Taito Legends, Operation Wolf, and PC light guns

I got Taito Legends for the PlayStation 2 for Christmas this year, and I'm still steamed that it doesn't support a light gun for Operation Wolf. I just read in this GameSpot review of Taito Legends for Windows that it doesn't support light guns for playing Operation Wolf either, and is too easy with a mouse.

Wait...Windows has light guns? Who knew?

Apparently it's true, there are light guns for Windows, but this one I've found is prohibitively expensive: only $80! That's only four times the price of Taito Legends itself! And for $80, I'd prefer something other than a dainty girly pistol. Of course, it does have a nice look, while all the console guns I own look like oversized plastic water guns.

Incidentally, I'm told that Taito Legends (for Windows, at least) actually has MAME-compatible ROMs right there on the CD, out in the open. And you'll note that this gun says it's MAME-compatible. So does that mean that the best way to play Operation Wolf is to buy the collection and gun, even though they don't work together, just so you can download MAME to use with ROMs ripped off the CD? Crazy.

--jvm at 20:53

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Tomb Raider: Legend -- Good news, bad news

GameSpot posted some experiences with a short demo of Tomb Raider: Legend, and I'm faintly optimistic. The classic run/jump/grab/climb mechanics appear to be back in vogue, which is good news to me, a devout fan of the first game. The bad news is that Lara wants to be Trinity from The Matrix.

Apparently, Lara still hasn't figured out how to relieve a foe of consciousness without also depriving him of life:

You'll start Lara's latest adventure armed with her trademark dual pistols, but you'll also be able to retrieve weapons, ammunition, and grenades from any enemies you're forced to kill.

Please, buy a copy of Metal Gear Solid 3 to see that there are other ways. Thanks.

This gave me a bit of hope:

For starters, you'll be able to perform a sliding tackle or jump kick while running toward an enemy, and if he gets up after that, you might want to follow up with an especially painful-looking kick to the groin.

Sounds like we can neutralize guards without killing them, right? Maybe not:

Lara's most exciting new close-combat abilities are undoubtedly her rebound and head-stomp attacks, which are both performed using the jump button. Neither of these spectacular-looking attacks actually does very much damage, but they do stun the target for a few seconds so that Lara can shoot at them as she backflips through the air in aerial assault mode--which is bullet time, essentially.

That's right: she knocks them down, humiliates them, and then does showy acrobatics while killing pumping them with slugs. I'm guessing this means she'll also be mowing down people in an office building, as seen in the trailer a while back, only now she can do it Max Payne-style.

Look, I'll admit that it was lots of fun back in 1996 to have Lara pistol-dance around bears and mummies in the original Tomb Raider. But that was 10 years ago and times have changed. Regardless, the heart of the game was, and always will be, the evocative locations, devilish spatial puzzles, and daring jumps. It gained no value by becoming more violent. That effort put into weaponry and populating worlds with cannon fodder was effort that could have been put toward better level design. Perhaps not the only reason that Tomb Raider went downhill, but certainly a big one for me.

I'm glad the exploring is back. Way to go, guys, that's one lesson learned. I hope you learn some others.

--jvm at 20:17

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Goodbye, id Software

I knew things were different a while back, even before DooM 3 came out. Now it appears that it's over between id Software and me. Next-Generation says that PC Gamer UK says that John Carmack says:

The Xbox 360 will probably will be id's primary development platform. As it is right now, we would get the game up on the 360. When I would do major hack-and-slash architectural changes it was back on the PC, but it's looking like the Xbox 360 will be our target. All of our tools are on the PC, and we're maintaining the game running on the PC, but probably all of our gameplay development and testing will be done on the Xbox 360. It's a really sweet development system.

And with that, I will not hold out hope to see any future id Software games on GNU/Linux, as has happened with every previous game. Maybe we'll see a GPLed release years after a game's release, but I can't see id Software justifying the money to support smaller platforms when they're heavily married to Microsoft like that.

Maybe Carmack is really keeping it crossplatform. Certainly when he says "we intend to release [unannounced next game] on PlayStation 3 simultaneously", it suggests as much. But it appears that the whole focus has shifted for them. It used to be Windows first, with MacOS and GNU/Linux second and distant third, respectively, and then a console port if an opportunity arose. Now, however, it's console first, with Windows a trailing second, and that pushes MacOS and GNU/Linux even further to the back of the line.

My friend Dustin tells me I've just been living in a bubble, that this is old news. He points me to a Shacknews story from last year saying "the Xbox 360 is the primary development platform for the [new Wolfenstein] game and it's based on new technology" and this quote from Carmack's X05 keynote speech: "XBox360 is now id's primary platform for development." I guess reality was destined to visit me eventually.

Finally, to vent one last bit, I've always been a little disappointed that Carmack didn't throw himself into the OpenGL driver development work on GNU/Linux again after DooM 3 launched. Back in 2001 LinuxGames reported:

Also, should other drivers not be up to par when DOOM [3] is nearing completion, he may attempt to work on an open source driver project similar to his stint on Utah-GLX.

Sure, he left himself an out, saying "may", but from the guy who GPLed DooM, Quake, Quake ][, and Quake ]|[ Arena, I expected more. Next time, I'll know better.

Labels: microsoft, xbox360

--jvm at 08:56

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#@%*! GBA counterfeiters (and spotting fakes)

Almost exactly a year ago I got a counterfeit Double Dragon Advance cartridge from an Amazon seller. This past week I ordered a different game, Racing Gears Advance, from a different Amazon seller and got another counterfeit! I'm furious! I save up the dough for a semi-rare game, shop around, and what I get is ripped off.

Nintendo showed me how to spot a fake at their handy anti-piracy site. The inside of my cartridge (which isn't Advance Wars, but something else entirely) looks like the right-half of this picture:What an ugly hack job. A real Advance Wars should look like this:Notice any tiny differences there? You can see more real-to-fake comparisons at this comparison page.

What made me suspicious enough to open the cartridge? Three things:

1. The cartridge was off by about a millimeter from the size of the other cartridges I own when inserted into the GBA.
2. No "NINTENDO" on the contacts, as zakk suggested when I got scammed on Double Dragon. I think all the legit GBA games on Nintendo's anti-piracy site have that marking.
3. The screw on the back of the case was badly ripped up.

ARGH!

Labels: nintendo

--jvm at 23:45

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Episodic gaming revolution? Pshaw!

Don MacAskill, who apparently worked on the original SiN, writing about the new episodic SiN, makes a lot of claims about episodic gaming that are interesting, exciting, and wrong. He starts off at a full gallop with this one:

Everyone wants episodic games.

No, they don't. Certainly, I'm not convinced. If you asked a dozen people what "episodic games" are, you'd get a dozen different answers, and there isn't any guarantee that SiN has any of them.

Developers want it because they get to make better games (by listening to their fans suggestions every 6 months and incorporating it directly into the next chapter) and do it more cheaply (6 months of game development vs years. Do the math). Gamers want it because their favorite games will be more frequent, higher quality, and more innovative since developers can now take some risks with different & new gameplay.

Where exactly is this "episodic equals better" link? A game that's developed on a shorter schedule will not automatically be higher quality or take more risks. Given that games are already buggy, a shorter testing schedule seems unlikely to improve quality, especially if it's based on never-before-tried gameplay.

From what I can tell, there is no reason to think that a shorter development schedule is going to make anyone a better game developer. For all we know, it will be an excuse to pump out crap games faster. Isn't that the lesson of prime time television programming?

You might argue that The Sopranos on cable, not Fear Factor on network television, is the better analogy and you'd have a point. But then it's not what the majority of people want anymore, it's a premium service. Paying $20 for a much shorter game isn't in the realm of mass-market appeal. Check back when you're talking $10 or less.

Somehow this episodic gaming is supposed to appeal to the masses like broadcast television and have the quality of the premium channel exclusives. Sounds like a job for the underpants gnomes.

Beyond making Ritual and Valve more hats of money, SiN will also revolutionize the game market:

Luckily, Ritual's putting their money where their mouth is and self-funding this little experiment. If they succeed, the market will shift and we'll all get what we want.

Rarely does one game result in total market upheaval. Sure, occasionally we get DooM or Civilization or Pokémon and everyone scrambles to jump on the rocket-powered bandwagon, but such conveyances are never well-labeled ahead of time.

Look, maybe just maybe this new SiN will set the world afire, but odds are against it. Moreover, as I read through this piece, it hit me more like a gushy, overoptimistic preview, complete with buzzwords (Action-Based Outcomes!!1!) and sales pitch at the end:

Oh, yeah, and before I forget: All SiN Episodes buyers will get all of SiN 1 as a free bonus. So when you pre-order SiN Episodes, you'll immediately get to play SiN 1. Pretty great, if you ask me.

Might as well have said "Operators are standing by to take your call..."

Someone remind me after SiN launches to see whether it measured up to this hype.

--jvm at 17:27

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Super Mario Land, a decade later

Before I sold my GameBoy and games to pay a phone bill back in the mid-1990s, I actually finished Super Mario Land and considered it a mighty feat. Now, over 10 years later, I picked up a used copy and completed it like I might tackle a large pizza: a couple of sittings and it was all over. Both times, I sat and listened to the ending music and enjoyed the feeling of a job well done.

It's a great game, and I recommend it.

Now Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins is another story. Compared to SML, it has oversized graphics, cruddy controls, and little of the original charm. Apparently it has Wario in it, but I won't ever play far enough to know. It's been filed away in my big game library, and I don't intend to get it out again, except when needed as reference material.

One last thing: I've been told that Miyamoto had nothing to do with Super Mario Land, and it occurs to me that that's a good thing. Of all the Mario games I've played, from Super Mario Bros. up to Super Mario 64, the one not made by Miyamoto is my favorite. Go figure.

Addendum: I was going to say "...from Mario Bros. up to Super Mario 64..." but I wasn't sure if Miyamoto was in on that original trip into the sewers. Anyone know?

--jvm at 23:34

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SNES emulation on PSP: Still poor

While doing my every-other-week check of SNES emulation at the dcemu.co.uk boards I found this thread asking "How good is the latest SNES emulation?". The reply from forum member super_tunka:

I am currently playing chrono cross on the snes emu with frame skip set at 5 and 333mhz and it runs flawlessly

So, that's skipping frames like mad and overclocking the PSP from 222MHz to 333MHz. While super_tunka doesn't say, I'd bet the sound emulation is off or at a low quality. And this counts as "flawless"? This is the same problem I ran into with emulation on the Dreamcast: people are willing to deal with ridiculously bad performance and still call it great.

Now that I think about it, this explains a lot about why crap games sell like mad.

Anyway, perhaps Nintendo will finally end this nonsense and make a Super Duper GameBoy that snags downloaded games off some shared storage on the Revolution and gives us great SNES (and NES) emulation in a handheld. And if we're lucky, they'll cut a deal with Sega to handle provide Genesis emulation too.

A man can dream, can't he?

Labels: nintendo

--jvm at 18:59

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Sony exploits PSP hackers for cash...REVEALED!

If you have a Sony PSP with firmware 2.50 or lower you can now play homebrew games and emulators. Here's the catch: you must own Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories for the exploit to work. Bloody brilliant plan! That's $50, minimum, from every person who wants to play emulators on their PSP. This will sell GTA:LCS and PSPs faster than ever.

I eagerly await the impending firmware exploits for Killzone, Tomb Raider: Legend, Splinter Cell, Madden NFL 07, and games from all other PSP licensees who have paid their "exploit" certification fee.

--jvm at 16:22

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The *1* Problem with Videogame Journalism

What we call videogame journalism doesn't have five problems, it has one: It serves two masters, but tries to act like it doesn't.

How can you expect to review a game correctly when you've mostly played beta versions and a little with the retail version in the scramble before it goes on sale? You can't sometimes, but being late on a review means lost money so you'll make an exception.

How can you expect to know the value of games when they're given to you for free? You can't, but for games that would otherwise cost you money, you'll make an exception.

How can you expect to be really critical of a company when those same companies invite you to parties ... press events to learn about their new games? You can't, but for the free travel, food, and other goodies that would otherwise cost you money, you'll make an exception.

And why do you tell people you're doing it? For the gamers. You're just doing it for them, because you love games. All you have to do is read the faux blogs that big commercial sites are running nowadays and you'll see...those are real, honest opinions, right?

This is why people read the reviews at GameFAQs and other Common Man Review Sites: those writers are probably not influenced by money. They are influenced by individual biases, yes, but at least we have less reason to believe it's motivated by a paycheck at the end of the month.

Now we have game journalists talking about what's wrong with themselves. I'm sure getting it posted on Slashdot won't make them any money either.

What about me? Am I not just a prostitute of a different degree? I just like running my mouth. As if I needed to tell you that.

This message brought to you by Marxist Gamers of America.

--jvm at 12:23

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SSI Gold Box Redux

In my quest to relive the SSI Gold Box RPG experience, I remembered that somewhere along the line I picked up a copy of Pool of Raidance for DOS on 3.5" floppy. With the help of DOSBox I finally got to try it out, and it appears superior to the Commodore 64 version.

Most importantly, it supports keyboard accelerators for commands, a feature the Commodore version lacks. So even though the DOS version Pool of Radiance doesn't seem to support a mouse, it is easily navigable. There are some quirks to how to navigate some vertical menus, but I can live with them for now.

I want to play a game I've not played before, so I grabbed this collection of Forgotten Realms RPGs from Amazon for a fistful of pennies. Who knew that there were three Eye of the Beholder games?

--jvm at 21:14

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Sony becomes the enemy

Colin Campbell's column yesterday speculates: Sony Blu-Ray won't win the format war because the PlayStation 3 wins the next-generation console war, but the other way 'round. If that really is Sony's plan, then it's a fascinating strategy.

It's also a play straight out of the Microsoft playbook. That is, they're using their position in the market for movies and movie players to get a leg up in another market, the one for videogames. Microsoft famously did something similar with operating systems and web browsers.

In the currently-ending generation, Microsoft leveraged strengths from Windows to gain advantages in the console market. The results were an impressive development environment, a strong Xbox Live backbone, and a host of Windows-to-Xbox ports which fleshed out the Xbox library. (Not that ports are always good, but they help.)

If Sony really does intend to Blu-Ray as its trump card this next generation, then that's the kind of effort that makes me want them taken down a notch. They seemed to get it right with the PlayStation, when they needed anyone they could get. That momentum carried them through the PlayStation 2, but by that point the game market was a cash cow to be cynically milked harder, not cultivated. Now this Blu-Ray thing could give them dominance in the videogame market with even less effort on making a great game machine and great games.

--jvm at 21:42

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Battlezone PSP... Really!?!

Tonight I found that Amazon lists Battlezone for the PSP by Atari. So does GameStop. And Wal-mart. I have never heard of this title, and I didn't find anything about it on Atari's site.

Does anyone have any concrete information on this game? I would love a remake/update of the PC and N64 game, especially with some updated graphics and online play.

--jvm at 19:35

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Time to buy an Xbox?

Is the Xbox really dead? That's the rumor, and it may also mean that the time when I'll consider buying one is nigh. When that happens, I'll need a list of suggested games to find in a local used-game shop. Sure, I could just browse GameRankings, but I always like hearing what individuals have to say.

Hey...I'd finally get to play Half-life 2! w00t!

--jvm at 21:19

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Nintendo: Profitable to death

Most folks are focusing on "PSP to kill DS" in this Next-Generation report, but the really interesting bit is tacked on to the end:

[The] software revenue mix in calendar year 2005 will be Nintendo 58% / third parties 42% for DS, but Sony 24% / third parties 76% for PSP.

I figure game companies are going to like the 76% of the PSP revenue over the little 42% that Nintendo is giving. Don't forget that PSP games are averaging a higher retail price than Nintendo DS games, so developers will get 76% of an already bigger pie. I mean, I know a couple of game developers, and they seem like the kind of folks who could find use for the extra dollars, should the opportunity came along. Heck, this one game developer in the IRC channel where I hang out can't seem to stop talking about his company stock.

As the historically dominant player, Nintendo is surely comfortable charging those kinds of licensing fees. And, yes, it appears they're doing well even against the PSP. But they've never really had a serious attempt from a determined competitor like they have now with Sony and the PSP. If they keep up that kind of licensing structure, they may well remain profitable, but it may lead developers to jump to the PSP where the playing field is in their favor. If Nintendo loses the handheld market, what then? Pray for a Revolution?

I suspect that it's more of a question of when rather than if the PSP will get more developer support and therefore more decent software. When that day comes, soon afterward we may see a news item like this one from November 2001 where Nintendo lopped $2 off their per-game licensing costs for the GameBoy Advance. Ah...the consumer benefits of a competitive market!

Labels: nintendo

--jvm at 18:16

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Dan Matkowsky has responded to my post criticizing his review of GameTap. A few points he made deserve a reply.

I wrote this paragraph in my criticism of Dan's review, and Dan thought it was about GameTap and pricing:

Why isn't it obvious that some games simply demand a premium to play them? Isn't this true of other goods and services? Food, cars, furniture, even sporting events and theater performances. What's the disconnect here?

Actually, I'm railing against ROM-mongering, a common theme on this site. Dan's GameTap review seemed to be giving a sly wink to downloading ROMs of games you can't find elsewhere legally, and with this reader comment in mind, I was saying that if you want certain games you're just going to have to pay the piper.

Dan's review said that GameTap didn't live up to its promise since the game selection wasn't as strong as he'd hoped. I think that faulting GameTap for what games they don't offer is a weak criticism, and said as much. Dan defends his stance, citing what GameTap says in their advertisements:

Even if GameTap doesn't explicitly promise "every game ever made playing bug-free on my PC for less than $15 a month" to the customer, then their marketing certainly implies something pretty close to it.

Look at their slogans:

"Expand Your Playground" & "New World of Videogames"

There's a huge implied promise in them thar words.

The promise there is to expand the range of games I can play, and indeed their service does that. We'd all like access to every game ever made, but I don't see anything close to that in these slogans.

Dan's review of GameTap says that he couldn't use a PlayStation 2 Dual Shock controller to play Splinter Cell or Robotron: 2084. I responded only to the bit about Splinter Cell, but the dual joysticks were important to Dan's claim. His response to my criticism says:

I've yet to come across anyone who can say that Eugene Jarvis' futuristic tour de force is the same game without the double joystick controls.

I can agree with that, but my complaint was elsewhere. Here's the relevant portion of Dan's original review:

...it's nice to have the option of a USB controller, which GameTap so thoughtfully allows.

However, the controller just doesn't work for some games. For Splinter Cell, my DualShock 2 controller isn't recognized, and for Robotron 2084, a game that legally requires the player to use the right joystick/thumbstick to shoot, that functionality is sadly missing.

In email, Dan has clarified that he used a real PlayStation 2 Dual Shock controller with a USB adaptor in his tests. Then the first GameTap glitch Dan addresses is that a Windows PC game does not work correctly with a PlayStation 2 Dual Shock controller. I would have been a bit surprised if it had worked.

But whose fault is it that it doesn't work? It's not GameTap's fault, since they're just a service provider. According to Ubisoft's support pages for Splinter Cell (for PC):

Unfortunately, Splinter Cell PC does not provide support for Game Pads or Joysticks.

Granted, this controller issue is not the crux of the review, but it isn't a huge glitch in GameTap either.

I also thought Dan's issue with the time involved downloading large games was weak. He was writing as a parent and noting that kids aren't going to be rational about download times. Ok, I hear where you're coming from. I know this irrationality from my own child.

However, download times are simply a fact of life for download services. It strikes me as saying "download services suffer because they involve downloads." Maybe other people are shocked that the process is time-intensive, but it's rather obvious from where I'm sitting.

Ok, that's enough poking. Dan can take me to task again, if the mood strikes him. As Bob said to me earlier, "in the end, you don't actually disagree on anything substantive, and everything else is quibblery". All I ask is that folks remember: this ain't Milk of Human Kindness Gamer and that dude at the top of the page ain't pleased.

--jvm at 10:30

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Collect them all: National Guard gets own game

--jvm at 19:53

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Military news site: games make American soldiers more proficient

--jvm at 17:38

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Nothing on the PSP horizon, DS shining

Browsing the upcoming PSP release list is depressing. Between now and June only one game, Tomb Raider: Legend, is the least bit appealing. It's downright shameful how sparse the software looks.

The Nintendo DS managed much better in its first year (or first year plus a little). The DS games I'd want to try: Animal Crossing: Wild World, Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, Meteos, Nintendogs, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, and Electroplankton. That, plus the ability to play GameBoy Advance games makes the Nintendo DS a much more interesting handheld right now.

On the other hand, at least the PSP won't be getting Tingle RPG.

Labels: nintendo

--jvm at 20:59

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Silent Hill Movie: Got atmosphere, is it deeper than that?

Silent Hill is reasonably complex by videogame standards. Judging by the trailer, the movie based on the game has nailed the distinctive atmosphere, but I'm concerned that it may find it difficult to convey the full effect of the game.

First, some background to explain the first Silent Hill game. Skip to the next paragraph if you want no spoilers.

[SPOILERS AHOY!] A cult conceives a girl in an attempt to bring the dark god, Samael, into material form. When only half of Samael's power is manifested within the girl she is burned alive, yet cannot be killed because of the power she contains. The cult keeps her in the care of a nurse, and then conceive a second girl, intending to use the two children to bring Samael's full power into our world. The second child is mysteriously abducted and later adopted by the main character in Silent Hill. The game itself covers the conflict between this adoptive parent and the cult of Samael, in the mysterious town known as Silent Hill, where bizarre creatures attack from the shadows and two similar worlds, one dark and one light, appear to exist in parallel. Ultimately, the cult is defeated and the spirits of the two girls are freed of their evil burdens. [END SPOILERS]

Check out the full-length trailer for the Silent Hill movie at this site. Many familiar images are shown: ashen fog, a wrecked Jeep, a little girl's doppleganger, rusty chain-link fences, and malformed humanoid shapes. If you skip to the end, you'll even hear the opening theme to the original Silent Hill, haunting as ever. The usual cheery Silent Hill stuff.

Which is to say, the movie appears to capture the atmosphere of Silent Hill quite well. Very little is explained about the plot, however. I hope that's a good sign, that they didn't want to give away the whole thing in the trailer or they didn't think they could make it appropriate for just a short trailer. The folks run around and scream enough that I am concerned it could just be a by-the-numbers spooky movie with cheap scares.

If this movie does well, then I hope they'll consider tackling the second game as material for a second movie. Don't consider it a sequel, but let the town be the motif that ties the movies together, as the games have done. If made in a manner similar to Jacob's Ladder, to which the games owe many ideas, it would make an interesting movie-to-game-to-movie cycle.

Note: The current movie says that the little girl is sick. Perhaps they've already ransacked the second game for ideas?

--jvm at 15:27

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Microsoft: Aroma Disc player not ruled out for Xbox 360

After admitting Xbox 360 support for Blu-Ray was possible then clarifying with a press release saying "Not so fast!" a fuming public has demanded to know where Microsoft stands on Remington Aroma Disc player support (figure, right). To soothe consumers, Microsoft has issued an official statement:

The question of whether Xbox 360 has the flexibility to adapt to consumers' needs is a different issue entirely. Xbox 360 is a future-proofed system - one that allows us to add features as consumers demand them.

When the high-definition Aroma Disc^TM technology market explodes, whether in 2006 or beyond, Microsoft will lead the industry with the best Aroma Disc^TM support on any home console. The good news is that as spectacular as things smell now, the aroma potential for Xbox 360 is just barely being tapped. You haven't smelt anything yet.

Bold words, indeed, with a whiff of defensiveness.

The choice of words "add features as consumers demand them" leaves me wondering: If enough consumers demand a feature like "interesting games" or "mediocre games that cost less than 25 Big Macs", will the Xbox 360 be able to deliver?

Labels: microsoft, xbox360

--jvm at 00:30

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Sony Wakes Up, Realizes Online Troubles

Sony's online efforts on the PlayStation 2 were painfully amateur, reminding me of the old story that Microsoft belatedly bolted internet support onto Windows 95. By comparison, Xbox Live showed that Microsoft was playing the long-term game, setting a stage for the much improved, commercialized service on the Xbox 360.

Today I see a report on Next Generation that Sony is surveying the gaming press on what they expect in an online service. The whole thing reads like "What parts of Xbox Live should we copy?" Microsoft should be flattered.

Against my inclinations, I'll give Microsoft their due: Xbox Live sounds like a great service. More to their credit, they've commercialized the blasted thing and made it more desirable at the same time. Just look at the top sellers on Xbox Live Arcade: stuff like Geometry Wars, Gauntlet, Smash TV, Mutant Storm Reloaded, and Joust. What's really keen about those classic arcade games is that you can play online co-op with friends, which sounds like a real blast. It doesn't help that my Xbox 360-owning friends keep telling me how Geometry Wars is like a modern Robotron: 2084. And I haven't seen a demo of any game on any platform make as big a splash as I've seen with the Fight Night Round 3 downloadable demo.

If Sony makes a Fall 2006 launch of the PlayStation 3, and that's by no means certain, they're going to fight a battle more important than getting systems to retailers and a stable of worthy games. They're going to get hit with Microsoft's biggest gun, Halo 3 in downloadable demo form.

See, it's one thing to get the big magazines and websites talking about Halo 3 in previews. It will be another thing altogether when over a million Xbox 360 owners download a Halo 3 demo, invite friends over to play, and set online forums afire with post after post of gushing praise. Sure, Halo 3 could bomb and sink the Xbox 360 like a second coming of Virtua Fighter for the Sega Saturn. More likely it will blow our collective socks off with flashy graphics and stick closely enough its tried-and-true gameplay to pass muster with the average user. What's going to be louder? A dozen well-paid articles on the coming of the PlayStation 3 or literally millions of monkeys banging away on their keyboards about the most important demo since shareware Quake?

And if Sony runs into hardware delays, has a cruddy starting lineup, or misses the Fall 2006 season...well, it just won't be pretty. So, I'm sticking with the gist of this older post: Sony's screwed.

Labels: microsoft, xbox360

--jvm at 19:58

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You lost me at "400 monkeys"

GameSpot's review of Ape Escape 3 for the PlayStation 2 starts off with this tagline:

Ape Escape 3 proves that more of the same isn't always a bad thing.

The summary clarifies:

The Good: 400 crazy monkeys to catch; ...

It's the Wal-mart Sam's Club theory of videogame design: if a box of 12 frozen bean burritos for a low price is good, then a box of 1,200 frozen bean burritos must be 100 times better.

The final score is 8.2 (Great).

--jvm at 20:56

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NPR text adventure gamer unmasked

Last week I noted that a variant of "maze of twisty little passages" appeared in an NPR story by David Kestenbaum. It turns out Kestenbaum plays text adventure games, and thought that line fit perfectly into the story of online map services gone awry. Here's the email I received after inquiring through a friend:

Hey there,

[Someone at NPR] pointed out your post about the Colossal Cave line in the story about online driving directions. I wish the story were that some menacing troll on the copy desk had slipped the line it, but it was completely my idea. (We don't actually have a copy desk.) It occurred to me while I was interviewing Jacob Sisk for the first part of the story when he mentioned how tangled the roads were and how everyone got lost. It seemed a perfect line to drop in, since this was about mazes and computers. I don't think I told my editor. It just sailed on through...

[I got] the old Infocom game Deadline last week, which I had played as a kid but never completed. It's pretty great. I love how spare the whole thing is. You end up creating these great mental images in your head. A lot like radio actually...

dk

So there you go: mystery solved.

Kestenbaum tells me there aren't any other sly game references in his older reports. Too bad, although I'll keep my ears open in case he slips one into a future story.

--jvm at 20:22

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Eat that, capitalists!

This Press The Buttons post directed me to a Siliconera post about Game Quest Direct's reprinting of rare games. Apparently, this has some people upset. I can understand: I just sold three sealed copies of Final Fantasy VII for the PSOne on eBay for more than twice what they originally cost us to buy them from a local shop. I had no intention of playing those particular copies, true, but now I have money to buy a used copy and something else that tickles my fancy. If my little scheme had been busted by some outside agitator, well, I'd be a tiny bit sore and then I'd move on.

After all market value on these things is always volatile, and if you were speculating on games, you understood that. You got caught out? Thanks for your contribution to our capitalist world, brother. Better luck next time.

For my part, I'm going thank my lucky stars that GQD didn't have any copies of FF7 in stock these past few weeks and maybe use my hard earned eBay profits to get a brand new GBA copy of Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, now for the low-low price of $20.

One last note: I wish the Siliconera post pointed to some actual people who are upset with GQD. Without hard evidence, my tinfoil hat makes me think journaltisement.

--jvm at 19:41

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Hiding in Plain Sight

Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 2 has these little hints on the loading screen, one of which says "buy potions in town, since you'll need them in dungeons." Good advice, if you can find a freaking shop at all! I checked every open door in the whole town of Baldur's Gate and didn't find one.

Turns out, there is no shop, really. Rather, there is a dude standing in the streets of Baldur's Gate that acts as a shop. No icon on the map. No bubble over his head. No hints from NPCs. Nothing.

To the designer of that little feature, thanks for wasting my time.

--jvm at 20:46

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Jeepers, Mactax!

Regarding Neverwinter Nights as a way to approximate a modern SSI Gold Box game, it appears that Bioware makes the Windows version (usable with the GNU/Linux client) and MacSoft makes the MacOS version. So I have to buy one or the other...or both, if I'm feeling generous. I checked prices on Amazon:

Windows version is $6.98 new and $5.50 used.

Mac version is $37.95 new and $48.09 used.

(That's not a typo. There is currently one used copy of Mac NWN on Amazon and the seller wants more than a new copy.)

I was expecting a Windows/Mac combo like I got for Diablo II. Guess that's pretty much a Blizzard-only thing, eh?

Here's hoping the Mac games market really benefits from the move to Intel processors! (And I'm not talking what Cedega's done for GNU/Linux, either.)

--jvm at 19:52

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GameBoy Tetris, Still Good

Speaking of surreal games, I picked up the original GameBoy Tetris today for a couple of bucks. This is the first time I've played this classic version since that day 13 years ago when I sold my original GameBoy to pay the long distance phone bill I racked up calling my then-girlfriend-now-wife.

I'm happy to report that it's just as fun now as it was then.

--jvm at 23:56

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Surreal Games and Intelligent Qube

Someone else has probably already said this, but Intelligent Qube is reminiscent of the surreality of classic arcade games, like Robotron: 2084, BurgerTime, and I, Robot.

Each of these classic arcade games pits a humanoid protagonist against a hostile world filled with vaguely recognizable objects. Robotron has Mommy, Daddy, and Mikey walking amongst a field of robots, giant brains, and electrodes. BurgerTime has a chef making sandwiches by walking over the pieces while dodging giant hot dogs and egg. And I, Robot has, well, a robot dodging sharks and birds in space all under the disembodied, watchful eye of Big Brother.

And then there's Intelligent Qube. You play a guy who just happens to face an endless army of giant blocks rolling slowly toward you.

There's just enough sense in these games to suggest a deeper meaning, if only you could find the right angle. Electrodes, giant eggs, space sharks, and giant rolling cubes. What does it mean? Maybe it's a metaphor, or maybe it's just a game.

P.S. No, I still won't give you an ISO of Intelligent Qube.

--jvm at 23:00

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PAL Elite no like NTSC top-loader NES

Just in case anyone else was wondering, you can't play the UK version of Elite (a PAL game) on an NTSC top-loading NES. In fact, it looks broken just like what I see in NesterDC, with graphics corruption and misaligned sprites/background.

I'm sending the cartridge to Ruffin for testing on his NEX.

While it's off on that little trip, anyone want to give me a good line on finding an inexpensive, real PAL NES? I'm not looking for a clone, unless Ruffin's testing goes well...

--jvm at 17:43

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*Real* Games Journalism

Blah blah blah, New Games Journalism. Go do a Google search if you want to read about that tripe, and arguments about whether it is tripe or not tripe. Let's look at some real games journalism.

Today I saw something far more interesting than a dozen Escapist magazines or Insert Credit rambles or GameSpot Developer Interviews. Here, you can see it too: Top Gear - Playstation vs Real Life in a Honda/Acura NSX.

Some dude, presumably on a TV show about cars, compared Gran Turismo 4 (at least I think it's GT4) and real life. Same car, same track, but inside and outside of the game. I don't even care about Gran Turismo or fast cars that much, but I couldn't stop watching this guy try to beat his game time in real life. I didn't wonder if he was getting payola until long after I finished watching, which is more than I can say for most stuff I see in the videogame world's version of the Mainstream Media.

Maybe someone is already doing stuff like this on videogames. Maybe someone is doing independent, interesting reporting. Please show me where.

--jvm at 22:25

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Dungeon Crawl, Then and Now

I put out the moolah a few years ago for a complete, in-box copy of AD&D Pool of Radiance for the Commodore 64. A while back my brother lent me his copy of Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II for the PlayStation 2. Spent time with both last night, and felt a little dejected afterward. Neither one was satisfying, although I enjoyed the newer game more, overall.

Sure, they're not the same game. Pool of Radiance is all about managing party and combat minutiae, without a decent keyboard or mouse interface. Dark Alliance II is about hacking, slashing, and looting with a comfortable controller. One is too complex for its interface, while the other is too simple but easy to control. One has the depth of a full party, while the other is a loner's game.

I wish I had something between the two. Ideas? Especially from someone who's played any of the old SSI Gold Box AD&D RPGs?

--jvm at 21:26

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Paying the Piper

In a recent comment I said I wished for a legal way to play Two Tigers, an old arcade game from Bally Midway. I knew there was a Commodore 64 clone of it, called The Island of Dr. Destructo, which wasn't released in the U.S.

Now I own my very own original copy of The Island of Dr. Destructo, and I intend to play it any time I need a Two Tigers fix. In an emulator, of course.

--jvm at 23:14

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Ok, who slipped Colossal Cave into the news copy?

Today an NPR story called The Quest for Reliable Directions by David Kestenbaum about online map services had the following line:

Sisk admits that he lives in a complicated part of the city, a maze of twisty little roads, all alike.

Any gamer worth his salt recognizes the emphasized bit as a paraphrased famous line from Colossal Cave. Is Kestenbaum an adventure gamer? Did Sisk, the person mentioned in the story, use those words? Did someone else slip it in? Did the author know about, or even play, the famous game?

Anyway, hearing it was enough to wake me up during my morning commute. And it got me wondering whether the phrase "maze of twisty little [somethings] all alike" is a commonly used phrase that predates Colossal Cave.

--jvm at 20:24

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Worst Review I've Read This Year

That didn't take long, eh?

After 45 frustrating minutes with my newly-acquired Prince of Persia: Arabian Nights for the Dreamcast (not worth it), I browsed to see what reviewers had said back in the year 2000. I found this delightful review at IGN. Some choice nuggets:

Much like its 2D predecessors from the olden days, Arabian Nights places advanced puzzle solving over action to help build a brainier, meatier version a certain Indiana Jones wannabe.

Say what? I think you're missing an "of" there, dude. And I'm not sure that you get much meatier than Lara, but I'll let it slide.

Worshiping the visual power of the game's magical love bricks, I couldn't help but to grin for most of the adventure.

Love bricks? That explains the grin, I suppose.

Claiming the latest voucher for the elusive "just one more puzzle" syndrome that's reserved for only the top games in the genre, Arabian Nights manages to overcome its shortcomings. Allowing the whole to be worth infinitely more than its parts on a scale of sumo wrestler proportions. Concurrently while trying to seek out the perfect lever to unlock the umpteenth forbidden door.

Make. It. Stop.

Heavily backed by a moody and atmospheric soundtrack straight out of the Iron Sheik's personal collection (kudos to the sound team and its composers), and chalk [sic] full of puzzles, traps, and enemies, fans of games like Flashback, Out of this World, and the original Prince of Persia itself are in for a hell of a good time.

Those who aren't fans, however, will have to settle for this entertaining review. In the final summary, one last gem:

Graphics: I love the textures; some of the best bricks I've ever seen in a video game.

A little tip for all you game developers: good looking bricks gets you at least a 7.0 for your graphics score, and more if they're magical love bricks.

You know how we all suspect that there's payola involved in some game reviews? Is this review what happens when you don't pay your payola bill?

--jvm at 00:02

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Cathode Tan finally asks the question: XBox 360 Launch a Dud? It's bad news for Microsoft if this becomes the conventional wisdom. Just like the "Atari Jaguar is 64-bit by using two 32-bit processors", once ideas like this become established they can be nigh impossible to shake.

(For what it's worth, which ain't much, I recklessly suggested the Xbox 360 would be a flop right before the launch.

Now, you might also want to complain that I didn't get any of the right reasons, as cited by Cathode Tan's Josh. Fair enough. I would suggest that the lackluster launch games are hindering uptake of the new system, one of the issues Josh cites, and that was my primary complaint.)

There is an idea that I've seen a couple of times in headlines today that suggests that while the PlayStation 3 is rumored to be late, the Xbox 360 might have been rushed and therefore too early. I suggested a while back that Microsoft was abandoning the Xbox too soon, and I still think that might be the case. I realize they wanted to cash in on an uncontested Christmas and get a base before the other players were on the field, but it appears that competing with Murphy and his law might have got them anyway.

Imagine that Microsoft had pushed instead for one last holiday of really great Xbox titles, like Half-life 2. Given the rumors of struggling PlayStation 3 development, they could have been more than adequately prepared to take on Sony on face-to-face for Christmas 2006, landing a crushing blow on their toughest competitor. Or, if Sony missed 2006 making them really late, then Microsoft would be seen as stealing Sony's thunder.

Now, instead, Microsoft may be permanently hobbled, and possibly weak enough to be "Dreamcasted" by Sony.

Labels: microsoft, xbox360

--jvm at 11:57

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From the conclusion of a preview of Civilization III: Complete for the Mac at InsideMacGames.com:

Get Ready to Throw Down

I've barely scratched the surface here in terms of Civilization III: Complete's enhancements. The price of admission will definitely be worth it when the kids at Aspyr Media ship this title in the very near future.

I've already whined about previews before, I believe, and how they tend to be great opportunities for love-fests in the field of journaltainment we all know and love. Because a game's not done, every negative about the work can be written up to the tired excuse, "And we're sure Developer X will keep working on Problem Y," and the insane potential of each positive can be given more space than a two-page ad in the New York Times. I suppose I'm not ultimately anti-preview if the reader knows this bias going in, but I've got a few issues in this particular one.

The first is that the game's already out. Any previewer should know exactly what the game is going to do by booting Windows. While a preview generally says, "Here are some here-to-fore unseen advances in gameplay," there's really no such impetus here. Nor is there anything in the preview that talks much about Mac-specific jive. So why bother, other than the obvious answers -- and more importantly, why do it on 12/23?

The second is that the game's already out. Well, minus two expansions it is. The Mac has had Civilization 3, as the preview of this "new" version points out, for years. Why the game needed to be written from scratch (which it was on the Mac, which, to me, says on some level we possibly lost resources that could have ported another game -- is this really the most marketable game that could have been released?), much less why someone who owns the original must shell out for a brand new game, isn't covered.

The last is that I'd like to know how the previewer knows that the game, as the quote says, is going to be worth the dough it costs? How do we know it won't be seriously bugged? That every gamer needs LAN and Internet play? Seriously, how long does it take you to finish a game of Civ? Do you really want to play online? This ain't Madden.

Well, the very last is that this game costs $49.99 for Mac (amazon) and Civlization 4 is only $44 for PCs. It's a poorly run bait and switch in one sense -- Civ 4 hype is out, so Mac gamers get, well, a rehash of a game they got years ago to help them wait.

Glenda Adams, in an IMG update, finds herself battling like she's shipping a demo -- how do you hype one enough to get people excited without blasting the reason to shell out for the whole, or, in this case, new game?

Tuncer: Well, it's been a while since we did one of these [one-on-one interviews]. Can you give us an update on Civilization III Complete and Civilization IV?

Glenda: Civ 3 Complete is all finished and should be in stores this week, and for sale at Macworld next week. It has a crazy amount of content for the price, quite a value. Civ 4 is still in the middle of its development schedule. I took advantage of the long New Year's weekend to install Civ 4 on my PC at home and proceeded to play way too late. It's a great game, really captures the feel of the series but with a very slick 3D engine. The amount of detail you can see in the world when you zoom all the way in is impressive.

Civ 3 Complete is "quite a value"? For whom? By what measure? Civ 4 is half-way through development and we can't wait? And still no Half-Life? ;^) As Flavor Flav would say (with a small apology from me for the edit), "You want one-hundred dollars for what?"

Maybe this is simply sour grapes over the state of Mac gaming, yet again, but I wish, in this case at least, we could have less journaltainment -- journaltisement? -- and more journalism. Is anyone looking into the why behind Civ 3 Complete for Mac, from timing to rewriting? Or are our "news" outlets just making sure we're hyped enough to buy whatever Aspyr has to sell us today?

So as usual, buy used books, get your games at Ambrosia, and when you're riding your bike at night, always, always wear white.

--ruffin at 11:24

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Katamari Damacy: Seen It, Done for Good

Played Katamari Damacy and finished it. In a nutshell, you roll a ball around various landscapes, debris adheres to it, and eventually you turn the ball of junk into a star. Repeat while listening to an upbeat score by a Japanese Hooray for Everything (reference).

Apparently this was enough for most people to give it high scores. I think it's a one-and-a-half trick pony. That is, sticky ball is fun and the ball gets really big. Neat idea, but once I've done it a few times, I don't really find myself caring to go back and visit anymore. Look, I am all for some new game ideas, but I'm not going to mistake simplicity for profundity and babble on for 2,000 words just because a game's different.

Anyway, I checked the usual suspects to see what they said. Here are some review quotes that leave me shaking my head.

Katamari Damacy has a formidable amount of replay value, though, simply because the whole experience is so much fun, and each level is so crammed with tiny details that you don't feel like you've seen it all just by playing through it once. --GameSpot review

I'm sorry, "formidable replay value"? There is nothing like that here. New 3D models of junk? Faster goal completion? Larger finishing radius? This is interesting?

And the audio? The audio's more of a 10 and a 10. It's not the most technically brilliant collection of scores ever devised, but not since Mario created its everlasting tune have we heard tracks so catchy and so genuine. -- IGN review

Not even Parappa? Castlevania: Symphony of the Night? Metal Gear Solid? There are plenty of games I'll remember the music to before I remember Katamari Damacy. Maybe you guys just played this game a bit too much?

Still, you're left wanting more. -- GameSpy review

I think this reviewer meant "I want more of the same thing". That's crazy. That's like saying "After one game of Tic-Tac-Toe I was left wanting more [games of Tic-Tac-Toe]".

I'm left wanting more, that's for sure, but it's not more of this game. I'm done.

--jvm at 14:33

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Embrace the Net

You may have heard that 73 Toys R Us stores are closing around the country. Toy and game nuts are rushing local stores to see if they can catch some good deals as their local TRU vomits clearanced merchandise and then dies. Currently people are piecing together reports on which stores are going down and what kind of deals might be had.

Now, I don't know what kind of prices we'll see on games, but I've been wondering why more shops don't use our global network to drive people to their brick-and-mortar stores. Maybe the margins on games are already too thin or the price controls set by game companies are too rigid, but here's the idea.

Say you've been selling a game for $50 and you aren't moving enough copies anymore to justify holding on to your remaining stock. You could blow it out at $20 and get people as they trickle in by random or let places like Cheap Ass Gamer figure it out on their own. But it strikes me as a better move to just drop the price not so much, but below whatever the competition is offering, then actively put out the word that you need to move remaining stock. The CAG people will probably soak up a good bit of your stock, and if you lure them to your retail stores then you'll also pick up some other impulse buys while they're there. Moreover, from my own life, a better online experience translates into a higher likelihood of visiting physical stores. (I'm thinking EB Games and Target, specifically. YMMV.)

The key is to tell everyone you can that you have dropped the price, are undercutting the competition, and want them to get in on the deal by stopping in the store.

Sure, a lot of the real skinflints aren't going to jump. But there are a ton of people out there, myself included, who would love to get official word on price drops at my local stores. Even if it's just a $10 cut in a $50 game, that's often enough, especially if it's a game like Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories. If I spot a DVD I want in your store, well, that's what you wanted anyway.

And if you're having a big clearance, then that's even better. Set a fire on the 'net, feed it with details, and let the "good deal" sites do their thing. It's just silly to make people compile lists on forums gleaned from multiple trips to retail locations. More information on good deals will mean more people headed to your store.

Give us the information, and if your deal is worthwhile, we will be there. It doesn't have to be extraordinary like the $5 game deal like Circuit City had a while back. Rather, it needs to be enough to justify my instinct for finding lower priced games just down the street.

--jvm at 15:17

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Blizzard is ready for Mactel. Minimum sys req page: 933 MHz or higher G4, or G5, or Intel processor.

And with this, I'll try to refrain from WoW related posts for a week. ;^)

--ruffin at 22:57

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GBA TRON 2.0 as TRON Arcade

As noted last week, TRON 2.0: Killer App for GBA has simulations (or are they emulations?) of the original TRON and Discs of TRON. I slipped Bezos a tenner just so I could try out the arcade games, and got my goods today.

The arcade games are accessible immediately: no unlocking required. The gameplay seems accurate and mostly enjoyable. It's definitely better for me on a GameBoy Player, with the larger screen and GameCube controller. The simulation of TRON seems pretty spot-on; I've never played Discs of TRON until tonight.

I'd definitely have liked these games better on a system with an analog control to handle what was handled by a paddle on the original machines. I find the GameCube's shoulder buttons feel better than the GBA's buttons. The worst parts, by far, are the graphics. The blue-on-black text and line graphics aren't suited to the GBA screen, and only do modestly better on a TV screen. It's also unfortunate that the original's tall screen has been squished onto the GBA's wide screen. Fortunately, this doesn't hinder gameplay.

I'll go ahead and recommend it.

--jvm at 18:34

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GameDAILY on GameTap: Gimme, Gimme, Gimme

Shorter version of GameDAILY's take on GameTap (by Dan Matkowsky):

I want every game ever made playing bug-free on my PC for less than $15 a month. And I want it now.

Good luck with that, buddy.

Look, I'm just as happy to beat up GameTap as anyone else, but Matkowsky throws a lot of criticism at things that are largely unavoidable while missing the biggest drawback of the GameTap service.

He complains about download times. As someone who's dealt with load times since the Commodore 1541 floppy disk drive, I can tell you there are worse things. (Those who dealt with the C2N tape drive are hardened even further. Poor souls.) And his PlayStation 2 Dual Shock controller didn't work with the PC version of Splinter Cell. Heavens!

Or the fact that not every game he wants is on GameTap already. If they were going to wait until they had everything, we'd be waiting forever. They've already got games you can't get elsewhere, for crying out loud, like Zaxxon. GameTap's value is in what they have, and isn't diminished by whatever random game from 15 years ago that you can't find anymore.

And I don't know what to make of his non-denial denial of ROM mongering. This bit strikes me as a bit of a wink-wink-nudge-nudge:

As you can see throughout this review, GameTap has some definite shortcomings, but if you're a parent who's absolutely jonesin' for some old school gaming and you want to stay on the straight and narrow, you don't have many legal options.

Oh, sure, you could drive around, searching for restaurants and bars that have a few old arcade cabinets collecting dust in the corner. Or you could head back to your favorite high school hangout to see if your initials are still at the top of the Frogger leader board. Strictly your call.

I'd rather point out that Frogger is available for about a dozen platforms, one of which you probably already own. And the games that he can't get? Here they are:

However, as much as I love Zaxxon, it would also be nice to see some of my other favorites like Star Wars, Tron, Track & Field, Time Pilot and Dragon's Lair.

Other than Zaxxon, which he got through GameTap, all of those games are available in emulated or (excellent) ported form legally. Just check here, here, or here. Granted, you have to shell out for the hardware and software, but that's how the world works, people.

Why isn't it obvious that some games simply demand a premium to play them? Isn't this true of other goods and services? Food, cars, furniture, even sporting events and theater performances. What's the disconnect here?

Finally, I think the huge, huge flaw in GameTap is never touched on in this GameDAILY piece: you can't buy the games through the service. It would be great to own a playable version of Zaxxon, but you have to pay GameTap for the privilege, and that's what really stinks about their service. I'd rather pay more and get a permanent copy that I own than have to shell out more money every month I want to get my Zaxxon fix.

--jvm at 13:54

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Bad News: Bubble Bobble goes 3D

According to Eurogamer, a the classic game Bubble Bobble is going to get an update, called Bubble Bobble Evolution, moving the game from 2D to 3D. Here's an important bit:

"We wanted to bring something new to Bubble Bobble beyond a straightforward 3D update. With the PSP, we have its raw power and we've channeled that into creating a deeper, more complex take on the Bubble Bobble concept," said producer Tony Byus.

Brilliant. I emphasized the brilliant part, in case you missed it. There's one thing that always makes classic arcade games better, and that's making them deeper and more complex! How complex? Like this:

[T]he level structure of the game has changed. Instead you will see three screens on a central "spindle" and you'll be able to jump between them whenever you like.

Maybe the reporter botched the description, but this does not sound intuitive, nor does it sound terribly fun. More:

"This isn't Bubble Bobble as fans of the series are used to. This is an entirely new game and with these puzzle elements included, it is literally an evolution of the original game design concept."

Good luck with that.

Naturally, I'll hold final judgment until I play the actual game (domestic or import), but this reminds me of the needless royal screwing that Konami has given the Castlevania series. Konami's made four straight 3D Castlevania games on consoles and every one of them is a stinker. The 2D games on Nintendo handhelds, by comparison, have gotten better and better with each new release.

Look, it's not that 2D game concepts can't go 3D. They can. Tomb Raider is essentially Prince of Perisa in three dimensions. That worked. Going from Gex to Gex 3D turned out well too. From Gauntlet to Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance? Also a great evolution. And Grand Theft Auto moved to (full) 3D and turned out better than the original, if I may be so bold.

But this isn't true of every game type. Worms is great, but Worms 3D is crap. Defender and Robotron? Good in 2D, not so much in 3D. And I bet Earthworm Jim wishes he'd stayed a 2D platformer instead of ending his career in Earthworm Jim 3D (again, except for 2D games on handhelds).

I hope Bub and Bob know what they're doing. I sure don't have a positive vibe on this new game, but maybe they'll pull it off.

Labels: nintendo

--jvm at 00:26

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Mute Italian Plumber Preferred

I liked Mario more before he started opening his big yap.

In Mario vs. Donkey Kong he's noisy just like he is in Super Mario 64. Back when he was only known as Jumpman or running around the sewers with his brother Luigi, he played a strong silent type. I respected that.

Now you can't shut him up. He's always exclaiming, in his caricature Italian accent, "Let's a-go!" or "Momma mia!" It's downright awful.

--jvm at 00:09

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Xbox 360 HD DVD Drive Image Leaked

Today Microsoft announced an external HD DVD drive for the Xbox 360. A secret photo of the drive has gotten out, however. Apparently, Microsoft leaks more than the NSA. Here you go:
Can't wait to get my hands on this baby. Sewer Shark Zero: Underground, here I come!

Labels: microsoft, xbox360

--jvm at 12:09

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Saw an ad on mapquest.com today asking me to take a trial run through World of Warcraft, obviously not realizing how much gold, ur, simoleons, um, US dollars I've already plunked into their coffers. I was interested to see if there weren't some sorts of limitations to make the download a little smaller, as the retail version is several gigs and takes quite a while to update/patch after installation.

Here's what I was able to find about limitations on gameplay in the WoW trial:

from a messageboard post retrieved via Google Cache:
'During the trial period, characters on the promotional accounts will be able to advance up to level 20 and accumulate up to 10 gold. Use of the auction house and mailbox, player-to-player trade, and access to the in-game chat channels will be unavailable for the duration of the 14-day trial period.'

Definitely some heavy restrictions on the two week trial.

Pretty hefty, yet not nearly so bad as, say, the limitations on basketball game demos that come with NCAA for PS2, where you can only play as one of two teams or so -- though in the case of basketball, a game yet to be adequately represented on any system, admittedly that's enough I won't be padding their accounts' linings. Which brings me to my point: Demos walk a fine line. How do you hold back enough that people still feel like shelling out when they're done, yet give enough to hook them?

In any event, and I believe the trial is Windows only, if you have a Windows box and haven't given WoW a shot, get a free weekend and give the trial a try. It's not quite as open to "subversive gameplay" as Ultima Online was/is so you'll have to like pretty plain jane fantasy fare, but for free, well, definitely worth trying if only to see what captivates those who are playing. The FAQ for the trial mentions that your character is permanently saved, so even if you don't decide to pay to play today, it'll be around in case the bug ever does bite.

Okay, I hate it when game sites have love-fests for games. Not sure I can review WoW impartially, somewhat like my problem with Sandra Bullock movies (Practical Magic was still horrible, but now I'm shamefully digressing), but it is, by all accounts, a pretty interesting game. For today, I just wanted to document trial limitations, which, in my opinion, is a pretty facinating topic. How do you let people play enough to get hooked, without making a demo that eliminates the desire to buy the game?

--ruffin at 13:18

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Abe Vigoda nears immortal status

Abe Vigoda, famous for his roles in The Godfather and Barney Miller, has turned the tables on The Abe Vigoda Death Watch. Here he is appearing in the upcoming Godfather game by Electronic Arts. Click to see him in all his glory.

If this game makes it to market, then a living, breathing, talking, bug-eyed, corpse-textured Abe Vigoda will be with us for the ages. In 10 years our kids will see him live again by playing pirated ISO ripz of The Godfather on their Xbox 360 emulators.

Take that, Death!

--jvm at 23:11

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Atari 2600 Graphics Quiz

What are the things pictured below? What commercial games are they from? All images cropped from screenshots in AtariAge's archive.

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--jvm at 20:45

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What's with the S in GTA:LCS?

Why did Rockstar choose the name Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories for their PSP game? In particular, why Stories? According to the game's internal stats, I've completed 31% of the game and I've seen nothing differentiating the storylines in this game from GTA3, Vice City, or San Andreas. It's still just a bunch of mission set-ups with foul-mouthed blather. (Admittedly, at least one line is unforgettable.)

Perhaps it's just that GTA:LCS is filling in the stories behind the characters we see in GTA3? Seems flimsy. I would say that it's just some trifle tossed off by the marketing department, but as I suspect Ruffin would remind me, Rockstar is pretty self-aware about how it presents itself to the public.

--jvm at 13:37

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Thoughts: Mario vs. Donkey Kong

For Christmas this year I got Mario vs. Donkey Kong for the GameBoy Advance. In brief, Donkey Kong steals a bunch of toys called Mini Marios and Mario goes through various platformer puzzles to get them all back. Essentially, the first world, consisting of eight levels, could be straight out of Donkey Kong for the GameBoy. There are only two substantive differences from the older game: a part leading the Mini Marios to a big box, Lemmings-style, and colored buttons which toggle on/off parts of the level. Otherwise, updates are minimal: graphics that look ripped out of Donkey Kong Country, better sounds and music, and large, colorful, static pictures used to explain the simple story.

The puzzles are anything but challenging so far. The story isn't anything to care about. What I've seen so far is competent, and fine for passing time, but it isn't knocking my socks off.

One curious feature in the menus: a GameBoy Player (for GameCube) graphics mode. I'll try to check this out on my GBP tomorrow, but the only difference I can see is that the graphics, in particular the backgrounds, are more muted when in GameBoy Player mode. Anyone have more ideas on what this is doing? I'm hoping for a custom border around the GBP screen or something, like the original Donkey Kong for GameBoy when played on the Super GameBoy on SNES.

--jvm at 23:21

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