PSP2: The Future of Handheld Gaming

Recently, Sony spit some made rumor jargon: Credit my boy's over at Giantbomb for this one...

PSP2 Talk Picks Up
Added by Jeff Gerstmann on Feb. 25, 2009

Not the actual PSP2. Because there is no PSP2... right?People have been spreading rumors about Sony's next handheld platform for years. But most of it? Utter nonsense mixed with wishful thinking. Between design student mock-ups and the never-ending desire for a second analog stick, I'm pretty sure that talk about the next PSP started, well, right around the time people starting buying the first PSP.

And now there's more PSP-sequel news from a sort-of-unlikely source: Acclaim's David Perry. Yes, the same man who brought you such hits as Earthworm Jim and Cool Spot is laying it down via everyone's favorite microblogging service, the Twitter.
In an effort that must be absolutely lauded, Kotaku decided to break the weird Internet 3.0 cycle of reporting "MAN SAYS SOMETHING ON TWITTER, FILM AT 11" that myself and plenty of others have gotten into and actually followed up with Perry to see if he had more to say. And hey! He did!

"I spoke to a developer who is working on it right now," he said. "I know this developer is already working on it, so that means they have a prototype. That would sound like a fall release to me."

Perry also states that the unit is sounding like it'll ship without a UMD drive, and he further speculates that consumers will receive games as digital downloads. So, I guess, it's like an iPhone but with games that actually resemble meaningful interactive experiences instead of more-gimmicky versions of old cell phone games?

Separately from all this, we've also heard from an Anonymous Source type that the buttons on the new PSP may be significantly different from the existing layout. Who knows if that will pan out, but if I were designing a new PSP, I'd at least put a full DualShock-style layout on there. Might as well toss in some motion control, just to keep up with what Apple's been doing. And hey, maybe do a touch screen, just for kicks! Of course, that stuff gets expensive fast, so maybe asking for all that is a bit much. But hey, let's get pie in the sky on this, right?
It's a fascinating prospect, and with all of the PSP-focused game announcements coming out of that retailer conference in Arizona, it certainly sounds like Sony's gearing up to take the portable market more seriously this year. Add to that the way that every single outlet on the Internet seems to have at least one or two other "trusted sources" to back up Perry's details, it's pretty clear that somethings up.

-GAME HARD-

New Fire Emblem Impressions

The Fire Emblem series has been around for an extremely long time. Since its' inception in 1990 (Fire Emblem: Ankoku Ryū to Hikari no Ken) FE has been one of the most popular Tactical, grid-based RPG's not only in Japan but here in the sates as well. Shadow Dragon (the new FE game) looks to keep that grossly enriched history going with a few new game mechanics and tons of nostalgic reconnaissance. To say the least...Shadow Dragon has done a great job delivering "the goods" thus far!

Not familiar with the Fire Emblem series? Well, you should be if you're into RPG's but if you're not let me bring you up to speed mechanic wise:

• Shadow Dragon is a tactical role-playing game with turn-based tactical battles.


• Some of the gameplay mechanics of the Fire Emblem series, such as the weapon triangle, were not present in the original Ankoku Ryū to Hikari no Ken, but have been included in this remake


• The game features over 20 character classes, including armored knights, airborne Pegasus riders and curates wielding recovery staves.


• Players can directly change a character's class using the "Reclassing" feature, although there are limitations on how many of one particular class a player can have at the same time. Special classes like Lord or Thief cannot Reclass.


• You can now battle online via the DS's wifi


• If a character dies...he's gone for good!


• Get to know your grid well, if you don't...it's good bye!

....and those are just a few of the key features and mechanics of this robust role playing game. Thus far, the game is solid. I've been playing the FE series since back in the mid 90's and I have to honestly say with each year comes a new and improved Fire Emblem game; albeit a remake of an older version in many cases.

Gameplay runs smooth and if you can believe it, somewhat fast! It's also not that hard to grasp the concept of battle preparation, character class position, the weapon/spell triangle and all the other components that make battles oh-so-sweet. I will say this: if you're not into taking a few moments to properly prepare for a battle (i.e. character placement, who your bringing into battle, some occasional power leveling etc.) then Fire Emblem might not be for you...but for everyone else into the series "prep stages" game on!

Premise: Long ago, the continent of Archanea was invaded by the Dolhr Empire, led by the Shadow Dragon Medeus. The people lived in fear and despair. Anri, a youth from Altea, slew the Shadow Dragon using the sacred sword Falchion. The Kingdom of Archanea was restored and the world entered an age of peace. However, 100 years later, Medeus was resurrected. He joined forces with the dark pontifex Gharnef, who shared his ambitions of ruling the world, and launched an attack on Archanea. Archanea was defeated by Grust's General Camus. Aside from Princess Nyna, the royal family was wiped out. Cornelius, the king of Altea and successor of Anri, left to battle Medeus with the Falchion in hand. Meanwhile, Cornelius's only son and the prince of Altea, Marth, awaits his father's return as he passes his days with his martial arts training.

I know, I know...don't give away everything. As stated before hand this game or series for that matter isn't for everyone. It's notoriously tough on its players and can be a bit daunting for the average RPG goer. Weak role playing fans need not apply...nor does the faint of heart when they hear this: the game runs close to 75+ hours. Ding!

-GAME HARD-

Aliens RPG Canned

Some solid/concrete information has officially been released by Obsidian, developer of the Aliens RPG game, on the actual canceling of their once "alive" Aliens game. In all reality, this comes as no surprise what so ever due to the fact that Obsidian had hinted at the cancellation at this past years E3 event, albeit rumors non the less. Credit N4G for this nugget of sadness...

"An ex-designer who worked at the development studio has revealed in his online CV that he was attached to a now "canceled third-person action Aliens RPG" for next-gen and PC"

Here's to hoping that the new Aliens FPS i.p is still in the works. What the world needs now is a good Aliens shooter that scares the "bajesus" out of you just like the first two movie installments did! We aren't holding our breath! Kyle aka: SS SoulStealer will be non to pleased with this announcement (one of his favorite Movies is Aliens!) ...... ...... ......

-GAME HARD-

Warcraft III: Frozen Throne - DOTA Guide

It would be unfair of me to explain too much about this custom game. The truth is, DOTA (Defense of the Ancients) has somewhat created an underground community of gamers. You can not go to the store and buy DOTA, because its existence lies within Warcraft III: Frozen Throne. IceFrog is the gamertag that gets the credit for this title, which is now its 6.59c version. I can honestly say that this game is strictly for PC gaming pros. Almost every noob on this game is quickly destroyed by opponents, and at the same time forever shunned by teammates. If you are playing this game, or plan to try it out, my advise is simple: DO NOT join a PRO game until you are one. Trust me.

The layout of the game is easily explained like a pickup game of basketball. Whether you come with friends, or solo, the game starts when two teams have five players. There are several modes of which you can play. There are about 80 different hero's that you can use, and playing an AP (all pick) game will let you choose from them all. Playing an AR (all random) game will give each player a random hero. SD (select draft) games will give you a random set of three hero's, which you can pick one, and RD (random draft) games will pick 20 hero's at random, then start a 1-2-2-2-2-1 draft bouncing fairly between teams. Once you have your hero, you can swap with a teammate, or re-pick (AR games only). This can be compared to selecting LeBron James in a basketball game.

Each team has an Ancient at base that must be protected. Defeat the opponents Ancient to win. The map is filled with towers, allied and scourge, that protect lanes on your areas. Each team has barracks at base that release NPC (non player computer) controlled enemies. These enemies will move toward your opponents Ancient, fighting to the death. These enemies are released in consistent intervals and are the same for each team. Defeating an opponents barracks will stop the release of more enemies from that location. There are shops at your base, and scattered on the map, that hold items to greatly improve the performance of your hero. A complete list of hero's and items are available at http://www.dota-allstars.com/.

Now that you have the basics, lets go over some rules. DOTA pros will destroy you, unless you are one, but they follow similar rules. This guide will help you improve your game. Once you master these techniques, becoming a pro is within reach.

Tip #1: DON'T DIE. No matter what.

Tip #2: DON'T CHASE enemy hero's into their area. You will probably die.

Tip #3: Find at least 15 hero's you feel comfortable playing with, then only join RD games. This mode is favored by pros, and will allow you to confine your game to about 8-10 hero's. Playing with the same hero will help you improve your DOTA game faster. Never join AP games, they are strictly for noobs, or noobs that think they are pro.

Tip #4: Buy Boots of Speed as your first item. Speed is the biggest early game attribute. Complete your Power Treads (per hero attribute) next. Try out items that include adding to your hero's main attribute.

Tip #5: Keep notes near you while playing, and write down what hero's and items you like. Add to, and adjust, this list as you play.

Tip #6: Watch the board. If you can see all five of your opponents, play aggressive in your lane. If there any enemies MIA (missing in action) have a direct and quick path to your closest tower, and be ready to fall back.

Tip #7: Creep control is HUGE early game. Denying creeps will slow your opponents leveling. Do not feel that you have to aggressively push your lane, it is actually smarter to let your creeps die and bring the fighting near your tower, where it is less likely you will be jumped. Try to get killing blows on enemy creeps while trying to deny your own, and do NOT feel you have to push early game. Losing a tower early is better than pushing too hard, because you will probably die.

Tip #8: Try your hardest to be the top level hero on the board. You can check your opponents hero levels by pressing -ma into your chat line. Staying out of base will help you be top level. Stay in your lane until it is too dangerous, then find some easy creeps to bang on. Get health regenerating items after your Power Treads (ie Ring of Regen, Ring of Health, Helm of Iron Will). This will allow you to free creep without dying.

Tip #9: Play EM (easy mode) games only until you feel you are close to pro status. These games give you more gold per second, you gain more exp (which means you level faster), and the towers are destroyed easier. The hero control practice you get from EM games will let you play effective in regular DOTA games, which demand a different game strategy.

Tip #10: NEVER FEED (die repeatedly) and NEVER LEAVE the game (unless you are feeding). Easy enough, right?

If you are new to DOTA, or you are a noob and can't seem to advance your game, follow this guide and see how you do. Any questions? Let me know.

-GAME HARD-

This Week In "The Box"

Wow, it's been a while since last TWITB. In fact it's been over two months. Reasoning? None. There's been too much on my plate with running the site, finding a new job (and getting it), going to the NY Comic-Con and...well, playing way too much Street Fighter IV. But alas, once again to thwart you overly-done gamer saturated blues...I give to you: The Return of This Week "In The Box!"

This week we get an extra heeping pile of "so-so" games. So, in order to keep your gamer mind attention span honed in on this weeks TWitB I'm going to only cover the big game; if you can actually call them that. Here goes:

STAR OCEAN: THE LAST HOPE

• Developer: Square-Enix


• Genre: Heavy RPG


• Release Date: Yesterday (2/23/09)


• Warp Says: Meta Critic Score = 9.0? Seriously? I love me some good RPG action so this my just be the game I pick up to play alongside Street Fighter 4! Looks promising and visually pleasing.

50 CENT: BLOOD ON THE SAND

• Developer: THQ


• Genre: 3rd Person Shooter/Action


• Release Date: Feburary 24th


• Warp Says: 50 is back and looking for his damn diamond encrusted skull! Give it back to him...seriously. Not even going to justify this quazi'esque sequel. However, the reviews havent been all that bad...if you think straight 6.5 and 7's are good. SaaaNAP!

EAT LEAD: THE RETURN OF MATT HAZARD

• Developer: D3


• Genre: Modern Shooter/3rd Person Shooter


• Release Date: 2/26/09 (XBLA Title)


• Warp Says: Nope. From the looks of things this game is going to flop harder than Dr. Doogie Howzer's illustrious melo-dramatic career. The game looks choppy from what I've seen and looks to have basically no direction to it. Kill dudes, hit boxes to gain new "stuff," parodies of older games etc etc...come on.

EXIT 2

• Developer: Taito Corperation


• Genre: I guess the word "Action" is best used when describing this game


• Release Date: 2/25/09 (XBLA Title)


• Warp Says: Never played the first one but the reviews speak for themselves and warrented small time developer Taito a sequel. Mix one part action, four parts puzzle solving and back to one part of slick visuals and you got yourself Exit 2. If that made sense then god help us all.

-GAME HARD-

Lost Planet 2 Announced!

As promised earlier today, here is the full cover story on Lost Planet 2 being announced. Capcom has had this game under wraps for a long long time now (since early 2007) and has just now finally released the "official" announcement which came to us via an XBOX Live Marketplace Teaser late last night. Lost Planet was a truly unique game in its' own sense and delivered big time graphics, smooth integrated mechanics and a killer multiplayer bevy...here's to hoping they don't 'botch' the sequel. Here's the full story courtesy of Gamasutra.

"As promised last week, Capcom has revealed a new game via an Xbox Live Marketplace teaser: a sequel to third-person shooter Lost Planet.The download was first made available in Japan and features the same icebound world as the previous game, but follows a global warming event that will introduce new jungle and other temperate environments.Overseen by Resident Evil 5 producer Jun Takeuchi, the game will feature a heavy focus on co-operative play. The story mode will feature a number of different characters, many from rival "snow pirate" factions.As additional gameplay details begin to emerge, it is currently unclear whether the game remains an Xbox 360 exclusive. Although Capcom has previously indicated that all its major titles, including the recently revealed Dead Rising 2, will be multiplatform, there has been no mention of a PlayStation 3 version of Lost Planet 2 thus far.The game will use MT-FrameWork 2.0, an evolution of the same propriety graphic engine used by Capcom in its internally-developed Dead Rising, Lost Planet and Devil May Cry 4. " -Gamasutra-

-GAME HARD-

Uploading: Week of The 23rd-29th

Yaay!

As we here at Warp cool down from the bevy of epic titles that have recently come out (I'm looking directly at you Street Fighter IV) we wanted to give you a heads up on what we have in the works for this week. It feels like it's going to be a slow seven days seeing as though not much is out, but we'll make it through...we'll make it fun...we'll Game Hard. Here's whats up:

1. Yup...another Street Fighter IV Weekly Update!
2. A Minor Plethora by yours truley - OverlordStrider
3. Mr. Blizzkid's weekly Warcraft update...not WOW, Warcraft.
4. Review of R-Type (the XBLA Download)

Be on the look out for a late post this afternoon (or night time). Oh, and by the way, my SFIV Fightpad comes in the mail the day after tomorow; can't wait! Until then.............

UPDATE (9:46AM 2/23/09) - Lost Planet 2 Officially Announced! [ Link ]

-GAME HARD-

OMFG OMFG OMFG OMFG OMFG

Just as the title of this post alludes to...I am super giddy this morning. Some would even call it wet with anticipation. I guess I am going to have to wait a while for this one so I probably should not get too excited yet. Check out this sequel trailer to still one of the best games, in my opinion of course, that has been released on the X360. I'm not going to speculate what it means because not much is revealed and frankly I haven't really thought it through yet. I am just hoping to pass on some of my excitement to the masses. Check it and let me know what you think this sequel means for the storyline of Mass Effect 2 because at the moment I haven't the slightest idea.



-GAME HARD-

One of the Greats: Street Fighter IV

When I said that Street Fighter IV could quite possibly be one of the greatest (if not thee greatest) fighting game ever made I wasn't blowing smoke up your a**. Over the past two days I have played through the campaign, unlocked almost every character, beaten almost every challenge mode and played a "minor plethora" of online matches. I've explored every nook and cranny of this game and have come to one conclusion: it's damn near flawless. Everything blends and meshes so well that it's almost impossible not to immediately fall in love with it. It's welcoming in the sense that it does a good job at being "accessible" to new comers yet challenging for even the stingiest of players. Street Fighter IV is truly a unique game that not only conforms to new school tactics but throws back to its' "old-school" roots.

Lets set one thing straight for all those people who claim to know everything about Street Fighter IV and then go and complain about it being in 3D...IT'S NOT IN 3D! "While Street Fighter IV features models and backgrounds rendered in 3D, the gameplay remains on a traditional 2D plane. Producer Yoshinori Ono has stated that he wanted to keep the game closer to Street Fighter II. A new system called "Focus Attacks" ("Saving Attack" for the Japanese version) has been introduced, as well as Ultra moves. The traditional six-button control scheme returns, with new features and special moves integrated into the input system, mixing classic gameplay with additional innovations." [wiki] Suffice to say, they did a fantastic job of blending the two (3D/2D) extremely well. You don't feel overburden with 3D conceptual animations and you sure don't feel underwhelmed with the amount of 2D integrated animations...hats off.

Along the same line; the graphics in SFIV are amongst the best in the business. Example: While playing last night in my office, I had my old chum Jeff there spectating. He had expressed interest in seeing what all the fuss was about and I was happy to oblige. Not even two minutes into watching I looked over at him and heard this exact mumbled statement: "Are you serious dude? This looks amazing!" 'Nuff said. The game not only plays amazing but it looks amazing! Art director and character designer Daigo Ikeno, who previously worked on Street Fighter III 3rd Strike, added a stylized effect to give them a hand-drawn look, with visual effects accented in calligraphic strokes, ink smudges and ink sprays during the fights.

Gameplay-wise, Street Fighter IV shines...really bright. The combat is fast but not overbearing, the fighting mechanics are solid and extremely easy to pull off (well, some of them) and with the incorporation of Ultra Combos, EX Special moves and Focus Attacks the depth of strategy you can put in is almost endless. Very quickly:

[wiki]

Focus Attacks, known as "Saving System" in the Japanese version, is a new system that is being introduced in Street Fighter IV. The focus attack is a move that allows the player to absorb an attack and launch a counter attack, and it is performed by pressing the medium punch and kick buttons simultaneously.

Ultra Combos are long and cinematic moves featuring a lengthy combination of punches, kicks and other fighting techniques. Just as there is a Super Combo gauge, there is also an Ultra Combo gauge (officially known as the "Revenge Gauge" or "Revenge Meter"), but whereas the Super Combo gauge fills up when the player hits their opponent or performs a special move, the Revenge Gauge fills when one takes damage from their opponent. Along with the Super Combos, Ultra Combos are one of the only times the camera breaks from its normal fixed position to show a more dynamic, cinematic view of the gameplay.

One of the exceptionally cool things about Street Fighter IV is the introduction of four new characters (new to the series) and six hidden characters (Cammy, Fei Long etc.) to unlock. Here's a quick list of the new characters:

1. Rufus (my favorite new character)
2. El Fuerte
3. Crimson Viper (my least Favorite)
4. Abel

Each new character brings something new to the table and in all actuality it would take me about three days to explain each new characters contribution. I will say two things though: Rufus is a beast if you can master him and El Fuerte's "never-ending" super combo is an absolute game ending move. All in all, the new characters bring a nice change up to the Frey and gives you something new to try and master!

Very quickly, I wanted to mention the online play. I haven't had any issues finding a game at all, however if I had to gripe on one thing (in regards to SFIV) I would have to say they need to fix/patch the online Ping Meter. It doesn't show you how what the ping is for other players. So you never really know if your connecting to a laggy account or a good one. Although, in Capcom's defense...I haven't experienced any lag what so ever. Go figure, my one gripe isn't really viable at all!

It has been said by various gaming outlets that with the release of high profile fighting games such as MK vs DC and Street Fighter IV that the fighting genre is back on top; I couldn't agree more. Street Fighter IV is possibly one of the greatest fighting games I have ever played and in my humble opinion, if you are a fighting game fan you not only owe it to yourself to buy this game but you owe it to Capcom for all the hard work and dedication that the Street Fighter Team put into this (hell...Meta critic has it down at 93%). Another very quick news glyph is that Capcom plans on releasing downloadable content in less than a couple months (more outfits, backgrounds, animations and modes) to boot! What more can you ask for? To wrap everything up I figured I would leave you with one word that describes Street Fighter IV...Epic.

Street Fighter IV Gets a 10 out of 10

-GAME HARD-

Street Fighter IV Hands-On (Quick Update)

While I have a few minutes here, I wanted to quickly say a few things about Street Fighter IV. Lets start things off by saying I played it for over 6 hours straight last night and wound up going to bed at 3:00am. If that doesnt explain to you the sheer amount of fun that this game packs than maybe this will help: Street Fighter IV is one of the best, if not THEE BEST, fighting game I have ever played...hands down. Mechanically sound, franticly blissfull, gorgeous to look at and so much depth makes this game one of the greats!

----------------------------------------------------------------
Things to take notice of THUS FAR:

+ Challenge mode is...well extremely challenging

+ Unlocking the extra characters is as easy as pie

+ Pulling off EX's and Ultra's is pretty easy.

+ I love the ability to Dash Cancel into Ultra Combos.

+ Cant put enough emphasis on just how good this game looks and runs.

+ Sagat and Ken are BEASTS in this game...Blanka is pretty tough too!

+ Unlockable new outfits/modes/character and "gestures" = fun to unlock.
--------------------------------------------------------------

Thus far SFIV (console version) has lived up to being my #2 most anticipated game of 2009 and with the outlook of downloadable content coming in less than a month is something we can all be "uber" happy for! Capcom has done it again people. If you're a fighitng game fan you owe it to yourself to go and buy this game! HAAAADOUUKEN!

-GAME HARD-

Street Fighter IV Achievements List!

Just got my meat hooks on my collectors edition Street Fighter 4 package roughly 25 minutes ago. I can't explain how excited I am for this one follks; hell it's my number two most anticipated game of 2009 (could have been #1 for all intentsive purposes). Once I speed home from work I'll be ripping the disc out of the case, plopping down in front of my nice HDTV and playing the game for roughly five to six hours...straight. Anyways, this post isnt about my gushing giddiness, in fact its a pretty important post for all Street Fighter Fans as well as achievment whores alike. Await no further people...Behold, Street Fighter IV's complete achievment list for the XBOX360!

Street Fighter 4 Achievements

1. 10 Years Too Early - 20 - Win 50 Xbox LIVE battles
2. 10 Years Too Late - 50 - Win 100 Xbox LIVE battles
3. All Dolled Up - 10 - Set your Title and Icon
4. Arcade Rat - 20 - Clear Arcade Mode with one character-medium/higher difficulty
5. Challenge Expert - 30 - Clear all challenges in Challenge Mode
6. Challenger - 10 - Clear a challenge in Challenge Mode
7. Color Guard - 10 - Unlock all colors
8. Crowd Pleasing Master - 10 - Perform 10 Personal Actions (Taunts)
9. EX-cellent Master - 20 - Perform 100 EX-Moves
10. First Victory - 20 - Win 1 ranked match
11. Focus Master - 10 - Perform 100 successful Focus Attacks
12. The Gold Standard - 50 - Earn gold medals in all challenges
13. Hard Fought Battles - 20 - Play 200 Xbox LIVE battles
14. I Got Next! - 30 - Win 5 ranked matches in a row
15. Icon Master - 50 - Collect all Icons
16. Last Man Standing - 20 - Clear Hard Survival in Challenge Mode
17. Legendary Champion - 50 - Defeat Gouken & clear Arcade Mode-hardest difficulty
18. Lobbyist - 10 - Create 10 multiplayer lobbies
19. Medal Collector - 10 - Collect 100 Medals
20. Medal Hunter - 10 - Collect 500 Medals
21. Medal Master - 30 - Collect 1,000 Medals
22. Medals Get! - 30 - Collect all Medal types
23. No Challenge Too Hard - 20 - Clear Hard Trial in Challenge Mode
24. No Sweat - 10 - Unlock all Personal Actions (Taunts)
25. Playing To Win! - 50 - Win 10 ranked matches in a row
26. Proof of Battle - 20 - Play 500 Xbox LIVE battles
27. Rapid Fighter - 10 - Clear Normal Time Attack in Challenge Mode
28. Save Your Quarters-30-Clear Arcade Mode without a continue- medium/higher
29. Simply Perfect - 10 - Achieve 10 Perfect victories
30. Special Move Master - 10 - Perform 100 Special Moves
31. Speed King - 20 - Clear Hard Time Attack in Challenge Mode
32. Storied Reputation-30-Clear Arcade Mode with all characters-medium/higher difficulty
33. Sunny Daze - 40 - Perform 365 flashy background finishes
34. Super Combo Champion - 10 - Perform 50 Super Combo finishes
35. Super Combo Master - 10 - Perform 100 Super Combos
36. Taking On All Comers - 10 - Fight 10 opponents via fight requests
37. Technical Fighter - 10 - Clear Normal Trial in Challenge Mode
38. The Journey Begins - 20 - Win 10 Xbox LIVE battles
39. The Line Starts Here - 20 - Win 3 ranked matches in a row
40. The Road to Battle - 10 - Play 100 Xbox LIVE battles
41. The World Warrior - 20 - Unlock all characters
42. Title Master - 50 - Collect all Titles
43. Tough Cookie - 10 - Clear Normal Survival in Challenge Mode
44. Ultra Combo Champion - 10 - Perform 50 Ultra Combo finishes
45. Ultra Combo Master - 10 - Perform 100 Ultra Combos
46. Way of the Fist - 10 - Win 5 Xbox LIVE battles
47. World Champion - 20 - Clear Arcade Mode on hardest difficulty

There ya have it! The complete list of achievments. I like the looks of most of them but I have a feeling attaining all 1,000 points is going to be a bit of a challenge. I'm up to it...Are you?

-GAME HARD-

The Sadness That Is...

Short but extremely prevalent post. I awoke this morning with a feeling of satisfaction and giddiness. Today happiness to be the 17th of February [2009], an extremely important day for gamers. Why? Well, if I need to explain it than you've been living under a rock for the past year and a half. Street Fighter IV was released! Oh, what a day it started off to be. So, I awoke nice and early so that I could hope over to the Gamestop I had it pre-ordered at before work this morning. I've become decent friends with the two dudes that run the shop...so when I entered the shop and was met with two men nearly in tears I knew right off something was wrong.

"Dude...the game won't be here until tomorow at 12pm."

Day ruined. Grumpiness ensues. HADOKEN'ED upside the face.

-GAME HARD-

To FEAR or Not To FEAR...

Ah yes, the horror genre. There really is nothing like sitting in a dark room late at night playing a dark, brooding and scary game all by your lonesome. The jumps, the ambient melo-dramatic "horror" music, the little bloody girl running around from scene to scene...wait, what? Yup, Alma's back lady's and gents and she's back with a heaping pile of vengeance. She's grown up a little, looks even bloodier than previous incantations and now she's hell bent on killing everyone including you! The FEAR series has always held a special spot in my "gaming heart" and it's with great delight that I can say FEAR 2 lives up to the hype. Better graphics, buckets of more gore, scare tactics and new scenery/levels (something everyone was clamoring for) makes FEAR 2 a worthy sequel for not just the underground fan base the series has established but for the main stream market as well!

A Quick Rundown of the Story Via Wiki: "The sequel to F.E.A.R. continues the supernatural suspense story of the supernatural being, Alma, whose rage against those who wronged her caused her to begin an escalating paranormal crisis that threatens to devour and replace reality with her own.^[2] Instead of playing as the Point Man, the game's protagonist is Michael Becket, a Delta Force operator ^[3] whose squad is sent in to arrest Genevieve Aristide approximately thirty minutes before the ending of F.E.A.R."

Typical scare tactics aside, FEAR 2 is genuinely frightening. However, Monolith (developer) does it completely different than anyone else. The use of ambient sound FX and music makes the most mundane situations extremely tense. The music for example is so creepy (screeches, low dips, high dips) that half the time your trying to focus it out in order to stay alert and not pee your pants. I will say one thing however that may deter fans of the series: FEAR 2 isn't as scary as the first installation. In fact, its like night and day. That's not to say I didn't jump a few times while playing through the campaign, in fact I jumped a lot; it's just when compared to the original where I had to play with the damn lights on the sequel falls a little short.

FEAR 2 definitely holds true to the series staple signature: The Arsenal! There are so many guns you can play around with in this game that its almost daunting at some points. I say this only because you are allotted four weapon slots and four grenade slots. So, in multiple situations I was like a little child running around wondering which gun to keep and which one to discard. That's a good thing though in my opinion! The weapons feel extremely real...from the sound of the shooting to the reloading you get the sense that you really are firing a weapon. Not only does the firing sound real but the impact of each bullet gives you sense of just how powerful each weapon truly is. Take for example the Assault Rifle; when firing it you get the sense that your really packing some heat. It feels heavy and shoots heavier all while looking extremely real (I can't put enough emphasis on the "real" part).

Pretty much the same schematics for game play here folks (same as in previous incantations). You got your slow-mo, you got your flip tables cover motion, etc...one huge improvement happens to be the inclusion of drivable Mechs! These "ro-tone-one' esque" heaping piles of death are eextremely fun and satisfying to drive around in. Mounted with dual Gatling guns and heat seeking "twirl" missiles you pretty much run the gambit on everything in your path. You can rip through building, destroy cover and simple incinerate A.I. with the flick of a button...like I said, enjoyable! The one thing I will say (game play wise) is that the story mode is a little linear. There was maybe one or two parts where I felt I had a "path" choice to utilize and that's it. The game basically takes you by the hand and leads you straight to the end. For me, this kind of ruined the experience.

Graphically speaking (as well as audio) FEAR 2 shines. The character animations are super crisp, the level structures and ambient foregrounds are super polished, the blood looks damn real and to top it off: everything sounds and looks so damn creepy! Hallways are dark, streets are cluttered and dusty and even the Elementary School you visit during the campaign looks like something straight out of an Alfred Hitchcock Movie. All said and done, Monolith did a superb job mapping all the textures perfectly!

Generally speaking FEAR 2 is a solid shooter in which provides an occasional scare and the occasional "wow" moment. Yet, the core game itself feels almost shallow due to the linear structure and lack of "choice" offered to. Don't get me wrong, the game was enjoyable to play and provided this (meaning me) gamer an enjoyable 10 or so hours of horror educed first person action...and for me that A' OK!

F.E.A.R. 2 Gets A 7.0 out of 10

-GAME HARD-

That's A Wrap!

The word tired cant even explain how I feel right now. The word exhausted doesn't even do the state of mind I'm in right now justice. Damn, does that even make sense? The NY Comicon has finally ended and around 1am last night I finally arrived back in good old New Hampshire. From last Wednesday until late Monday night I busted my hump getting to every single gaming panel held at the con, demoed every single game they had on display and occasionally went around the show floor looking at the various vendors from around the US. It was tough to accomplish but in all actuality I had a blast doing so. So without further adue...here's what went down!

I'm gonna lay this out for you all super simple like. Basically, I'm gonna do three things: List the three best of shows, list the three worst of shows and then give you my single favorite demo I got to test out. Simple, cut and dry tactics here folks...easy enough to wrap your noggins around and not go into an epileptic gaming induced seizure. So, hows about we start with the bad? In all honesty my list may "tick" a few people off (mostly the fan boys) but in order to give you the "real deal scope" of these demos I'm going to be brutally honest. My three worst of shows go to:

• Velvet Assassin
• DC Universe
• Ghost Busters

DC Universe being on that list [alone] is going to fill my email box up with about 12oo angry comic book lovers hell bent on making my life a living hell from now on...but whatever. The demo I played looked awfully pretty but the game play was clunky, locked up twice when I was running around the city and the lag was almost unbearable when in a fight. No thanks guys...I'll stick with Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2.

Velvet Assassin, what can I say? Perhaps the crappiest game I've played in recent memory. Nothing [with this game] screams good. In fact, the only thing that was screaming was me after spending almost five minutes learning how to control the main character. Strike one. Strike two comes after the fact that the graphics are about as generic as an old Sonic the Hedgehog game. Your probably wondering what strike three is, right? Well, there is no strike three simply due to the fact that strikes one and two are enough to kill a bull.

Now, onto the one that may have surprised you all: Ghost Busters. I'm going to put this as dumbed down as possible and try not to step on any ones toes. This game is about as fun as lighting your own head on fire. You run around as "the new guy" spotting ghost. You take out your proton pack. You aim. You Fire. You incapacitate. You Capture. Rinse and repeat nine hundred times. The game is just not that fun people, plain and simple! I tried so hard to get into it (I loved the movies so I forced myself to at least give it a fair shot) but I just couldn't. I knew after two minutes of playing it that i wanted nothing to do with this game. graphically, the game looked solid...but that's about it.

BEST OF SHOW:

• Dragon Age: Origin
• Red Faction: Guerrilla
• Prototype
  

Done with the crappy demos and onto the goods. Lets start with third most satisfying/awesome game to make an appearance at the con: Dragon Age. If your not familiar with the developers (Bioware) then perhaps you will recognize them by this reference: They are the dudes that made Baldurs Gate; perhaps the greatest Action RPG game ever made. If this is something that just perked your ears than get a load of what I am about to say; Dragon Age puts the smack-down on Baldurs Gate....then takes a dump on it. Within five seconds (and I'm not lying) of putting my meat hooks on the mouse and keyboard i knew I was in for something special. Graphically, this game blows every single other game at the con away and then some. However, that's not the coolest thing I encountered. The size of the dungeons I played was sheer madness. The amount of creatures and enemies in almost every section of the map made me feel like I was personally there. I was playing as the Beserker race, AKA: The Tank. I would run up to the crowd of monsters and just start hacking away while my spell casters would heal me from afar. The whole time I was playing this game I got a feeling of Diablo meets Hexen meets Baldurs Gate all cranked up on about 20 cc's of anabolic steroids. I'll stop there. Dragon Age = Excellent!

Second up on my list is a game you may have all forgotten about... Red Faction: Guerrilla. This game blew me away and was my second favorite of the show. The multiplayer aspect alone gave this game a "1-up" on every other game shown at the convention. Fast paced, hardcore action is what its all about when playing Guerrilla, people! Weapon selection alone would have me jumping for joy but when you toss in gigantic Mech's in the mix; well you can count me in! No lag, excellent graphics, fast paced action and one hell of an arsenal at you disposal makes Guerrilla one heck of a sleeper hit for 2009! Seriously people...check this game out!

OK, we have made it to my number one game of the show. If you haven't guessed already what it is...well you've been living under a rock for the past week. My number one pick for 2009's NY Comicon goes to non other than Prototype. When I say that this game nearly had my jaw dropping to the floor for the entire time would be a heaping pile of "understatement." No lies fellas, I literally turned to the "Representative" there ten times and said, "Are you f*cking kidding me?" Prototype is one hell of a good time...and thats an understatement! Graphics: 12 Game play: 15 Sound FX: 18 and Fun Factor 20...and this is out of 10! I haven't had this much fun playing a game (let alone a friggin' demo) since...Jesus, I don't even know. I can't even formulate a frigging sentence when describing this Monster! OK OK, let me put it in perspective for you: I was allotted 20 minutes of game play when demo'ing this game. When the developer told me "times up" I turned to him and said these exact words: " No F*cking way." 'NUFF SAID.

So there you have it my pics for NY Comicon 2009! Hopefully next year there will be even more games present at the con. I will sum it up for all you in one sentence: NY Comicon 2009 rocked it! Games, comics, scantily clad dressed women and a sh*t ton of cosplay made 2009 one hell of a year...and it's not even half way through! Until next NY Comicon.......................

-Game Hard-

Quick List Before the Whole Thing

I know people have been clamoring as to when I will be posting the game demos that debuted at this years NY Comicon Convention so I'll quickly list the games I got a chance to futz around with. I will attach one to two words after each title that describes my impression in order to appease the muffed crowd of people wanting a run down of each title I played. Relax guys...I just got a new job last week and started this past Monday. The whole entire write up will be completed by Thursday...allowing me ample amounts of time to put some thought into my write up. Here Goes:

1. Ghost Busters The Game ---------- "Mehh"
2. Velvet Assasin ---------- "Turds"
3. Godfather II --------- "Promising"
4. Chronicles of Riddick: AODA -------- "Solid"
5. Champions Online ----------- "Decent"
6. DC Universe ---------- "Nope"
7. GTA: China Town Wars (DS) ----------- "Awesome"
8. The Conduit ------------ "SuperSleeper of 2009"
9. Dragon Age: Origins -------------- "Unbelievable"
   
10. FEAR II Project Origin ------------- "Saaaweet"
11. Wolverine ---------- "OK"
12. Mad World ------------- "Bloody Good Time"
13. Prototype -------- "Perhaps Game of the Year Already...Seriously"

More on these titles..................later Thursday night. Ohh yeah, I almost forgot: I have video Footage Too!

-GAME HARD-

...And what spaceship will you be purchasing sir? Uhh, I'll take the R-Type please

So I just finished getting my arse handed to me playing Life Force over the interwebs on NEScafe. Wow, what a great game. Perhaps I could have gotten past the first level had I been able to enter the same exact famous code from Contra that, well, gives you the same reward in Life Force. So yeah, Life Force rocked the NES for sure. That got me on the whole 2-d side scrolling spaceship shooter genre and fiending to pop some quarters into any arcade cabinet I can get my hands on. As an aside, there is now a metal slug arcade cabinet at my work now. Very, very dangerous! That got me on a whole 2-d side scroller thing and thinking about how freaking hard R-type used to be. A quick search informed me that it was just released on XBLA last week, hmmm?

Xbox.com says.....The coin-op classics, R-Type and R-Type II, are together at last in R-Type Dimensions! Fight through all 14 Bydo-infested stages in original 2-D or all-new 3-D graphics, and swap back and forth on-the-fly. The classic gameplay remains untouched, and a new Infinite game mode allows continuous progression from game start to the final boss. The Bydo will not evade you this time! Game modes can be played as single player or multiplayer missions, either locally or over Xbox LIVE®. Pull yourself together, save the Earth, and strike down the evil Bydo Empire!

Classic arcade action: R-Type Dimensions includes R-Type and R-Type II, two fully playable classic coin-op games.

Multiple game modes: Try the Classic game mode with play that exactly mimics the original coin-op experiences, or the all-new Infinite game mode, assuring the completion of your game regardless of skill level. Either mode offers both single player and all-new co-op play (both local and over Xbox LIVE). Switch on-the-fly between 2-D and 3-D graphic modes even during play.

Crazy camera: Play from a non-orthogonal camera view, adding a whole new perspective.

Cooperative play: New cooperative play uses a simple yet thrilling revive system, and a ship collision feature that can be turned on for added difficulty and sparring.

New features: The new stage unlock functionality allows you to have immediate access to your favorite stages, and the new Continue option lets you restart from the last accessed checkpoint when the game's over.




So all the new features seem pretty good. Joystiq.com has a nice gameplay video where they run through the first level in the trial version. The only bad thing is the price tag. 1200 MS points ~ 15 bucks for an updated retro game seems a bit steep. I am having trouble staying away from this one as it was a classic that took all my hard earned quarters as a youth. The game has received fairly decent reviews on the average of 7-8's but it is hard to tell if that is heavily influenced by nostalgia. Anyways, I'll let you know what I think if I end up playing it. If anyone has played it leave a comment and let me know what you think because I am still on the fence with this one.

Word!

Uploading...

[Currently in The Works]

Full Write-Up On The NY Comicon Which Includes But Is Not Limited To:

• Full write up on developers/gaming companies present at the con
• Full Demo write up's of my favorite demos
• Best of show
• Most disappointing game/demo
• No-Shows

I will say this: I am exhausted. I got back last night at 1am and had to be up for work at 7am...needless to say, I'm going to bed early tonight; so expect no posting. I will leave you with this one statement:

Prototype = OMG. The Conduit = Holy Sh*t

That is all......................

-GAME HARD-

NY ComiCon!

Well, its now been one full day here at the New York Comicon and I can honestly say I'm exhausted. This morning I got to roam around a little bit and get a feel for what vendors were present and in conjunction: giving demos.  Ive been coming to the con for over four years now and this year has been quite eye opening due to the sheer number of video game companies. Activision is there showing off of a few games, Sega is there, BioWare made the trip bearing a Dragon Age demo...I could go on but ill just get to the games instead.

Today was just a feeler day. I walked around staking out which titles were worth bearing

time for and the ones that were just there for eye candy and "no touchy."  One title that is definitely worth mentioning tonight was Prototype, a sandbox science fiction romp that almost knocked me off the chair. This game is not only gorgeous but it plays just as well as it looks.  Set in Manhattan, NY the locale is perfect for it's destructive nature. There was actually people (who lived in NY) say, "Oh my god, I know where that place is!"  That's a sure fire sign that the attention to detail alone (that the developers have put into this) is something to gawk over. The demo ran smooth, the graphics looked insanely intricate and the fluidity of the gameplay has definitely left me wanting more.

Tomorrow I'll be going around to each kiosk/demo stage and get hands on video as well as first impression details.  The stage floor is expected to be pretty tight tomorrow (the show is expecting close to 70,000 attendees) so ill have to be patient as I'm bumping into anyone and everyone.  Contrary to a certain "posters" comments on the last article, I do try my hardest to get the hands on write ups written as soon as I humanly can.  Oh, and by the way...I'll be attending a Gears of War panel tomorrow night at 6:45pm for a Q&A Session with the creators of the game!  Check back tomorrow night for demo impressions, game video's and a exclusive Gears of War panel run down.  Until then.......

-GAME HARD- 

Off To The NY Comicon!

I'm off to the NY Comic Book Convention people! Expect live updates of all the video game developers that made it this year and first hand impressions of their titles. I'm there until Sunday afternoon and I'm rip roaring ready to sink my meat hooks into some good comics, good company and most of all...The Games!

-GAME HARD-

Resident Evil 5 Demo Sets New Record

1.8 Million isn't a big number...it's atrociously gigantic. This past Monday Capcom released its highly anticipated Demo of Resident Evil 5 and it seems as though the world went into a frantic state of mind. Within the first seven days the demo was downloaded 1.8 million times, setting a new XBox Live Download record, and its only a demo!

"The Resident Evil 5 demo gives gamers a taste of the survival horror shooter's two-player co-op mode, letting players fight their way through two sections of the full game and solve a handful of puzzles along the way. In addition to online multiplayer and single-player action with a computer-controlled teammate, the demo will include split-screen multiplayer." -Tom M, Gamespot-

If this is a sign of things to come when the actual game is released you can count on having to put in a pre-order to even "cop" a copy of this highly anticipated zombie shooter. Set to release later this year Res. 5 looks to be on of the most highly anticipated games of the year.

Here's a little taste of things to come, Enjoy!

Trailer Resident Evil 5
by 20Minutes