Silent Hill being a notable exception (I actually played the first one third, since I couldn't find it anywhere). All of the Crash Bandicoots, the Spyro's, any gaming series I have I need to play them from when they began, that way I can see how the story goes from one game to the next, I can see all the little references and improvements made. With Resident Evil, I figured I would do the same thing... but then when the Gold Edition of 5 came out, with Move compatibility, I figured why not? Originally I was getting the GE for Jeff, and he was going to trade me his copy of the original version, but since he ended up getting it for himself, I wasn't going to just give my copy away...
To be honest, I've always maintained that the Wii was tailor made for shooters: All you really need to do is aim the Wii-mote at the screen, fire, and voila: Instant killing gratification. Which makes me wonder why playing RE5G on PS3 feels better than any Wii shooter I've played. The controls just work very naturally for it.
I tried the game very briefly at Jeff's place using the Dualshock setup, and I gotta admit, I much prefer just pointing at the screen. There's just something about it that makes it feel more fluid. Again, RE5 on the PS3 is what I wish Wii shooters would feel like.
On a final note, even almost two years after the games release, RE5 is probably the best looking game I have ever seen, and I've seen way too many games than could ever be considered healhty. From Press Start Two Play, I'm Chris Taylor, wishing all a pleasant Gammage.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Pointer controlled Resident Evil
Like a fair number of people, I thoroughly enjoyed Resident Evil 5. It is one of those games that really takes advantage of the New Game + concept. In fact, I am fairly certain that the game is nigh impossible on a Professional playthrough with just the basic equipment.
When I first played it, however, I strongly believed that it would benefit immensely from pointer controls, à la RE4:Wii. My first impression was disappointment... Fairly strong disappointment at that. Although I did not play the game much (waiting on a friend to start playing again), I tried to understand where my disappointment originated. The answer is not overly complex, but it involves more than the controls.
The first thing to keep in mind is that I lost my save file (old PS3 died). Not only do I not have access to some of the DLC costumes from the get go, but rebuilding my arsenal is not something I am looking forward to.
The other thing of note is, it does control very similarly to RE4:Wii, with a few notable differences. The cursor does not stay on the screen. I do not know if this is a design decision or a technological "limitation", but the end result is that aiming is different and more difficult. Design wise, the Wii way of aiming makes the game a lot easier. The Move controls work fine, but aiming takes more time to get used to simply because you have to reset your aim everytime.
Last but not list in this brief analysis is the fact that in RE5, unlike RE4, you HAVE a lot of control on the camera, and that is something that is completely lost in the Move version, you can only control it when aiming. In RE4, you could only tilt the camera a bit, and even that was mapped onto the Wii mote. At the end of the day, I think that this is what causes RE5 afficionado to cringe a bit when they start playing RE5 with the Move. However, put the Move down, try the Dualshock again...and chances are you'll realise that your memories and the actual control scheme are not the same. Move definitely allows for a superior experience.
That being said, I am looking forward to playing through the game again and I can't wait to have some decent weaponry. I did play some RE4 to see how the games differed... And well, that's why I wrote this entry. Plus RE5 is still one of the prettiest games out there, one year later.
If you want to play some RE5 with me, just send me a message and if I can, I will be more than happy to join you.
Until next time, remember to aim for their head.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
When I first played it, however, I strongly believed that it would benefit immensely from pointer controls, à la RE4:Wii. My first impression was disappointment... Fairly strong disappointment at that. Although I did not play the game much (waiting on a friend to start playing again), I tried to understand where my disappointment originated. The answer is not overly complex, but it involves more than the controls.
The first thing to keep in mind is that I lost my save file (old PS3 died). Not only do I not have access to some of the DLC costumes from the get go, but rebuilding my arsenal is not something I am looking forward to.
The other thing of note is, it does control very similarly to RE4:Wii, with a few notable differences. The cursor does not stay on the screen. I do not know if this is a design decision or a technological "limitation", but the end result is that aiming is different and more difficult. Design wise, the Wii way of aiming makes the game a lot easier. The Move controls work fine, but aiming takes more time to get used to simply because you have to reset your aim everytime.
Last but not list in this brief analysis is the fact that in RE5, unlike RE4, you HAVE a lot of control on the camera, and that is something that is completely lost in the Move version, you can only control it when aiming. In RE4, you could only tilt the camera a bit, and even that was mapped onto the Wii mote. At the end of the day, I think that this is what causes RE5 afficionado to cringe a bit when they start playing RE5 with the Move. However, put the Move down, try the Dualshock again...and chances are you'll realise that your memories and the actual control scheme are not the same. Move definitely allows for a superior experience.
That being said, I am looking forward to playing through the game again and I can't wait to have some decent weaponry. I did play some RE4 to see how the games differed... And well, that's why I wrote this entry. Plus RE5 is still one of the prettiest games out there, one year later.
If you want to play some RE5 with me, just send me a message and if I can, I will be more than happy to join you.
Until next time, remember to aim for their head.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Saturday, September 25, 2010
The Marathon...s
Ladies and gents of the world, I have six hundred and twenty-six games that I haven't beaten. That's a lot. Too much. Problem is, I almost never have time to play games, and when I do... well, I usually change my mind on what I want to play. I'll go through times where I want to play certain games, and then half an hour later I'll play something completely different. I needed something to inspire me to play my games, and usually, a list of some sort helps.
Enter Backloggery. When I first joined the site, it inspired me to play things I've had in my collection for years and never beat. Adversely, it also inspired me to buy even more cheapo games to add to said collection.
Browsing other peoples collections, I noticed someone doing a marathon of Ubisoft games. It's exactly what is sounds like: They are playing all of the games that they own that were made by Ubisoft. It inspired me to do the same, and at first, I thought that it worked.
Then I tracked down the Prince of Persia games that I didn't own yet. The addiction continues.
So I'm three games into my Ubithon, and I'm still buying more games than I'm beating. An idea hits me: Why not go in alphabetical order? But I didn't think I'd ever actually do it.
Then, while browsing other peoples profiles... again, I saw someone else with the exact same idea as me. He's got a list of games from # - Z, and he's actually beating them in alphabetical order. And that's pretty much what I'm doing... with a little leeway. I'm going three games at a time. That way, if I get stuck in 3D Dot Game Heroes, I can take a break and play Bioshock. There are also two replacements: Since I don't have a Q or a Y, I just replaced those letters with games that are close in lettering to what I didn't have.
Just picked up the Move AND RE 5 Gold. Resident Evil was supposed to be for Jeff (he was going to give me his copy of the original game, and I was going to trade the Gold for his regular), but he ended up picking it up for himself, so Hey, more bonus stuff for me XD. Haven't tried the move yet, but I'm planning on hooking it up tonight, and trying out those sports games. Also, it gives me an excuse to pick up Eye of Judgment at some point, and with my love affair of CCG's, I'm totally going to get it... eventually.
I've also been playing a lot of Magic. A LOT of Magic, so much that even my Room Mate has started playing... a little. She's into the XBLA version, and she even has a couple of pre-constructed decks, now we just need to get her into it full on.
Until next time, I'm Chris Taylor wishing all a pleasant Gammage.
Enter Backloggery. When I first joined the site, it inspired me to play things I've had in my collection for years and never beat. Adversely, it also inspired me to buy even more cheapo games to add to said collection.
Browsing other peoples collections, I noticed someone doing a marathon of Ubisoft games. It's exactly what is sounds like: They are playing all of the games that they own that were made by Ubisoft. It inspired me to do the same, and at first, I thought that it worked.
Then I tracked down the Prince of Persia games that I didn't own yet. The addiction continues.
So I'm three games into my Ubithon, and I'm still buying more games than I'm beating. An idea hits me: Why not go in alphabetical order? But I didn't think I'd ever actually do it.
Then, while browsing other peoples profiles... again, I saw someone else with the exact same idea as me. He's got a list of games from # - Z, and he's actually beating them in alphabetical order. And that's pretty much what I'm doing... with a little leeway. I'm going three games at a time. That way, if I get stuck in 3D Dot Game Heroes, I can take a break and play Bioshock. There are also two replacements: Since I don't have a Q or a Y, I just replaced those letters with games that are close in lettering to what I didn't have.
Just picked up the Move AND RE 5 Gold. Resident Evil was supposed to be for Jeff (he was going to give me his copy of the original game, and I was going to trade the Gold for his regular), but he ended up picking it up for himself, so Hey, more bonus stuff for me XD. Haven't tried the move yet, but I'm planning on hooking it up tonight, and trying out those sports games. Also, it gives me an excuse to pick up Eye of Judgment at some point, and with my love affair of CCG's, I'm totally going to get it... eventually.
I've also been playing a lot of Magic. A LOT of Magic, so much that even my Room Mate has started playing... a little. She's into the XBLA version, and she even has a couple of pre-constructed decks, now we just need to get her into it full on.
Until next time, I'm Chris Taylor wishing all a pleasant Gammage.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
In a memory far far away...
Those who know me are aware that my iPod contains practically only soundtracks. It is basically the only thing I listen to. To a large extent, my recent interest in The Beatles is because of the Rock Band game of the same name. Although my music library is mostly filled with film soundtracks, videogames are the reason I like what I like today. One game in particular, can be held responsible for most of my tastes. We must go back to 1992, in a dark basement, on an old TV that did not have a remote...
A long time ago
In a galaxy far, far away...
Believe it or not, Super Star Wars was my first exposure to the Star Wars universe. It bloomed a strong passion that endures to this day. And most importantly, this game introduced me to John Williams. Where the game X-Wing defined what I would ultimately prefer about Star Wars, the Super NES title is the reason why my music collection is what it is and why I love
Star Wars unconditionally.
I mentioned John Williams because his was the first music I really got into on my own. It wasn't because my parents owned the CD or because a friend recommended it; it was what I wanted to listen to. From then on, music would define what I liked and didn't like, be they films, videogames, etc.
An ordinary movie with an excellent theme may become a surprise hit. A good
TV show with a bland theme song may not hold my interest. A strong soundtrack in a game makes a huge different on my enjoyment of said game.
So it is with chagrin that I find today's game music less memorable than back in the day. Granted, part of the emotional impact that music had to have is now carried through with the music, we hear tunes less frequently due to how games are now made, but this same observation could be extended to films too. Maybe it is because directors do not want a theme so strong that it detracts from the visual experience, or maybe moody and atmospheric tracks sell... No matter the answer, I am always looking for those few notes that make me smile, no matter what.
Here are some of my favourite game themes.
Uncharted: When I first booted the game, and watched that coin turn, I was amazed at what was playing. It conveyed so many things: Grandeur, adventure... Was this going to be the Indiana Jones game we never got? Nathan's Theme is a very classic kind of theme that embodies, in my humble opinion, the series very weel.
Mega Man 2: A Classic. Every single track in that game "sings" awesome. I could mention the classic Mecha Dragon stage... Oh wait, I just did. Flash Man and Wood Man are also some of my favourites.
Shatter: Not themes per say as they are not associated to anything specific, but that soundtrack is worth every penny. It helps that the game is fantastic too.
The Metroid Prime Trilogy: Look at some of my older blogs and at pressstarttwoplay.blogspot.com. On the other hand, Metroid: Other M was tremendously disappointing music wise.
Final Fantasy VI/III: The Returner's Theme. Locke's, Terra's, Cyan's, Setzer's (just thinking about the moment in the dark world where we ask why are we going to his wife's tomb... To get another airship of course... Gives me goosebumps :) ) Need I say more?
What are some of your favourite themes/tracks and why?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
A long time ago
In a galaxy far, far away...
Believe it or not, Super Star Wars was my first exposure to the Star Wars universe. It bloomed a strong passion that endures to this day. And most importantly, this game introduced me to John Williams. Where the game X-Wing defined what I would ultimately prefer about Star Wars, the Super NES title is the reason why my music collection is what it is and why I love
Star Wars unconditionally.
I mentioned John Williams because his was the first music I really got into on my own. It wasn't because my parents owned the CD or because a friend recommended it; it was what I wanted to listen to. From then on, music would define what I liked and didn't like, be they films, videogames, etc.
An ordinary movie with an excellent theme may become a surprise hit. A good
TV show with a bland theme song may not hold my interest. A strong soundtrack in a game makes a huge different on my enjoyment of said game.
So it is with chagrin that I find today's game music less memorable than back in the day. Granted, part of the emotional impact that music had to have is now carried through with the music, we hear tunes less frequently due to how games are now made, but this same observation could be extended to films too. Maybe it is because directors do not want a theme so strong that it detracts from the visual experience, or maybe moody and atmospheric tracks sell... No matter the answer, I am always looking for those few notes that make me smile, no matter what.
Here are some of my favourite game themes.
Uncharted: When I first booted the game, and watched that coin turn, I was amazed at what was playing. It conveyed so many things: Grandeur, adventure... Was this going to be the Indiana Jones game we never got? Nathan's Theme is a very classic kind of theme that embodies, in my humble opinion, the series very weel.
Mega Man 2: A Classic. Every single track in that game "sings" awesome. I could mention the classic Mecha Dragon stage... Oh wait, I just did. Flash Man and Wood Man are also some of my favourites.
Shatter: Not themes per say as they are not associated to anything specific, but that soundtrack is worth every penny. It helps that the game is fantastic too.
The Metroid Prime Trilogy: Look at some of my older blogs and at pressstarttwoplay.blogspot.com. On the other hand, Metroid: Other M was tremendously disappointing music wise.
Final Fantasy VI/III: The Returner's Theme. Locke's, Terra's, Cyan's, Setzer's (just thinking about the moment in the dark world where we ask why are we going to his wife's tomb... To get another airship of course... Gives me goosebumps :) ) Need I say more?
What are some of your favourite themes/tracks and why?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
I Am Error
Sorry folks, no time for posting, work has been.... less than fun, and me being on a computer hasn't been entirely feasible. I'll put up a proper post on the weekend, if I'm not working more >_>.
That being said, with what little time I've had to game, I've been playing 3D Dot Game Heroes. It's really fun, especially if you're into old-school, 8-bit Zelda style gameplay. A little annoying though, since I never really grew up with those games, I never learned how to be patient with the difficulty curve of those kinda games.
Saturday, an actual post will be here... hopefully.
That being said, with what little time I've had to game, I've been playing 3D Dot Game Heroes. It's really fun, especially if you're into old-school, 8-bit Zelda style gameplay. A little annoying though, since I never really grew up with those games, I never learned how to be patient with the difficulty curve of those kinda games.
Saturday, an actual post will be here... hopefully.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
PlayStation Move
PlayStation Move came out last Friday. I figured, why not get it... after all, I am dying to get the RE4 Wii experience with Resident Evil 5 (which Chris and I should start playing pretty soon).
I got the Sports Champions Bundle with an extra Move Controller and a navigation controller (there was a promo at Toys'R'Us). I must admit that I am intrigued in Motion tech in general. When it was first announced for the Wii, I thought it would be revolutionary. The Wii was, but not necessarily because of motion.
Although there has been a few games that use it well, developpers either don't bother to spend the time to put out refined game on the system or the tech simply isn't there. Even the Motion + has yet to see an actual game make good use of it (hopefully Skyward Sword will rectify that).
Enter the PlayStation Move. A derivative accesory at best, it may hold the key to hardcore gaming and motion controls (I have yet to try Kinect, simply because it is not out yet, but I do not think it's potential lies in the same area). In many ways, it is Wii Motion + PlayStation Eye Toy. Once you are properly set up, it works like a charm. It feels good in your hand and it is surprisingly light. The ball itself is made of a soft foamy plastic, meaning you don't need to fear hitting your friends.
The bundle comes packaged with: 1 Move controller, 1 PlayStation Eye, 1 Sports Champions and 1 demo disc. There is also an EyePet bundle, where the included game is EyePet instead of Sports Champions. I already had the Eye, but the demo disc is a nice thing to have.
Here are my impressions on the games so far:
Sports Champions: To me, HUGE SURPRISE. I was expectingly something in line with Wii Sports Resort (which I thought was a huge disappointment). It is true that I did not have any expections towards Sports Champions, but boy is that game fun. Sure it looks generatic and could use some personality, but man, I just can't get enough of it. Volleyball I thought was surprisingly addictive. Table Tennis is superior enough to the Wii one that I'll most likely never touch the game again (although I do have a soft spot for Wakeboarding). I had never heard of Bocce before, but I think it is going to satiate my "curling need" until an actual Move Curling game comes out. I haven't played Frisbee Gold yet, but if the controls are like in the other games, should be great. Archery...I need to find the sweet spot because it is the only thing I'm having some problems controlling right now. And Gladiator Combat (or whatever the actual name is) is so much fun. Imagine a Soul Calibur type game with GOOD motion controls. It's that much fun... although you do need 2 move controllers.
Tumble: Fun block placement game. Imagine a videogame version of Jenga if you will (or other block games like Villa Paletti or Hamsterrolle...although these titles are definitely more niche). It takes a few minutes to get used to the controls, but once you do it is very solid. Maybe not as entertaining as Boom Blox, but solid enough for a $10 downloadable title.
The Shoot: I only tried the demo, but it is an old school arcadey shooter. The artstyle is okay (with cardboard characters to ensure that it is not too violent) and the gameplay has some fun twist. I am not sure if it is worth $40 however.
I tried some of the other demos, but they weren't my type of game. EyePet is surprisingly cute, but I'm not into pets or virtual pets so... (unless they are of the WoW Collectible variety).
Overall, the launch titles are nothing stellar, but the tech is very impressive and I think it's potential for more hardcore games is nothing to be scoffed at. However, with 2 very different techs, I'm very curious to see how titles for them will pan out. I cannot wait to try the multiplayer aspects of these titles, should be fun.
I got the Sports Champions Bundle with an extra Move Controller and a navigation controller (there was a promo at Toys'R'Us). I must admit that I am intrigued in Motion tech in general. When it was first announced for the Wii, I thought it would be revolutionary. The Wii was, but not necessarily because of motion.
Although there has been a few games that use it well, developpers either don't bother to spend the time to put out refined game on the system or the tech simply isn't there. Even the Motion + has yet to see an actual game make good use of it (hopefully Skyward Sword will rectify that).
Enter the PlayStation Move. A derivative accesory at best, it may hold the key to hardcore gaming and motion controls (I have yet to try Kinect, simply because it is not out yet, but I do not think it's potential lies in the same area). In many ways, it is Wii Motion + PlayStation Eye Toy. Once you are properly set up, it works like a charm. It feels good in your hand and it is surprisingly light. The ball itself is made of a soft foamy plastic, meaning you don't need to fear hitting your friends.
The bundle comes packaged with: 1 Move controller, 1 PlayStation Eye, 1 Sports Champions and 1 demo disc. There is also an EyePet bundle, where the included game is EyePet instead of Sports Champions. I already had the Eye, but the demo disc is a nice thing to have.
Here are my impressions on the games so far:
Sports Champions: To me, HUGE SURPRISE. I was expectingly something in line with Wii Sports Resort (which I thought was a huge disappointment). It is true that I did not have any expections towards Sports Champions, but boy is that game fun. Sure it looks generatic and could use some personality, but man, I just can't get enough of it. Volleyball I thought was surprisingly addictive. Table Tennis is superior enough to the Wii one that I'll most likely never touch the game again (although I do have a soft spot for Wakeboarding). I had never heard of Bocce before, but I think it is going to satiate my "curling need" until an actual Move Curling game comes out. I haven't played Frisbee Gold yet, but if the controls are like in the other games, should be great. Archery...I need to find the sweet spot because it is the only thing I'm having some problems controlling right now. And Gladiator Combat (or whatever the actual name is) is so much fun. Imagine a Soul Calibur type game with GOOD motion controls. It's that much fun... although you do need 2 move controllers.
Tumble: Fun block placement game. Imagine a videogame version of Jenga if you will (or other block games like Villa Paletti or Hamsterrolle...although these titles are definitely more niche). It takes a few minutes to get used to the controls, but once you do it is very solid. Maybe not as entertaining as Boom Blox, but solid enough for a $10 downloadable title.
The Shoot: I only tried the demo, but it is an old school arcadey shooter. The artstyle is okay (with cardboard characters to ensure that it is not too violent) and the gameplay has some fun twist. I am not sure if it is worth $40 however.
I tried some of the other demos, but they weren't my type of game. EyePet is surprisingly cute, but I'm not into pets or virtual pets so... (unless they are of the WoW Collectible variety).
Overall, the launch titles are nothing stellar, but the tech is very impressive and I think it's potential for more hardcore games is nothing to be scoffed at. However, with 2 very different techs, I'm very curious to see how titles for them will pan out. I cannot wait to try the multiplayer aspects of these titles, should be fun.
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