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Introductions / Hey
« on: June 04, 2009, 03:49:38 PM »
Sup sup, I'm back. How's everything?
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We have a Nudist running around here from the Medieval times, just don't make eye contact.
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3
Microsoft Reviews / Xbox 360 Review | Left 4 Dead
« on: April 02, 2009, 10:34:24 PM »
Left 4 Dead
Publisher:
Develop:
System: Xbox 360
Release:
Story
It's you and 3 buddies taking a nice, breezy stroll through the city...except there's hundreds of zombies that you have to fight through. Ah well, such is life. There actually is a story here, but you really have to search for it.
Sound 15/15
The voice work is really good. Characters say appropriate lines without fail, and teammates willl yell the locations of enemies often There are over 1,000 lines of dialogue, although they don't replace good ol' headset communication.
The music is pretty subtle, but very effective. Depending on the situation, the nice orchestral score will convey the eerie quiet of a dark area or the rumblin bass-infused terror that accompanies a tank spawn.
Weapon sounds aren't the greatest thing ever, but they are accurate and they definitely work. This is a good job, but it's not exactly the greatest thing ever.
Graphics 20/20
The graphics are pretty but have a wierd, distant feel to them. The dev team really utilizes the "stylized darkness" to the max. Check these out, and note that they use kind of a light-colored fog to illuminate things and give visibility.
[spoiler]
[/spoiler]
Another thing I really like is the characters' facial expressions. When a huge swarm of Infected becomes visible in the distance, you can see the characters' faces contort into looks of fear.
[spoiler]
[/spoiler]
Appeal 23/25
Well, there's only four campaigns, each with five levels. Normally, this would be an offense punished by death. But dammit, there's so much replay value. You'll find yourself playing this over and over; it just doesn't get old. This is soooo addictive it's kind of ridiculous. At first, only 2 campaigns were available in Versus, but this is fixed as of the April 20 free DLC. Single-player is pretty bland, though.
Gameplay 40/40
Gameplay is well-crafted. It's built on simplicity, with 5 weapons total (not counting default pistols) and six enemy types (not counting regular zombies). Each weapon serves a good, specific purpose and is effective. Same goes for the zombies. Everything is pretty perfectly tuned, with the mood dramatically shifting from low-key to frantic. Levels never feel the same twice as every time the game changes zombie and weapon spawns and fight layouts. You'll play one level and blow straight through an area, play again and the same place could be where you and your crew desperately try and make a fort to stop an endless wave of Infected.
Very big picture
[spoiler]
Check out his facial expression. This is the witch, you don't f*** with her. In a few seconds, homeboy will be very much dead.[/spoiler]
Overall 98/100
Fun game, endless replay value. And Valve updates the game pretty regularly with new stuff, so this is a great choice if you don't get new games too often. If you haven't subscribed to Live, just forget you read all this. It's strictly an online experience.
Publisher:
Develop:
System: Xbox 360
Release:
Story
It's you and 3 buddies taking a nice, breezy stroll through the city...except there's hundreds of zombies that you have to fight through. Ah well, such is life. There actually is a story here, but you really have to search for it.
Sound 15/15
The voice work is really good. Characters say appropriate lines without fail, and teammates willl yell the locations of enemies often There are over 1,000 lines of dialogue, although they don't replace good ol' headset communication.
The music is pretty subtle, but very effective. Depending on the situation, the nice orchestral score will convey the eerie quiet of a dark area or the rumblin bass-infused terror that accompanies a tank spawn.
Weapon sounds aren't the greatest thing ever, but they are accurate and they definitely work. This is a good job, but it's not exactly the greatest thing ever.
Graphics 20/20
The graphics are pretty but have a wierd, distant feel to them. The dev team really utilizes the "stylized darkness" to the max. Check these out, and note that they use kind of a light-colored fog to illuminate things and give visibility.
[spoiler]
[/spoiler]Another thing I really like is the characters' facial expressions. When a huge swarm of Infected becomes visible in the distance, you can see the characters' faces contort into looks of fear.
[spoiler]
[/spoiler]Appeal 23/25
Well, there's only four campaigns, each with five levels. Normally, this would be an offense punished by death. But dammit, there's so much replay value. You'll find yourself playing this over and over; it just doesn't get old. This is soooo addictive it's kind of ridiculous. At first, only 2 campaigns were available in Versus, but this is fixed as of the April 20 free DLC. Single-player is pretty bland, though.
Gameplay 40/40
Gameplay is well-crafted. It's built on simplicity, with 5 weapons total (not counting default pistols) and six enemy types (not counting regular zombies). Each weapon serves a good, specific purpose and is effective. Same goes for the zombies. Everything is pretty perfectly tuned, with the mood dramatically shifting from low-key to frantic. Levels never feel the same twice as every time the game changes zombie and weapon spawns and fight layouts. You'll play one level and blow straight through an area, play again and the same place could be where you and your crew desperately try and make a fort to stop an endless wave of Infected.
Very big picture
[spoiler]
Check out his facial expression. This is the witch, you don't f*** with her. In a few seconds, homeboy will be very much dead.[/spoiler]
Overall 98/100
Fun game, endless replay value. And Valve updates the game pretty regularly with new stuff, so this is a great choice if you don't get new games too often. If you haven't subscribed to Live, just forget you read all this. It's strictly an online experience.
4
The World of Hyrule / Obama's Presidency
« on: March 29, 2009, 06:53:49 PM »
Why do we have to post in the message body after that? I already said my piece up above.
5
The Mushroom Kingdom / Girl Advice
« on: March 25, 2009, 10:26:39 PM »
Never thought I'd say this, but I need help. There's this girl I like, and I have no idea how to like...get her to like me. We're pretty close friends, or we were, but we don't have any classes together anymore until like May. We met last year since we both ride the same bus. But I don't talk on the bus (vehicles make me sleepy) which makes it hard. How can I possibly make her even consider me as more than a friend?
6
Microsoft Reviews / Resident Evil 5
« on: March 25, 2009, 08:38:44 PM »
Resident Evil 5
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom
System: Xbox 360, PS3
Release:
Story
Silly, over-the-top, stupid, cliched, and great. It adds perfectly to the Resident Evil lore and is a nice conclusion to a long, great horror story. Unless you've played through the whole of the series, you won't be able to make heads or tails of this. Honestly, I don't see any way for Capcom to expand on all the complex relationships and story that's been years running. I'm guessing RE 6 will have to have new characters and storylines, because this one pretty much wraps it up.
Sound 13/15
Let's get something straight here: the dialogue in Resident Evil 5 is terrible on purpose. Veteran RE players will remember such horrible lines as "Jill, the Master of Unlocking" and some of Salazar's and Ashley's worst lines in RE 4. At this point, I for one am completely convinced that with the kajillions of bucks Capcom has to drown this game in, they can afford some decent voice work. And they could surely leave out such ridiculousness as a midget screaming "I just had an extreeeme makeover!" before mutating into a monster. They just choose not to. It's tradition at this point.
I didn't take off so much for the dialogue as I did the myriad recycled sounds from Resident Evil 4. They show up to the point of annoyance, and a lot of characters give lines nearly identical to those in previous games. They didn't reuse the right sounds, either. I would have loved the chainsaw sounds from 4 blaring in my ear, but this one feels somehow different.
Graphics 17/20
They're amazing. There's honestly not much else to say. Characters (especially Sheva) are beautiful, enemies are mostly well-made, and levels are smartly designed. I took off for two offenses: racism and racialism. Now, as for the racism, you may have heard some complaints early on that the whole concept of a white male killing a lot of blacks. Luckily, there's no intentional racism in this concept. What grinds my gears is some of the very stereotypical enemies. Just because the game is set in Africa, do you really need tribal warriors dressed in full body paint who sacrifice babies and animals? Well, one particular enemy type is heavily implied to do just this. This was a nice little twist in 4 when you saw the little bones being cooked in the fire at the end credits, but it's just too overdone and overstated at times in this installment, and it feels like Capcom just did this to be entertaining.
Now on to racialism. I know I just bitched about the stereotypical "Dark Continent" enemies. But it seems just as dumb to have Africa be so racially diverse. You're in Africa, fighting AFRICANS, not Chinese, not white punk rockers, not that one guy who looks like Saddam Hussein. I'd take tribal baby-eaters over blond white dudes any day in a game set in Africa.
[spoiler]
Note the blonde man in the back.[/spoiler]
Appeal 19/25
Online, the game's claim to fame, is great and well-implemented. The game isn't really scary, which bothers me since this is a RE game after all. But you will definitely feel a thrill whenever you see your partner get bum-rushed by a pack of zombie-dogs, or when the chainsaw Manjini raises his weapon to strike down your friend as you watch unable to help. The worst thing to me is that the game really could be scary. There's plenty of times when the game perfectly demonstrates how it could just as easily scare the living shit out of you as give you an adrenaline rush: the return of the classic Lickers from the early games is one of my favorite gaming moments so far this year. But for some reason, they chose action over horror. I will never know why.
Gameplay 38/40
Still can't move while shooting. Dead Space lets you do this, and is just as scary and challenging as any RE game. The new inventory system is good, although I wish the old Attache Case was available in Single-Player. I don't like how much easier it is to get money and upgrade weapons; by the end of the game you'll be pretty much unstoppable. Sheva isn't the worst AI ever, but I recommend hoarding the ammo in Single-Player. Sheva tends to have no qualms wasting up your hard-earned pistol shots. I generally hand her some handgun and a lot of Rifle ammo and head in first. In the end though, it's not bad.
Overall 87/100
This isn't as revolutionary as RE 4, and not scary like numbers 1 to 3. But this is a good time nontheless. If you have played any RE game in the past, I want you to go out and get this game now. Newcomers need to skip this like it's hot. Oh, and Xbox players? You need to pay for Xbox Live. It's just as much of a requirement as the hunk of plastic in your hands while you play.
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom
System: Xbox 360, PS3
Release:
Story
Silly, over-the-top, stupid, cliched, and great. It adds perfectly to the Resident Evil lore and is a nice conclusion to a long, great horror story. Unless you've played through the whole of the series, you won't be able to make heads or tails of this. Honestly, I don't see any way for Capcom to expand on all the complex relationships and story that's been years running. I'm guessing RE 6 will have to have new characters and storylines, because this one pretty much wraps it up.
Sound 13/15
Let's get something straight here: the dialogue in Resident Evil 5 is terrible on purpose. Veteran RE players will remember such horrible lines as "Jill, the Master of Unlocking" and some of Salazar's and Ashley's worst lines in RE 4. At this point, I for one am completely convinced that with the kajillions of bucks Capcom has to drown this game in, they can afford some decent voice work. And they could surely leave out such ridiculousness as a midget screaming "I just had an extreeeme makeover!" before mutating into a monster. They just choose not to. It's tradition at this point.
I didn't take off so much for the dialogue as I did the myriad recycled sounds from Resident Evil 4. They show up to the point of annoyance, and a lot of characters give lines nearly identical to those in previous games. They didn't reuse the right sounds, either. I would have loved the chainsaw sounds from 4 blaring in my ear, but this one feels somehow different.
Graphics 17/20
They're amazing. There's honestly not much else to say. Characters (especially Sheva) are beautiful, enemies are mostly well-made, and levels are smartly designed. I took off for two offenses: racism and racialism. Now, as for the racism, you may have heard some complaints early on that the whole concept of a white male killing a lot of blacks. Luckily, there's no intentional racism in this concept. What grinds my gears is some of the very stereotypical enemies. Just because the game is set in Africa, do you really need tribal warriors dressed in full body paint who sacrifice babies and animals? Well, one particular enemy type is heavily implied to do just this. This was a nice little twist in 4 when you saw the little bones being cooked in the fire at the end credits, but it's just too overdone and overstated at times in this installment, and it feels like Capcom just did this to be entertaining.
Now on to racialism. I know I just bitched about the stereotypical "Dark Continent" enemies. But it seems just as dumb to have Africa be so racially diverse. You're in Africa, fighting AFRICANS, not Chinese, not white punk rockers, not that one guy who looks like Saddam Hussein. I'd take tribal baby-eaters over blond white dudes any day in a game set in Africa.
[spoiler]
Note the blonde man in the back.[/spoiler]
Appeal 19/25
Online, the game's claim to fame, is great and well-implemented. The game isn't really scary, which bothers me since this is a RE game after all. But you will definitely feel a thrill whenever you see your partner get bum-rushed by a pack of zombie-dogs, or when the chainsaw Manjini raises his weapon to strike down your friend as you watch unable to help. The worst thing to me is that the game really could be scary. There's plenty of times when the game perfectly demonstrates how it could just as easily scare the living shit out of you as give you an adrenaline rush: the return of the classic Lickers from the early games is one of my favorite gaming moments so far this year. But for some reason, they chose action over horror. I will never know why.
Gameplay 38/40
Still can't move while shooting. Dead Space lets you do this, and is just as scary and challenging as any RE game. The new inventory system is good, although I wish the old Attache Case was available in Single-Player. I don't like how much easier it is to get money and upgrade weapons; by the end of the game you'll be pretty much unstoppable. Sheva isn't the worst AI ever, but I recommend hoarding the ammo in Single-Player. Sheva tends to have no qualms wasting up your hard-earned pistol shots. I generally hand her some handgun and a lot of Rifle ammo and head in first. In the end though, it's not bad.
Overall 87/100
This isn't as revolutionary as RE 4, and not scary like numbers 1 to 3. But this is a good time nontheless. If you have played any RE game in the past, I want you to go out and get this game now. Newcomers need to skip this like it's hot. Oh, and Xbox players? You need to pay for Xbox Live. It's just as much of a requirement as the hunk of plastic in your hands while you play.
7
Nintendo Reviews / GBA Review | Fire Emblem
« on: March 01, 2009, 02:33:41 PM »
Fire Emblem
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Intelligent Systems
System: GBA
Release: November 3, 2003; US
Story
The story is pretty well-developed, and you will find yourself getting really emotionally involved with the characters. It's a little too complicated to get into here, but be assured that it is definitely worth your time. The most important thing to note is that this is a prequel to Japan-only sixth game in the series, which featured the ever-popular Prince Roy of Pherae.
Sound 13/15
This game has a near-perfect RPG score. None of the tunes disappoint, and the songs are very memorable. The sounds are well done despite a little repetition here and there. You won't find yourself wanting to turn down the volume on this one. There are three very notable exceptions, though: the song that plays when you recruit someone to your party (Together We Ride), the song that plays whenever something sad is happening (Requiem), and one overhead map song that I can't place the name of. You will hear these A LOT.
Graphics 18/20
Some of the best the GBA had to offer in 2003, and the visuals still hold up well today. The battle animations are well-crafted, and the characters are exquisitely detailed. The anime-styled moves (think Bleach or Rorouni Kenshin) are pretty cool but there's plenty of repetition, and this is most apparent when you play a chapter with 100+ enemies to fight. Also, some actions are conspicuously absent of animations.
Hector, on the right, pwns just about anything that moves.
Appeal 20/25
Fire Emblem has only one major problem: the tutorial. These are some of the dullest 2 or so hours in all of videogame-dom. The story in this portion of the game is full of instructions like "This is Will. Will is an archer. Archers shoot arrows. Move Will to this spot and watch him shoot an arrow." It's helpful and definitely important, but it's amazing how many characters can beat you half to death with the stupid-baton in one level. Once you get past these first ten missions, the game starts to ramp up in difficulty and in excitement. Missions have nice variety, from "Kill Everything In Your Way" to "Seize the Fort and Assassinate the Enemy Leader" to even "Go Shopping". Fire Emblem also has some amazing replay value; I'm on my 22nd playthrough and counting, and have spent over 1000 hours playing.
Gameplay 40/40
The game starts out with some basic rock-paper-scissors gameplay (swords-axes-lances) but then evolves into more complex counter-weapons and Trinities. The big draw of any Fire Emblem game, though, is the fact that characters who die in battle REALLY DIE, with no way to bring them back. Plus, the game autosaves every move you make. This means that if you mess up, you'll have to repeat the whole level. The emotional investment you'll put into the characters will make you replay whole chapters to go back and keep them alive. It sounds annoying, but this system is actually quite good and promotes careful thinking before you send your units rushing ahead.
Overall 91/100
Fire Emblem is a fun game, easily the best in the North American series. Besides the god-awful tutorial, this is strategy gaming at its finest. This is not to be missed.
Review by Spud
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Intelligent Systems
System: GBA
Release: November 3, 2003; US
Story
The story is pretty well-developed, and you will find yourself getting really emotionally involved with the characters. It's a little too complicated to get into here, but be assured that it is definitely worth your time. The most important thing to note is that this is a prequel to Japan-only sixth game in the series, which featured the ever-popular Prince Roy of Pherae.
Sound 13/15
This game has a near-perfect RPG score. None of the tunes disappoint, and the songs are very memorable. The sounds are well done despite a little repetition here and there. You won't find yourself wanting to turn down the volume on this one. There are three very notable exceptions, though: the song that plays when you recruit someone to your party (Together We Ride), the song that plays whenever something sad is happening (Requiem), and one overhead map song that I can't place the name of. You will hear these A LOT.
Graphics 18/20
Some of the best the GBA had to offer in 2003, and the visuals still hold up well today. The battle animations are well-crafted, and the characters are exquisitely detailed. The anime-styled moves (think Bleach or Rorouni Kenshin) are pretty cool but there's plenty of repetition, and this is most apparent when you play a chapter with 100+ enemies to fight. Also, some actions are conspicuously absent of animations.
Hector, on the right, pwns just about anything that moves.
Appeal 20/25
Fire Emblem has only one major problem: the tutorial. These are some of the dullest 2 or so hours in all of videogame-dom. The story in this portion of the game is full of instructions like "This is Will. Will is an archer. Archers shoot arrows. Move Will to this spot and watch him shoot an arrow." It's helpful and definitely important, but it's amazing how many characters can beat you half to death with the stupid-baton in one level. Once you get past these first ten missions, the game starts to ramp up in difficulty and in excitement. Missions have nice variety, from "Kill Everything In Your Way" to "Seize the Fort and Assassinate the Enemy Leader" to even "Go Shopping". Fire Emblem also has some amazing replay value; I'm on my 22nd playthrough and counting, and have spent over 1000 hours playing.
Gameplay 40/40
The game starts out with some basic rock-paper-scissors gameplay (swords-axes-lances) but then evolves into more complex counter-weapons and Trinities. The big draw of any Fire Emblem game, though, is the fact that characters who die in battle REALLY DIE, with no way to bring them back. Plus, the game autosaves every move you make. This means that if you mess up, you'll have to repeat the whole level. The emotional investment you'll put into the characters will make you replay whole chapters to go back and keep them alive. It sounds annoying, but this system is actually quite good and promotes careful thinking before you send your units rushing ahead.
Overall 91/100
Fire Emblem is a fun game, easily the best in the North American series. Besides the god-awful tutorial, this is strategy gaming at its finest. This is not to be missed.
Review by Spud
8
Wii / Nintendo's Summit
« on: October 02, 2008, 08:49:17 PM »
http://www.gameinformer.com/News/Story/200810/N08.1002.1357.18659.htm
http://wii.ign.com/articles/915/915544p1.html
Your thoughts.
Except for the new Fire Emblem, I'm disappointed.
EDIT: Note that it's actually not a new Fire Emblem, it's a port of a Japan-only DS game. This game first came out a year or two ago, and Nintendo is just porting it on the fly because of the pressure from the core for some quality games.
http://wii.ign.com/articles/915/915544p1.html
Your thoughts.
Except for the new Fire Emblem, I'm disappointed.
EDIT: Note that it's actually not a new Fire Emblem, it's a port of a Japan-only DS game. This game first came out a year or two ago, and Nintendo is just porting it on the fly because of the pressure from the core for some quality games.
9
General Gaming / What Games Are You Excited For This Year?
« on: September 28, 2008, 01:53:59 PM »
What games/systems/updates/etc. do you wanna get?
Fallout 3 and Gears of War 2 are at the top of my list. I'm also excited about the new Live services.
Fallout 3 and Gears of War 2 are at the top of my list. I'm also excited about the new Live services.
10
Debate Club / Neon Genesis Evangelion (spoilers)
« on: September 07, 2008, 11:29:25 PM »
Okay, so I sort of understand the basic plot of this series up to the ending. So, if you saw episodes 20-26 or so (including that 'End of Evangelion' movie) can you please explain to me in very vernacular terms[/size][/font][/u][/b]
I can't make heads or tails of this bullshit.
I can't make heads or tails of this bullshit.
11
The World of Hyrule / Favorite Song?
« on: August 29, 2008, 06:29:04 PM »
Pretty self-explanatory, what's the best song ever in your opinion?
12
The World of Hyrule / The Prodigy
« on: August 13, 2008, 06:13:24 PM »
I love everything they've ever frickin' made.
14
The World of Hyrule / Anime and Manga
« on: July 08, 2008, 12:56:39 PM »My favorites are:
Naruto
Karin
Neon Genisis Evangelion
Bleach
DeathNote
DBZ (live action movie coming soon)
Clannad
FullMetal Alchemist
BoBoBo-BoBo-BoBo (so random, it's hilarious)
.hack//sign
Speed Racer (first one I ever saw)
Hm...the only ones in that list that aren't a total sack o' shit are DBZ, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Death Note and Bleach. FMA definitely had its moments. So did the .hack series. (Love the manga)
Karin is especially gay. And Clannad...if you're into that type of thing, check out Aria http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aria_%28manga%29 or Kamichu http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamichu.
And you say my animes are shitty. (But I respect your opinion on Blood+
) Check out Afro-Ninja sometime if you hate Americanimes so much.Try some of these on for size:
Robotech
Witchblade
Basilisk
Speed Grapher (Very Creative)
Samurai 7
Strawberry Panic! (I'm sorry, I had to put it in)
Saiyuki
Saiyuki Reloaded
Saiyuki Gunlock
Fist of the North Star
Eureka 7
Trinity Blood (It's different)
Ranma (Or whatever it's called)
Claymore
Karas
Air
Kai Doh Maru (terrible ending)
The Zelda Mangas http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manga_from_The_Legend_of_Zelda_series
You could always watch Rorouni Kenshin for nostalgia.
...Or you could watch Naruto for a good laugh at the crappy dialogue and recycled animations.
15
Introductions / Gone for a While. Spread the word.
« on: June 12, 2008, 08:02:13 PM »
My computer has been down for...um...ever. Since around March, I think. The internet still doesn't work on it, so I'll see you guys when it comes up and stays that way.
For some reason, it's working at present. But I can't say how long that'll last.
For some reason, it's working at present. But I can't say how long that'll last.
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