Phillip Levin's Blog: Opinionated

iPhone, iPad Apps Reviews at 148apps.com

2011-02-18T21:10:00.000-08:00

I am now a reviews editor at 148apps.com. You can find all of my reviews published on the site here.

E3 2010 Nintendo Press Roundtable Liveblog

2010-06-22T17:23:00.000-07:00

This article was originally published on GamePro.com.

Nintendo held its annual E3 press roundtable in Los Angeles, California today. On hand at the event were Shigeru Miyamoto, Eiji Aonuma, Hideki Konno and Bill Trinnen to discuss the company's E3 presence.

The event began with the three game designers discussing several of the 3D remakes that were announced for the 3DS at Nintendo's Media Briefing this morning. Miyamoto also confirmed that The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is being brought to the 3DS.

Steel Driver was also mentioned, which, turns out, has been in development for six years. It originally showed up at E3 2006 as a tech demo for the DS. Miyamoto noted how the game was far along in development on DS, but once Nintendo came to the team with the idea of 3D, they felt it was right to bring it to the new DS instead. Star Fox 3DS was also talked about briefly. Miyamoto said that as soon as Nintendo came up with the idea of 3D DS, he wanted to see how Star Fox and 3D would mix.

Continue reading at GamePro

Video Game Industry Examiner, Examiner.com

2010-02-23T22:32:00.000-08:00

I'm now freelance blogging for The Examiner. You can find my blog, which consists mostly of news coverage of the game industry, here.

Forza 3 Review

2009-11-15T12:02:00.000-08:00

This article was originally published on The Escapist.

For years, Gran Turismo has served as the king of the racing simulation genre. But with the birth of Microsoft's Forza series, Polyphony Digital encountered a serious competitor. The original Forza might have fallen short of Gran Turismo, but with each iteration, the franchise is coming closer and closer to de-throning the iconic PlayStation racing sim. Indeed, Forza 3 is the best installment in Turn 10 Studio's series yet.

Graphics may not be the most important aspect of a game, but when it comes to a racing simulator, they're integral. Forza 3 looks even better than its predecessor; with better lighting, textures, more realistic car models and picturesque courses. However, the game doesn't look outrageously better than its predecessor. There are improvements, but they appear minor overall. For example, when it comes to vehicle damage, graphically, things haven't advanced much, which is a little disappointing.

Continue reading at The Escapist

DiRT 2 Review

2009-10-03T01:41:00.000-07:00

This article was originally published on The Escapist.

Codemaster's Dirt 2 delivers more of the same stuff that made the original Dirt an immediately enjoyable racer when it released in 2007.

The sequel builds on the work that Codemasters did on the Colin McRae Rally series. The first thing you'll notice is that, like its predecessor, Dirt 2 employs one of the coolest, most cinematic menu systems out there. Rather than just scrolling up and down a boring menu, you walk around your trailer and the surrounding area outside it.

Continue reading at The Escapist

The Future of Resident Evil

2009-05-10T14:46:00.000-07:00

This article was originally published on The Escapist.

After many years of "tank" controls, static camera angles and increasingly formulaic gameplay, Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami knew it was time to reboot his franchise, so he and his team built Resident Evil 4 from the ground-up. The studio axed the controls, camera angles, nonsensical puzzles and even the iconic zombies that had populated the franchise from the beginning, and fans welcomed the sweeping changes with praise.

Continue reading at The Escapist.

Why DLC and Single-Player Don't Mix

2009-03-26T21:21:00.000-07:00

This article was originally published on The Escapist.

In five years, if you ask gamers what made this generation of consoles stand out, you'll probably get an answer like, "High-def gaming, duh." But there's a less obvious, smarter answer: downloadable content. Indeed, the growth of broadband around the world has made it possible for studios to release a wide array of patches, extras, expansions and other downloadable content for their games months after shipping. True, PC gamers have had access to this kind of content long before this generation. But for console gamers at least, the Xbox360/PlayStation/Wii generation has signaled the advent of downloadable content.

Read more at The Escapist.

The Problem with Fallout 3: Operation Anchorage

2009-02-10T14:30:00.001-08:00

Fallout 3 is a fantastic, captivating game. I consider it tied with Grand Theft Auto IV for Game of the Year 2008, in fact. When just a few short weeks after its release, Bethesda announced that it would be delivering three DLC installments for the game in early 2009, I was surprised and delighted. Having finished Fallout 3, I couldn't wait to get back to life in "post-apocalyptia," as Three Dog calls it. And, without delay, the first of the Fallout 3 DLC, Operation Anchorage, has arrived. But unfortunately, it's not what it could have been. It's actually an overpriced letdown, straying from the tried-and-true Bethesda formula.

With Operation Anchorage, it seems that Bethesda has forgotten what makes its games such absorbing and enjoyable experiences: story. In this sense, Operation Anchorage is an unfortunate departure from the design that made Fallout 3 a winner. Operation Anchorage is filled with hall after hall of enemy encounters, which means you spend most of your time in VATS or outside of it, exposed to the game's subpar FPS gunplay.

As impressive as Fallout 3 is, it is not so because of its shooting segments. Rather, it is the quests, dialogue and overall story that propel you through subway tunnel after subway tunnel. In fact, the gunplay in Fallout 3 is easily the title's weakest facet. But with the lack of dialogue and story in Operation Anchorage, the weak shooting mechanics are left to stand on their own merits, and the harsh truth that Fallout 3 is not a very good shooter becomes unavoidable. First-person shooters, such as the Call of Duty or Halo, can entertain by employing Bungie's famous "30 seconds of fun" blueprint. These games are designed around gunplay and few do it better. Fallout 3, meanwhile, succeeds in different categories -- storytelling, atmosphere and its role-playing mechanics. Fallout 3 is an RPG first and a shooter second. When you drastically scale back the RPG mechanics, you're left with a somewhat awkward, clunky shooter.

Thankfully, Bethesda has two other installments planned as far as Fallout 3 DLC goes, so it can redeem itself. With these releases, titled The Pitt and Broken Steel, the studio would do well to focus its design around NPC interaction, dialogue and non-linear quests, rather than straight-up action and shooting. Of course, some action is fine. VATS, in particular, is a satisfying and ultimately likable system. But neither VATS nor gunplay in general should be the star of the show.

Considering what we know about The Pitt and Broken Steel, I think there's hope. The former takes players to a raider town in Pittsburgh, which seems like an ideal setting to resurrect more dialogue-driven gameplay. Meanwhile, Broken Steel expands upon the main storyline in Fallout 3 and, specifically, the story of the Brotherhood of Steel. Again, a perfect setting for a return to more story-focused gameplay.

Of course, there's always the possibility that a game like Fallout 3, which has a slow pace and takes hours to really become engaged in, isn't suited for short DLC releases. Maybe the Oblivion: Shivering Isles approach is the way to go. But I don't think anyone wants to hear that. Gamers want more Fallout 3, and they want it right away. I can't blame them.

The 14 Best Pre-order Bonuses

2009-02-05T18:53:00.000-08:00

This article was originally published on GamePro.com.

Ah, the pre-order bonus. Just about every gamer has encountered the often lackluster but occasionally awesome pre-order incentive. To entice gamers to pre-order a game, publishers or retailers often give away a freebie of some kind. The game industry has seen many pre-order deals, most of which are forgettable. But there have been quite a few noteworthy pre-order bonuses too.

Our criteria for the consideration an item was simple -- it had to be offered as a pre-order incentive, either by the publisher or by a large retailer, and it had to be an item (not a price discount). There have been countless pre-order deals over the decades -- but these are the sweetest ones.

Read the full thing at GamePro.

Need For Speed: Let it Rest

2009-01-30T23:59:00.000-08:00

Does the world really need three separate Need For Speed games in one year? No. Apparently, though, EA thinks we need four.

EA recognizes that the Need For Speed series is stale, and "stale" to EA means "reboot time." I think that, just maybe, EA should give the racer a break. We've had yearly installments in the franchise for years now, and gamers just haven't been thrilled with Need For Speed for a while now. The best solution is to stop making Need For Speed games -- either for a couple of years or indefinitely. No reboot. Gamers are tired of the series. (At least I am.) Give it a rest.

Yes, there is indeed a time for every series to come to an end. Frankly, Need For Speed probably should have ended a couple of years ago. The quality of the series has steadily decreased in recent years and its selling power isn't what it used to be. EA refuses to accept this, and instead, the publisher wants to maximize any revenue that can be had from the brand.

"The motivation was purely driven by our understanding of racing gamers and their desire to experience different kinds of racing games. I would say that our strategy is the inverse of milking; it is an intentionally non-traditional approach," said EA's Keith Munro.

EA's strategy is a clever business model. It is targeting different audiences -- four, to be exact -- and using an established name to maximize the chances of hooking those audiences. Simultaneously, this approach is shameless and, well, it irks me.

By the way, it's hardly the "inverse of milking." The opposite of milking the NFS franchise would be EA creating four brand new racers, each with its own focus and license.

What EA is doing is definitionally milking.

In closing, let me respond to this:

"We took a consumer-first approach and spoke with the fans about what they would like from their Need for Speed."

If it's really "consumer-first," then it'll be priced accordingly.

I guess we'll see in time.

Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts Bombs -- And Deservedly

2009-01-28T20:32:00.000-08:00

NPD Group has revealed that Rare's vehicle-heavy Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts has essentially tanked, selling a severely disappointing 140,000 units between its November 11, 2008 release date and the end of 2008.

I wasn't big on Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts from the moment it was announced last summer. I have no problem with the idea of a vehicular platformer, which is what I like to call Nuts & Bolts, but Rare should have never shoehorned the Banjo IP into the concept. Frankly, whoring Banjo in this fashion is an insult to all who adored the Banjo titles on N64. I loved the old Banjo games, and I want another one -- a real installment, though.

I don't particularly like it when Nintendo prostitutes Mario, whether he's forced to party or play golf, but it's just cowardly to take what is obviously a fresh idea and slap a well-known name on it, hoping it'll help sell the game. To me, Rare has always been a studio that has produced new IPs. And I love new IPs. Nuts & Bolts should have been presented as a new franchise -- not a branching off of the Banjo series. Let the bear platform on his own two feet. He's happy enough doing that.

And while I don't take issue with the concept of Nuts & Bolts -- platforming + vehicles -- I do take issue with the clunky execution of it.

I'm glad it didn't sell well. Maybe this will send a message to Rare and Microsoft.

Another Casualty of the Slowing Economy -- This Time Gamerscore

2009-01-22T21:41:00.000-08:00

Sadly, it seems that yet another group of hardworking people have been hurt by the deteriorating economy. Microsoft had already announced that it would be closing its Gamerscore blog, but until now, we didn't really know what that meant for the staff in charge of running the blog. I had assumed that since Microsoft didn't outright say that it was laying off the Gamerscore team, that meant it would be moving them into other work at the company -- such as providing content for Xbox.com itself. However, that's not the case. Gamerscore is done, and its staff have been laid off.

By no means is this the only group of people who have suddenly found themselves jobless in a rough economy. But it doesn't make the situation any less sad. Chris Paladino, who worked on the Gamerscore blog, is a truly nice guy, and I wish him nothing but the best of luck. Chris, you've always been friendly and helpful to me. I thank you for that. I don't know any of the other Gamerscore guys, but I also wish them the best.

It doesn't ease the pain, but if any of the Gamerscore guys are reading this, know this: you're not alone. I was recently laid off after running Kombo for several years and am now job-hunting, and there are many others going through the same thing. Sometimes there's morbid comfort to be found in knowing that there are other human beings going through similar challenges and pain as you.

Some of My Published Work

2009-01-22T17:54:00.000-08:00

On this page, you'll find links to some of my published work. Over the years, I've written hundreds of articles, so this is in no way a complete collection. But these are some of my favorite articles.

At the top of each article, you'll find a link to the original version, wherever it was published. I highly recommend that you follow the link to see the original version, which will have images and formatting that I have not carried over to this blog.

Kombo Editor's Top 10 Games of 2008

2009-01-22T16:02:00.000-08:00

This article was originally published on Kombo. You can find the published version here.

In early January, we'll be posting our Best & Worst of 2008 awards, but before we do that, we've got an appetizer for you. We've rounded up some of our editors and asked them to list their top 10 favorite games of 2008, as well as share their overall thoughts on the year. Keep reading to see what our team's personal top 10 lists look like.

Phillip's Top 10 of 2008

Phillip Levin, Editor-in-Chief

Grand Theft Auto IV
Fallout 3
Gears of War 2
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Braid
Fable 2
LittleBigPlanet
Prince of Persia
Mirror's Edge
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

Having had some more time to think about it, I've decided 2008 wasn't quite as good as 2007. Titles like Super Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime 3, BioShock, Halo 3 and Call of Duty 4 make the previous year superior. That said, 2008 was still a truly great year to be a gamer. We've seen some major releases on all platforms, although I'd say that Xbox 360 had the best year and Wii had the worst. The year was also impressive for downloadable titles, with XBLA, PSN and WiiWare all having solid releases. In fact, this is the first year that I've included an XBLA title in my top 10, so that's saying something. Another nice thing about 2008 was the launch of Netflix on Xbox 360, which I've been using regularly since it launched. However, as great as the year was overall, there was no definitive Game of the Year, in my opinion. If forced to choose, I'd pick GTA IV, and that's what I've done. Admittedly, it has its own problems, but I had the most fun playing GTA IV, and that's why I've given it my number-one pick.

Brad's Top 10 of 2008

Brad Hilderbrand, Editorials/Features Director

Fallout 3
Rock Band 2
LittleBigPlanet
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of Patriots
Guitar Hero World Tour
Chrono Trigger DS
Fable 2
God of War: Chains of Olympus
Lost Odyssey
Boom Blox

2008 was a good, but not particularly great year for the gaming industry. Sure, there were a lot of hot games to come out, but nearly all of them were sequels or remakes, and very few IPs managed to rise to the top. Those that did garner some attention, like LittleBigPlanet and Mirror's Edge, only serve to draw more attention to the fact that the industry needs to keep focusing on the new ideas rather than continuously pumping out "safe" games that make money but don't bring anything new to the table. 2009 has some bright prospects with games like Ghostbusters, Brutal Legend and inFamous primed to show off the power of a new franchise, let's just hope that's a sign of things to come. I hope every developer and publisher's New Year's resolution is to focus on coming up with fresh ideas and start reminding us why we fell in love with gaming all over again.

Ryan's Top 10 of 2008

Ryan Olsen, Reviews Director

LittleBigPlanet
God of War: Chains of Olympus
Mirror's Edge
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of Patriots
Soulcalibur IV
Valkyria Chronicles
Patapon
Red Alert 3
PixelJunk Monsters
Fracture

This year there are far more than 10 games that I could say are my top games. I would put money down that this year is much better than last year in terms of quality, originality and fun. There are only ten games listed but believe me when I say that I could type a list ten pages long full of games that I really enjoyed this year. The only regret that I have this year is that I didn’t get to play too much Wii. I’m eagerly waiting for January so I can catch up on the growing back log of games and other titles I wanted to play more.

Matt Furtado's Top 10 of 2008

Matt Furtado, Senior News Editor

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of Patriots
LittleBigPlanet
Fable 2
Valkyria Chronicles
Gears of War 2
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Resistance 2
Disgaea 3
God of War: Chains of Olympus
The World Ends With You

Unlike 2007, 2008 offered a wider range of sequels for gamers to engage themselves in. With titles like Smash Bros. Brawl kicking off the New Year, you knew 2008 was going to have a lot of heavy hitters in it. Gamers worldwide anticipated the launch of sequels to their favorite games and many of them delivered and some fell short. With amazing titles like Metal Gear Solid 4, Gears of War 2, and Fable 2, sequel hungry gamers got their fill. However, 2008 also offered a number of original titles such as LittleBigPlanet and Valkyria Chronicles.

Now, at the year's end, we can look back at all the amazing games released and really take in the truly amazing experiences we have encountered throughout 2008. We saw Sony pulling out their big titles, Home, and pushing to become the hardware of 2008. While they did make improvements over 2007, Sony didn’t cater to gamers as strongly as they would have liked and failed to move a lot of systems. Nintendo released their main titles in the first and second quarter then abandoned everyone and started to shift their focus for 2009. Microsoft kept a steady flow of new titles throughout the year but didnHa’t release anything “Wow” until the fall. For many, Gears of War 2 disappointed in the online multiplayer department, but no one will deny the amazing single-player experience. In the end, I don’t think any game has or will captivate gamers as much as Metal Gear Solid 4. Ending the saga of Solid Snake, Metal Gear Solid 4 was the ultimate parting gift from Hideo Kojima to his loyal fans. Goodbye 2008, we’ll miss you.

David's Top 10 of 2008

David Oxford, Senior News Editor

Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Bionic Commando Rearmed
Mega Man 9
No More Heroes
Mario Kart Wii
Galaga Legions
MegaMan Star Force 2
Wii Fit
Animal Crossing: City Folk
Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3

Writing about my favorite games of the year? Who could pass up such a fun gig? Not me, that's for sure. Especially as I'm under orders to do so.

2008 has been a pretty good year for video games. The problem is... I've gotten to play so very precious few of them, so my "Top 10 Games of 2008" is probably going to appear a little... unorthodox compared to those of my contemporaries. I don't often get to splurge on games, largely because Phil pays me in money-off coupons...

...the only problem is, they're HIS local coupons, which do me no good in a place where no one knows what a Carl Jr's is. So I just have to use them to make fires so I can keep warm in the cold winter months. That is, when I don't want to play my Xbox 360.

So, I had to double-check and make sure I even got to play 10 games from 2008. Sure, I've played more than that, but I must confess, several were released in previous years and bought on the cheap. Except for Super Princess Peach. Apparently, it costs money to spend time with a girl like that.

#10 is kind of tenative; I've heard enough good about Sonic Unleashed for the 360 that I grabbed it for 20 bucks when the opportunity arose, but won't get to try it until after this list goes up. The demo was fun, though. There are also honorary mentions for 1942: Joint Strike and perhaps what would be the real #10, Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix. The reason it's not in #10? The controls on Xbox suck. This may be remedied by one of those forty dollar controllers made for Street Fighter IV, but those aren't even out yet. So, of what I've given a good, solid playing, Wolf of the Battlefield takes the 10-spot.

And there are plenty of other titles I'd love to have played, but hey, that's the economy for you.

Sascha's Top 10 of 2008

Sascha Lichtenstein, Senior Xbox 360 Editor

LittleBigPlanet
Grand Theft Auto IV
Burnout Paradise
Gears of War 2
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Patapon
Fable II
Fallout 3
Left 4 Dead

2008 was a hell of a year, at least if you owned one of the two HD consoles. Aside from the short blip of playtime brought on by the back-to-back releases of Smash Brothers Brawl and Mario Kart, my Wii got zero play time this year. The general mood surrounding the console didn't exactly motivate me to play it either, what with a down-right depressing E3 showing and Nintendo's new borderline-insulting reaffirmations that they are offering core gamers what we want.

The HD consoles may be seriously lagging behind the little white console that could in sales, but those of us without stock in the companies probably don't give a damn - the games have been plentiful and amazing this year. Burnout Paradise hit at the beginning of the year and was easily my most-played game of the year, showcasing what not only a great online experience can do for the player but what a great DLC program can do for a game's life-span. Speaking of which, 2008 has to be considered 'the year that DLC broke'. From major game add-ons to fully-downloadable titles (WipeOut HD JUST missed my top ten list), to a maturing indie scene that actually puts out titles worth playing. As for effort, we're finally beginning to see evidence that this digital distribution thing can work. And of course, how can you talk about digital distribution without talking about LittleBigPlanet? Ambitious, innovative, charming and accessible, LittleBigPlanet is the platformer for the next generation and a game I'll be playing for years after the PS3 folds.

Matthew Green's Top 10 of 2008

Matthew Green, Senior Wii Editor

Bionic Commando: Rearmed
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Wario Land: Shake It!
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
Chrono Trigger
Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix
Ratchet and Clank: Quest for Booty (PS3)
LittleBigPlanet
Mario Kart Wii
Kirby Super Star Ultra

Somehow I ended up playing more video games this year than in any previous year in recent memory. I didn't set out to achieve that; it just sort of happened. The consequence of trying to keep the size of the impending backlog down is that I didn't get to spend as much time as I'd have liked with any one game. I also jumped into the PlayStation 3 pool this year, opening up my gaming options beyond the mostly lackluster Wii titles that have dominated the release schedule for most of the past few months.

Plenty of remakes and sequels made my best-of list of 2008. Kirby Super Star (over too soon), Street Fighter II (looks great, sounds better), Chrono Trigger (still captivating after all these years), and Bionic Commando ('bout time!) all sported a fresh coat of paint this year, while new installments from the worlds of Mario Kart (good, but yet still missing something), Ratchet and Clank (a nice appetizer for next year's new full-length Ratchet title), Castlevania (Castlevania II: Shanoa's Quest), Wario Land (welcome back, greedy Wario), and Super Smash Bros. (Nintendo's love letter to itself) filled the days with anticipation and eagerness only to be processed and finished all too quickly. LittleBigPlanet is the only really new game on my list, and it may have scored higher had I not just started exploring it very recently. In the end I went with Bionic Commando over Smash Bros. as my favorite game of the year because the Smash honeymoon was over far too soon thanks to the combination of the clunky online multiplayer system that just will not hold up as the game ages and my lack of any local friends who enjoy the Smash Bros. experience. Bionic Commando: Rearmed, however, exceeded all of my expectations and had me smiling more than any other game I played this year, and that's really what I'm after when I play video games. It's all about the smiles.

Jeff's Top 10 of 2008

Jeff Rivera, Senior DS Editor

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Fallout 3
Gears of War 2
Advanced Wars: Days of Ruin
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
Rock Band 2
Ninja Gaiden II
Left 4 Dead
Call of Duty: World at War
Mario Kart Wii

2008 was a year that gave us great games and massive backlogs. With tons of huge titles piling up at the end of the year, we're going to have to stay focused and spend quite a few sleepless nights getting our piles of shame cleared out before 2009's offerings roll around. While it still doesn't quite measure up to 1998, I feel that 2008 was still one of the best lineups we've seen in the past 10 years or so. I feel guilty leaving off gems like LittleBigPlanet, Resistance 2, or Burnout Paradise, but at some point I have to be honest and just settle with the games that really provided me the most thrills and enjoyment. Thanks, 2008, you were quite good to me.

Lucas's Top 10 of 2008

Lucas De Woody, Senior Editorialist

Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Gears of War 2
LittleBigPlanet
Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts
Super Street Fighter II HD
Grand Theft Auto IV
Mega Man 9
World of Goo
Soul Calibur IV
Wario Land: Shake It!

For me, this year has been nothing but personal hardships with one emotionally crushing experience after another. With all the misery that keeps coming at me, I'm deeply thankful that the video game lineup this year has been one of the greatest in several generations so as to distract me from my troubles. I can't count the multiplayer tourney bashes that Brawl has given me and has yet to give over the next several years. LittleBigPlanet keeps me smiling with its endless charm, and Gears of War 2's chainsaw ridden multiplayer will probably keep me entertained for the next two years at least. Even Mario Kart still keeps pulling me back with God of War: Chains of Olympus its decent online and outstanding track selection.

And let us not forget the impending retro revolution Mega Man 9 has likely instigated by proving that once and for all, yes Dorothy, you can go home again. Basically, this has been a year of games with insane replay value. These are the popcorn games -- the things we'll be playing in the future when the release lineup starts to get spotty and inconsistent, and to me at least, those are the best kind of games one can have.

As you can see, we each have our own idea of what game deserves the prestigious Game of the Year award. We're currently in the process of deciding on Kombo's Game of the Year, which has proven to be a difficult decision thus far. Be sure to check back in the New Year to find out what game will be named Kombo's Game of the Year for 2008.

Until then, hit the comments, and tell us what your top 10 looks like.

Industry Roundtable: Game of the Year 2008

2009-01-22T15:56:00.000-08:00

This article was originally published on Kombo. I organized and edited it myself.

It's hard to believe, as 2008 has gone by so fast, but the year is almost over. While we'll be publishing our comprehensive Best & Worst of 2008 Awards in the coming weeks, we decided as a prelude to that, to round up some video game journalists from other publications and talk about our individual picks for the most prestigious award of them all, Game of the Year.

We've gathered writers from 1UP, Destructoid, The Escapist, Forbes, GoNintendo, Joystiq, Totally Rad Show, USA Today and The Wiire. We asked many other writers to join the discussion, but many were unable to participate due to their own upcoming year-end awards, which prohibited them for participating in our little roundtable.

So, without further ado, enjoy the following roundtable, and don't forget to tell us your pick for Game of the Year by posting in the comments below this article.

Kevin Cassidy is the founder and director of GoNintendo

Kevin Cassidy
I have to give my 'Game of the Year' nod to World of Goo. I think this game really stands for what our medium can achieve. Today, we are inundated with games that are built by teams of 50+ people, and they bring million-dollar budgets with them. World of Goo was created by 2 indie devs on a shoestring budget. The final product is one of the most endearing, engaging titles I have seen all year. A simple game to understand, but one that comes with a very deep social commentary for those willing to truly immerse themselves. It also doesn't hurt that the art style is fantastic, and the music is outstanding. Who would of guessed that an old-school idea with a 2D presentation could stand up alongside the polygon-pushing, high-range lighting games of today?

Jeff Cannata is the co-host of Totally Rad Show

Jeff Cannata
Any year in which we get new series entries from Grand Theft Auto, Metal Gear Solid, Gears of War, Burnout, Soul Caliber, Prince of Persia, Fable, and Geometry Wars is a pretty significant one for gaming. Add in compelling new experiences like Braid, Little Big Planet, and my personal favorite, Pixel Junk Eden, and it becomes very difficult to come to a consensus about Game of the Year. But perhaps attempting to reach an objective, universal decision is a foolish pursuit, anyway. This year, as much as any other, proves that gaming can address very specific tastes. For me, a Game of the Year has to deliver an experience that I can return to again and again (I loved and admired Braid, but ultimately it was a one-night stand), that introduces me to an interesting and well-developed world (MGS4 was one heck of a ride, but, sadly, I couldn't care less about the obtuse, overwrought fiction), and whose game mechanics were intuitive and fun (GTA IV had such a rich, fascinating game world, but the combat and driving mechanics were broken!). To that end, I submit my top three.

Valve's Left 4 Dead has provided me with more fun per minute that any game in recent memory. Yes, the ultimate experience is quite dependent on who one ends up playing with, but with the right group of friends it is a long distant party, at times chaotic and thrilling – at others thoughtful and strategic. So many small touches create an awesome, atmospheric, heart-pumping experience that I will return to throughout the new year.

Bethesda's Fallout 3 is such a deep, immersive, sprawling epic, that if I were only able to buy one game this year, it would provide enough hours of exploration, action, and story to satisfy me. There is so much to see and do, so much freedom given to the player, so little frustration or game-lengthening busy work. It is a game about discovery and imagination and represents the best of what games can offer.

Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution is perhaps an overlooked game this year, but it deserves to be played by anyone who loves video games. It refines the intimidating Civilization IV, making it accessable and shorter, so an entire play session takes only a couple of hours, but it retains the incredibly addictive nature of the series. It is a game that'll learn ya somethin' as well as keep you thoroughly entertained – and what better game world to explore than our very own? In a gaming landscape littered with disappointing shooters (Resistance 2, I'm looking at you), Civ Rev is a breath of fresh air.

There you have it. My three-way tie for Game of the Year. Cop-out? Perhaps. I'm just glad to have been able to play all of these incredible titles this year. Bring on 2009!

Nick Chester is the editor-in-chief of Destructoid

Nick Chester
2008 was a surprisingly great year for games, with the later half of year heavy in high-profile, quality titles that I fell in love with – Gears of War 2, Fallout 3, Rock Band 2, Prince of Persia, Left 4 Dead … just to name a few. The fall was so packed with great titles that it's easy to forget some of this year's earliest heavy hitters.

In particular, you can't forget Grand Theft Auto IV, which I have to give my nod to for "Game of the Year." I could come up with a laundry list of reasons why the game isn't perfect, and it may not even be the game I played the most in 2008 or even my personal favorite). If anything, it's certainly the most talked about game of the year, and for good reason – it features a fully-realized Liberty City like we've never seen, a rich story supplemented by countless side-missions, and tons of multiplayer modes.

If you had to play only one game this year, it should be Grand Theft Auto IV.

Jordan Deam is an associate editor at The Escapist

Jordan Deam
Look beyond the checkpoints, progress bars and unlockable extras, and games can be downright antagonistic. Lose a battle in an RPG, and you're back to the grind with renewed purpose. Come tantalizingly close to victory in Mega Man 9, and you're hooked for another half an hour. Developers realized long ago that frustration equals motivation for hardcore gamers, but this formula is starting to show its age. Plenty of games beg to be beaten; far fewer beg to be played.

World of Goo, from two-man indie development powerhouse 2D Boy, falls into the latter category. That's not to say that there's no challenge to be found across the game's 47 (occasionally grueling) stages. Rather, instead of doling out its pleasures one level completion at a time, World of Goo's chief satisfaction comes from the simple act of connecting one goo ball to another, forming giant, undulating structures to move your gooey cargo from Point A to Point B. The anthropomorphic tar drops squeal with glee each time you reposition them, snapping into place with a satisfying plop. If the experience were any more tactile, you'd have to scrub your hands after each session.

But developers Kyle Gabler and Ron Carmel don't just nail the fundamentals. Over the course of the game's five chapters, they introduce new species of goo, from the helium filled to the flammable, each with its own unique game mechanic. Along the way, they weave an incomprehensible but hilarious narrative about a faceless industrial conglomerate - the titular World of Goo Corporation - that, depending on your reading, is either manufacturing goo balls, enslaving them or merely delivering them to hungry consumers. Ultimately, however, the story is just ambiance; World of Goo is Lemmings meets Jenga, with twice the charm, humor and fun – even when it all comes tumbling to the ground.

Mary Jane Irwin is a tech reporter for Forbes

Mary Jane Irwin
Hurtling full-tilt over and under obstacles, dodging enemy gunfire and leaping off rooftops in Mirror's Edge was my most exhilarating game experience this year. Once skeptical of its first-person approach to running and jumping, I was surprised by its vantage point. I felt viscerally a part of the game world. Each blind leap cued real fear. Pride surged with each soft landing. I was present in a way few games have managed. I felt the weight of Faith's virtual body as she staggered away from an ill-timed fall, the rush of locomotion as she sprinted through the world and the game's gentle coaxing that convinced me to play by its rules. Never before have I so gleefully abandoned weapons -- which hamper Faith's sprightliness -- in favor of environmental problem solving.

Would my experience have improved with a deeper storyline and better acting? Yes. Could a few bouts of frustration be avoided with cleaner level design? Certainly. Do I wish there was more to the experience? Of course. But despite Mirror's Edge's weaknesses, no other game this year evoked such a sense of accomplishment upon completion--or such a desire to dive straight back into its world.

Flip the page for more.

Sam Kennedy is the editorial director for 1UP

Sam Kennedy
2008 was actually a pretty darn good year for games, with GTA IV in spring, MGS4 in summer, Gears of War 2 in the fall, and loads of other great games along the way. Picking a favorite this year definitely isn't easy, though, as there was no one game that really stood out above the rest. You had titles like LittleBigPlanet and Mirror's Edge that deserve tons of credit for being cool and different, yet they had their issues and ultimately weren't as fun as I'd hoped. Then you had titles like GTA IV and MGS4 that were simply epic… but also had issues and didn't live up to my expectations. And then there were titles like Fallout 3 and Left 4 Dead, which were definitely cool, though not for everyone. Ultimately, for me, my game of the year vote went to the title that I had the most fun with: Gears of War 2. Sure, lots of people criticized it for not being all that much different than the original game (especially considering you do actually play some of the same areas as the original game), but I think that just speaks to how good the original really was. Gears of War 2 improved on one of my favorite games of all time -- not hugely so, but still -- is that not enough to warrant it a Game of the Year award? Others criticized Gears 2's story and dialogue, though this was something that mattered to me little. Gears of War is all about the action -- I don't play it for the story. So yeah, when I look at this year and think about the game that I really had the most fun with, and the game that really stuck out in my mind as the best overall gaming experience, Gears of War 2 gets the nod. Nice job again, Epic.

Phillip Levin is the editor-in-chief of Kombo

Phillip Levin
After the impressive gaming year that was 2007, I didn't know if 2008 could possibly compare. Turns out, this year has been perhaps an equally incredible year for gamers, although I'm not sure which year I'd say was better.

Unfortunately, I don't think there's a clear-cut Game of the Year, unlike in previous years. There have been many great, superb releases, but no stand-out Game of the Year. So, I am going to do the lame thing. I'm copping out. My personal Game of the Year would go to either Fallout 3 or Grand Theft Auto IV (and that's in alphabetical order, not in order of preference). When forced to choose (which I will be when I vote in our own awards), I don't know which I'll pick. But it'll definitely be one of these two games.

Fallout 3 is a consideration because, frankly, when I picked up my controller to play it, I was glued to it for about a week. The last game to totally engross me like that was BioShock. I'm frighteningly into the post-apocalyptic genre, and I treasure choose-your-own-destiny games that allow you to play however you like. Fallout 3 impressively combines both of these things, and thus I am a slave to it. But there are more reasons than the theme. Fallout 3 is a genuinely well-made game. The dialogue system is engaging, VATS is kick-ass and the story is absorbing. As an Oblivion fan, I expected to love Fallout 3, but only because it was "Oblivion with guns." Fallout is more than that, though. It's a totally different experience.

Grand Theft Auto IV, meanwhile, was purely entertaining for me. There's something admittedly worrisome about enjoying a game in which you kill cops and run over pedestrians, but I look at the whole GTA experience as a technologically advanced adaptation of the childhood game of cops and robbers. Maybe you can't relate, but as a child, there was something undeniably fun about playing cops and robbers. As an adult, it's frowned upon to make-believe like that, so I had to give it up. But GTA essentially delivers a grown-up version of that experience. As for the game itself, the story is gripping and better executed than the majority of today's games, and Liberty City is a joy to get lost in. Plus, the sandbox-style GTA formula works as well as it always has. While I enjoyed the other GTAs, GTA IV is the first 3D version to nail fundamental gameplay mechanics, such as the feeling of movement and a targeting system, and therefore it's the first GTA that I can honestly consider for Game of the Year.

So, there you have it. Both Fallout 3 and Grand Theft Auto are my top two choices for Game of the Year.

Ian Mikutel is the CEO and founder of The Wiire

Ian Mikutel
In a year filled with greatly anticipated titles, most recently LittleBigPlanet, Fallout 3 and Gears of War 2, just to name a few, my personal 2008 Game Of The Year pick is a title that had much less anticipation. For any lack of anticipation, however, this game made up in praise. Here's just a few snippets of what was said around the industry about my Game of the Year:

IGN: "an amazing WiiWare game that you simply must buy for this is exactly the type of software that needs both recognition and support"

1UP: "one of just a handful of truly excellent original games for the Wii"

Eurogamer: "Physics' latest, purest, and most brilliant gift"
Nintendo World Report: "easily the best WiiWare game to date and, perhaps, one of the best this generation"

The game has earned "Universal Acclaim", with a collective score of 93 from Metacritic. But enough with the numbers. My pick for game of the year 2008 is none other than 2D Boy's World of Goo.

What makes World of Goo the Game Of The Year? In my mind it's what a small, independent developer was able to accomplish with a budget only a fraction of the size of most of those anticipated games mentioned earlier.

Founded by Kyle Gabler and Ron Carmel, both former EA employees, 2D Boy created a unique game that captivates all who play it--proving that large development teams and huge budgets aren't the only way to make a successful game.

But beyond its impressive development characteristics, what makes World of Goo work so well? I believe it is because it contains the perfect ingredients, combined with the best pot to cook it in--the Wii. World of Goo is at its core, a simple, intuitive game. But many games on the Wii are, and a large proportion of them fail miserably. World of Goo succeeds, however, because the guys at 2D Boy didn't just stop there--instead, they built upon the simplicity and intuition that makes the game so fun, and wrapped it in a well polished package of sound, animation, and gameplay.

And that sound! Not since Super Mario Galaxy have I heard such engrossing audio. Albeit limited, the soundtrack for World of Goo is top notch and well suited for the title. It adds significantly to the polish that takes the simplicity and intuitiveness of World of Goo, and rises it above the rest of the competition.

Ultimately, World of Goo is a great game in and of itself. Begin playing the game, and I guarantee you anyone who walks by your TV is bound to stop and watch, and undoubtedly begin shouting suggestions for where to place your next goo ball. Moreover, once you know the development story behind the game, and learn that it was created by a few guys, independently, with a limited budget, you can clearly see why World of Goo deserves to be spotlighted with the recognition of Game of the Year for 2008.

Kyle Orland is a freelance journalist, writing for Joystiq, Crispy Gamer and other publications

Kyle Orland
No game this year made me feel as much raw emotion as Left 4 Dead. Surely the game's itself was part of it -- the atmospheric sounds of groaning zombies and the excellently run-down locales definitely helped -- but most of it came from simply playing with real people.

L4D's multiplayer design, especially the versus mode, finds a perfect balance between the every-man-for-himself twitchiness of most deathmatch games and the stick-together camaraderie of co-operative play without missing a beat. There's a real tension to the survivor portions and a real feeling of vindictive glee during the zombie attacks, feelings that are exacerbated because you know the people behind those screams of joy and anguish in your ear are feeling the same things.

The true sign that I was getting way too into this game was when I stopped a lengthy play session and realized that my throat was bone dry from screaming commands and strategies at my teammates. Not since Karaoke Revolution has a sore throat been such a sure sign of a good time.

Mike Snider is an entertainment reporter for USA Today

Mike Snider
By pretty much any measure, Grand Theft Auto IV is the best game of 2008. It is expected to outsell any other game released this year, already surpassing about five million copies in the U.S. and 10 million worldwide. And GTA IV is among the top-reviewed games of the year.
That's because the game plays out like the interactive movies that have long been the game industry's Holy Grail. When you play the game, you quickly realize that the scope is enormous with a meticulously rendered virtual New York for you to explore.
And players can have an impact on how main character Niko Bellic's story plays out. Either way, the immigrant's tale is gut-wrenching and offers the latest reframing of the American dream -- a storytelling standard for other games to shoot at.

On the business side, Rockstar Games broke new territory, too, brokering a deal with Amazon.com that lets players directly order digital tracks from the game's rich soundtrack. And upcoming downloadable episodes promise to give the game staying power.

Thanks to all the journalists and publications that participated in our roundtable.

So, what do you think? What's your Game of the Year? Tell us in the comments!

Like this article? Please Digg it!

Kombo's Best & Worst of 2008 Awards

2009-01-22T15:50:00.000-08:00

This article was originally published on Kombo. You can find the published version here. Something to note: I didn't write this whole feature, but I wrote some of it and designed the layout (with the help of a graphics artist).

We can hardly believe it. 2008 is over and behind us, and boy what a year it was for gaming. Going into the year, we really didn't think it could touch 2007. Indeed, 2007 was an incredible year for video games. And yet, somehow, 2008 managed to compare. It seems every platform enjoyed at least one truly remarkable release, even if things on the handheld side of things were a little slower than we like. Like 2007, 2008 was a year of sequels. Grand Theft Auto IV. Gears of War 2. Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Fallout 3. Just to name a few. Still, the industry enjoyed the introduction of several new IPs, such as LittleBigPlanet, Mirror's Edge, Left 4 Dead and others.

Holy crap. 2008 was awesome.

So, what better way is there to celebrate the passing of a year and the dawn of a new year than our annual Best & Worst Awards? (Hint: there isn't one.)

What follows is our Best & Worst of 2008 Awards. We've come up with 37 categories, mixing awards for the best and worst games and industry moments of 2008. Before we get into it, though, you're probably wondering, how did we select the winners and losers? (Great question, by the way.) Our editors came up with nominees for each category, and then we voted. The Kombo staff participated in a series of polls, one for each award. When it came to picking our Game of the Year, we came up with a ridiculously long list of nominees and voted. The top three games then went onto a final poll. Before the final vote, we debated (which involved an appropriate mix of yelling, crying, screaming and a few other emotions along the way) which game earned and deserves our Game of the Year award. Once the discussion was done, we voted, and the winner of the poll was named our Game of the Year 2008. It's hardly a scientific process, but in the end, our Game of the Year won by a fairly large margin. So, it's clear. Our staff have spoken.

Below, you'll find Kombo's Best & Worst of 2008 Awards -- the winners and losers of 2008. We hope you enjoy.

Oh, and congratulations to the winners (but, unfortunately, not the losers).

Continue reading at Kombo.

Déjà vu: Sony Sounds Like Nintendo

2009-01-21T19:14:00.000-08:00

Just the other day, Sony Computer Entertainment president Kaz Hirai attacked Microsoft, saying that Xbox 360 "lacks longevity." When it came to criticizing the Wii, though, he copped out, saying that he doesn't consider the Wii a competitor to PS3. Here's the direct quote:

"It's difficult to talk about Nintendo because we don't look at their console as being competitors. They're a different world and we operate in our world — that's kind of the way I look at things..."

In other words, "We're getting our ass kicked by Nintendo, and we're just going to pretend that we're not really competing with the Wii." (My translation; he didn't actually say this.)

Hasn't Nintendo uttered similar words before, only directed at Microsoft and Sony?

Hirai's logic sounds awfully reminiscent of Nintendo during the GameCube years.

Sure, in some ways, PlayStation 3 isn't a direct competitor to Wii. Wii has become an item of pop culture -- something that people who normally don't care about video games are buying and playing. To those people, the PlayStation 3 doesn't even exist. And if you don't exist, you obviously cannot compete. That noted, Hirai's words are a weak and unoriginal attempt to rationalize why Wii effortlessly outsells PlayStation 3 on a weekly basis.

My favorite part about Hirai's recent statement is that in May 2008, he said that Sony considers the PS3 in competition with any entertainment product, video game or not.

"I think that PS3, PS2 and PSP are all entertainment platforms so I feel that our competition is not Microsoft or Nintendo, but basically any form of entertainment that is competing for the consumers’ attention,” he told MCV.

Breaking news: the Wii is an entertainment product, and it's competing for consumer dollars that could be spent on PS3.

So, only one question remains. Is Kaz Hirai a hypocrite or senile? You decide.

E3 2008: Nintendo Developer Roundtable Liveblog

2009-01-20T17:56:00.000-08:00

This article was originally published on Kombo.

At 6:00 PM PST today, Nintendo is holding an exclusive Nintendo E3 2008 Developer Roundtable, and we're liveblogging the whole thing. Keep an eye below for updates.

Conference over.

7:35 PM: Pikmin 3 is official!

7:31 PM: Folks that worked on Wave Race for Nintendo 64 are the guys behind the waterskiing portion of Wii Sports Resort.

The team will create a game that "surpasses Wave Race," according to director Yeguchi.

7:29 PM: Miyamoto gets asked if Wii Music is more a toy than a game. His reply: "that's why it's more interesting than a video game." Nice one, Shig.

7:26 PM: It'll include some songs on public domain and some licensed tunes.

7:24 PM: Wii Music unrelated to Rhythm Tengoku, a rhythm game from Japan.

7:21 PM: Now we're gonna see them play using the drum kit instrument option. Let's see some fat beats, Miyamoto.

7:19 PM: Miyamoto is talking about when they had some of the Nintendo development team's children come in to play Wii Music, and how they "could not pull themselves away from the game."

7:18 PM: Okay, they're playing together. Miyamoto, Eguchi and a few other Nintendo employees.

7:14 PM: He's playing the song with a number of different instruments: guitar, toy piano, trumpet and a dog wolfing?

7:12 PM: Oh, and send us some questions in the comments.

7:11 PM: We had a bit of a battery issue just now. Sorry for the lack of updates. Miyamoto is playing Wii Music -- Yankee Doodle to be specific.

7:02 PM: Asked if anyone hasn't seen Wii Music yet... nobody raised their hand.

7:01 PM: Okay, Q&A is over. Next game is Wii Music and Shigeru Miyamoto is coming out on stage.

6:59 PM: The answer: He says that this is something that Nintendo is always thinking about. When Nintendo thinks of new ideas, one of the first questions it asks itself is is "that easy to play?"

6:58 PM: Someone asked if the added precision/detection of the Motion Plus technology might make it more difficult for players, since the remote will be so precise.

6:56 PM: Someone asked if future Wii-motes might have the Motion Plus tech built-in. Answer: Nintendo is always looking at how to evolve the technology. Nintendo is unsure at this point, but it's something Nintendo will be looking at and perhaps there will be more info on something like this in the future.

6:54 PM: "That's a tough question to answer." Nintendo is very satisfied with the original Wii-mote and the original Wii Sports, but thought of this idea and wanted to do it.

The answer to the second question sounds like a no. Always experimenting with that flying game, not sure if it'll make it into Wii Sports: Resort.

6:52 PM: Someone asked if by releasing Wii Motion Plus Nintendo is admitting that the original tech in the Wii-mote was not quite enough. Also, will the original flying game we saw at E3 2006 be in Wii Sports: Resort?

6:50 PM: They used the resort setting because when coming up with the Wii Motion Plus, they sat down and thought of sports that would make good use of the tech. The sports that they thought of were all sports that you could do on an island/at the beach.

As for how many sports, they can't tell us how many exactly, but they hope to put in at least 10 sports.

6:49 PM: We're asking: What inspired you to bring Wii Sports to the beach setting, and how many sports in the final version of the game?

6:48 PM: Okay, we're asking a question next. We've got a mic in hand!

6:45 PM: Question about the tech behind Wii Motion Plus. Talking about how Wii Motion plus works. It measures the angles of rotation. It adds the data that it collects from your movements to the data the Wii remote has already collected.

Also, some games allow you to pass the remote around, like in the first Wii Sports.

6:44 PM: Someone asked if any developers had access to Wii Motion Plus before E3. The answer: Eguchi is not involved in that process and is not sure.

6:43 PM: Okay, 15-minute Q&A starting now.

6:15 PM: In addition to attacking with your sword, you can also guar by using the B button.

6:41 PM: Covering how Wii Motion Plus enables extra precision in controlling the sword by rotating your wrist and the remote.

6:40 PM: You can change your direction midair, as Wii Motion Plus allows extra control. Now we're going to see swordplay/fencing.

6:38 PM: Showing Jet Skii mini-game now. That game's played with both the Wii-mote and nunchuck.

6:34 PM: With Wii Motion Plus, you can have more precise controls when throwing the disc. Covering a lot of the same stuff we saw during our appointment and at the conference.

6:33 PM: We're going to see the Frisbee mini-game.

6:32 PM: Talking about the game's setting, which is a tropical island. Nintendo wanted to use sports that reflect the beach locale.

6:28 PM: Okay, the Q&A is over. Wii Sports: Resort presentation is starting now. There will be a Q&A for it after the presentation, so send some questions in, and we'll try to ask them.

6:27 PM: Question about using the Weather Channel in the game, but Nintendo has no plans to do this.

6:26 PM: You can't play Virtual Console games through Animal Crossing.

6:25 PM: Nintendo can create new content or events and can add it to the game via DLC.

6:22 PM: When transferring data, your items do not carry over. It's just your character that can be transferred.

6:20 PM: Question about connectivity between DS and Wii versions of Animal Crossing. Answer: You can move your character from the DS version into the Wii version.

6:18 PM: If you have questions about Animal Crossing, post them in the comments and we'll ask.

6:17 PM: Doing a Q&A now for Animal Crossing. There will also be presentations and Q&As for Wii Music and the new Wii Sports.

6:15 PM: Can save photos and send them via Wi-Fi Connection. You can also save them to your SD card.

6:14 PM: You can create shirts for yourself, just like in the other games. But now, you can also customize the back of the shirt.

6:12 PM: Talking about WiiSpeak. "It allows people playing in different locations to have a discussion as if they were in the same room."

6:11 PM: Friends can visit your town even when you're not there.

6:10 PM: There's a theater, where you can watch a comedy show.

6:09 PM: There's a saloon where you can get new hairstyles. There's also a new building; an auction house.

6:08 PM: Talking about new furniture, clothing and whatnot that you collect. There's a lot of new items in the game. Via WiiConnect24 you will automatically receive new items in the game.

6:05 PM: Talking about some of the new things Nintendo has added to Animal Crossing. For example, there are events in this game that were not in the last AC, such as Halloween and Jingles, who visits during the "Holiday" event. There are new events, too. There's a carnival event, which introduces a new character to the AC family.

6:04 PM: His first words: "As you can see, I am not Shigeru Miyamoto." Audience is laughing. Now, we're going to see some Animal Crossing: City Folk.

6:03 PM: Katsuya Eguchi is on stage.

6:02 PM: Eric Walter, Nintendo's PR Manager, just walked up front. He's talking giving us the rundown. Just photos and liveblogging. No video.

5:45 PM: We just sat down. Sitting next to Kevin from GoNintendo. He just pointed out that there are Wiis here. Ooooh. What are we going to see?

Why Halo 3 Needs a Custom Games Browser

2009-01-20T17:40:00.000-08:00

This article was originally published on Kombo.

I like Halo 3. The game's been out for two weeks, so I think it's safe to say that I'm truly liking the game, and I'm not just riding the hype train. That said, there's a serious problem with it, and to be honest, I don't understand why Bungie would let this happen.

I'm talking about the lack of a custom games server list – or custom games browser, as some call it. Maybe you've heard about the fabled "XBL Public," maybe not. Xbox Live Public is the name of a feature Bungie at one time had hoped to include in its final Halo game. Unfortunately, it didn't make the cut. The only reason we know of its previous existence is because of an interview 1UP did with Bungie, in which the site asked the developer about the so-called "XBL Public" feature they saw on the title screen when gaming mag EGM played a preview build of the game about a year ago.

Not a whole lot is known about XBL Public, because it was never officially announced. Speaking to 1UP, Bungie user interface designer Colm Nelson described the mode as a customizable version of matchmaking. It's believed that you could specify the kind of gametype you want to look for, and then XBL Public would search for a "public" party playing a game with those settings. So, theoretically, if you wanted to play Sentinel Beams-only on Vahalla for some awful reason, you could tell the game that, and it'd find some poor souls engaged in that gametype.

You can probably guess already why XBL Public never made it into Halo 3. It was too difficult from a development standpoint – at least that's what Xbox Community Manager for Microsoft Tom Eberspecher told me when he was kind enough to comment on a news story we ran about the missing feature last week. What would happen if you searched for a gametype with 400% health, Rocket Launcher start, Magnum secondary, 200%-increased movement speed, Warthogs-only and no power-ups? Because Halo 3 allows that kind of customization in custom games, XBL Public was going to allow users to search for whatever they wanted. And, according to Tom's explanation as to why XBL didn't make it in, it's because Bungie was worried that if you specified game settings for something as unusual as what I just described, you could end up sitting in XBL Public matchmaking for days, while the system tried to find a game for you.

Halo PC had a way to join other player's custom games. Why doesn't Halo 3?

But, uh, what about having the game simply have a prompt that appears after about two minutes or so of unsuccessful searching? Isn't that common sense? If the game can't find an available party that meets your criteria in two minutes, one probably doesn't exist. Right? So why not have the game automatically tell players that? What's the big deal?

Better yet, why not allow players to simply browse through a list of currently open games? Halo PC had this feature four years ago, and it worked just fine. StarCraft, a ten-year-old RTS on PC, has the feature. And so does every WarCraft game ever made. Numerous first-generation Xbox Live games – on the original Xbox – allowed you to do it, too. Rainbow Six 3. Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow. Crimson Skies. Mechassault. Project Gotham Racing 2. Do I need to continue? Why doesn't Halo 3?

Sure, there's matchmaking – a phenomenal system that searches and pairs-up players according to the playlist they specified. But there's a problem. If you want to play Team Slayer, Team Objective, Team Doubles or any other playlist Bungie's prepared, you're set. But what happens if you want to play a gametype that Bungie hasn't included in its official playlists? You're out of luck. That is, unless, of course, you have 100 people on your friends list ready to go at any given time of day to play whatever it is you want. I don't know about you, but at any given time, I have about 20 people signed onto my 100-person friends list, and it's not exactly easy to poll those 20 people as to who's interested in some CTF on The Pit with Battle Rifle start. Anybody who's tried to get a 4 vs. 4 custom game going can tell you that it's not easy – and certainly not convenient.

Matchmaking's faster, so that's what people play. Fine. But maybe I don't want to do Shotty Snipers on Narrows? What are my options? Veto it? Hopefully, the majority of players will follow suit. Otherwise, we're all playing Narrows. I could, of course, play a different playlist, but what happens if I – or anybody for that matter – wants to play a gametype that Bungie hasn't included in its playlists? Maybe you enjoy Bungie's playlists, but I don't. If you love them, good for you. I'm glad you can enjoy them – but what about people that want to play a gametype Bungie hasn't endorsed? If they can't find enough people on their friends list to play, they're out of luck.

Some might argue Bungie should just include more playlists, but it's impossible for any developer to provide enough variety to please everybody – even for a studio that single-handedly justified the original Xbox.
That's why custom games are needed. It's why they exist. The amount of options available when setting up a custom game in Halo 3 is mind-blowing– I couldn't ask for more (except for being able to add the damn Fuel Rod Canon, Bungie. What gives?). However, as it stands, the experience is ruined by the inability to easily join custom games. It's been a problem since Halo 2 in 2004. And it's truly baffling, because Halo 3 ushers in The Forge, which allows you to fully (almost) customize maps to your liking, but there's no way to join people's Forge games. It doesn't make sense. The Forge itself is great, but its full potential can't be realized due to a lack of a custom games browser.

Why doesn't Halo 3 feature a custom games server list – Halo PC-style? Perhaps it's because of matchmaking. If such a feature was available to Halo 3 players, the number of people using matchmaking would decrease. But wouldn't that be because gamers would be able to do what they want? And, if so, doesn't that mean they're only playing matchmaking because that's their only option if they want to get their Halo 3 on? Isn't that a bad thing?

Maybe people would continue playing matchmaking – perhaps I'm wrong in my assertion. Maybe it's the custom games browser that nobody would use. I doubt it, but it could happen. Anything can happen.

More likely, the userbase would become divided. Those that want to use matchmaking would continue to do so. They could earn their levels, ranks, whatever. Meanwhile, those that clamor for a method of joining other people's custom games would use the custom games browser.

The Halo franchise is my favorite console first-person shooter series. Anybody that knows me will tell you that – and I'm sure a few of my close friends and co-workers are nodding at this truth as they read this. But, currently, I feel Halo 3 has missed a huge opportunity to satisfy gamers, like myself, that want to play custom games – that enjoy a variety of always-changing gametypes, ones that Bungie ignores in its own playlists for whatever reason. I didn't quit playing Halo 2 because it was mechanically flawed (it was). I quit playing Halo 2 because I didn't have a choice. The constant standbying and cheating in matchmaking, coupled with infuriating playlists, turned me away from the shooter. Is the same thing destined to happen with Halo 3? I certainly hope not, but I can't help but fear the possibility.

History loves to repeat itself. The sad part is I just want to play Halo 3 my way. Why doesn't Bungie want me to?

Why Graphics Matter

2009-01-20T17:38:00.000-08:00

This article was originally published on Kombo.

“Graphics don’t matter. It’s all about gameplay.”

We’ve all heard it, and maybe you’ve even uttered these words yourself before. Since the advent of video gaming, graphics have been a hot topic amongst gamers. Even when games were made up of just primitive shapes and super-low polygon counts, the industry has talked about graphics in games and has been amazed by increasingly more impressive visuals year-after-year.

And yet, somehow, there are naysayers who downplay the importance and the role graphics play in games. This write-up is written for those who fit that description. Hopefully, this will help them appreciate something they’ve been missing out on.

With Nintendo’s incredibly popular Wii platform being the talk of the town, the topic is even hotter. While Microsoft and Sony both followed a more traditional path with their next-gen machines – faster processors, more RAM, more powerful GPUs and thus more advanced graphics – Nintendo did something different. It built its newest gaming platform from components that aren’t cutting-edge and aren’t the latest in graphics technology. Indeed, the Wii is more comparable to an Xbox or a GameCube than it is its current competition – at least when it comes to its graphical powers.

The problem with many gamers today is they seem to think you have to pick one extreme: either graphics matter, and thus they are more important than gameplay, or it’s the other way around: graphics don’t matter, only gameplay does. The extremists are, quite frankly, wrong.

Indeed, both sides of the argument are wrong. Neither thing is more important than the other. Only can high-quality graphics and fun gameplay combine together to create a truly ultimate video game.

But still, there are naysayers, who disagree.

Of course graphics matter. How couldn’t they? Essentially, they are the visual link between a game and its player. Just like a controller, without them, you wouldn’t be interacting with video games. How someone can think for a moment that they do not matter, or think that they are not important, is simply mind-boggling – and silly.

Think back to the first time you played a video game. Chances are you were young, and you weren’t caught up in the message board-driven, politics-esque world of the video game industry – and chances are you were wowed by the level of interaction a “video game” allowed with the pictures you were seeing on screen. What about the first time you saw or played Super Mario 64. Were you not dazzled by the at-the-time amazing 3D visuals? I know I was.

Graphics are the first thing you see in a video game. Within the first few seconds you are playing a game, you are forming your first impressions of it – and its graphics play a huge role in that process. If a game is drop-dead gorgeous, you’re more likely to be sucked into its world. However, if the game is unattractive, you could be turned off by its look. Sure, it’s not all about graphics. If a game is boring, it’s boring, and no matter how impressive it looks, you’ll lose interest in it.

But graphics are a powerful force and are the first element to shape your experience with any game. Why underplay the importance of game visuals? Millions who have played Gears of War will tell you they love the game. What do you think initially hooked them and drew them into that game? Its stunning visuals. Am I suggesting its gameplay had nothing to do with that process? Of course not. However, the simple truth is that Gears of War’s graphical presentation is what instantly made the game stand out amongst other third-person shooters on Xbox 360.

When Nintendo unveiled that The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess would be returning to a darker, more realistic look compared to its predecessor, Nintendo fans rejoiced. They wouldn’t get a chance to play the game themselves and see if it was actually any fun to play for years to come, but the teaser trailer single-handedly managed to excite gamers by itself. And it did it without letting people playing the game. How? Its visuals.

Our hobby is gaming, but there are some who are entertained by paintings. These people are entertained by simply observing, looking at and viewing their art. They don’t use controllers to interact with it – and the paintings can’t be manipulated or physically experienced. However, they enjoy the simple act of looking at a painting; they enjoy the beauty they derive from looking.

People are attracted to beauty. Since the beginning of time, whether it has been attracted to beautiful people, beautiful pictures, beautiful places or other beautiful things, mankind has enjoyed beauty. Why can’t we enjoy beautiful games? Why is there sometimes a negative stigma attached to simply enjoying a game’s look entirely by itself? Why does that make someone superficial or shallow? It shouldn’t.

BioShock's graphics help create its scary atmosphere

Just like a cherry can make an ice cream sundae all the more scrumptious, impressive graphics can make a video game even more enjoyable. Think about Resident Evil Remake on GameCube, or any other horror-esque game, such as the recently released BioShock. Resident Evil Remake is mostly a port of a PlayStation title, but it features re-designed graphics – at-the-time lifelike and stunning ones. Thanks to more lifelike, believable visuals, that game is more atmospheric and thus an even scarier game to play, which is in fact the purpose of a horror game. They’re meant to scare you, right? Consider this. The more immersed and caught-up you are in one, the more likely you are to be scared. More believable – and attractive –graphics are an integral tool in the process required to captivate gamers.

The relationship between graphics and immersion doesn’t just apply to horror games – it applies to any game. The less time you spend realizing you’re playing a video game, the more time you spend concentrating on a game, and thus the more enthralled you are. For a game that pursues a photorealistic look, the closer it looks to what you see every day in the real world, the more likely it is you’ll become absorbed in its virtual world. The Gran Turismo series and other racing sims are proof of this. What makes the genre alluring is that it allows gamers to experience driving and racing cars they would never dream of driving in real life. The more believable it is that players are driving those cars, the more entertained they are likely to be Meanwhile, for games that feature more cartoonish and stylized looks, the same is still true. A mixture of dazzling colors and undeniably luring visuals can easily enchant, and before you know it, you are so absorbed that time is flying. When time flies, you’re having fun.

When it gets down to it, graphics matter a lot more than many are willing to admit or accept. However, they are not the only thing that matters. A masterful video game is a success because of its overall package. Intuitive controls, fun gameplay, attractive graphics – they’re all equally important and vital in the juggling act that is entertaining. It’s a shame that so many refuse to simply sit back and be in awe of how beautiful some of the virtual worlds that the brilliant minds of this industry have created are.

Nintendo E3 2007 Media Briefing Analysis

2009-01-20T17:36:00.000-08:00

This article was originally published on Kombo.

Reggie is a numbers man. Today’s Nintendo press conference felt like we were sitting back in high school as we rapidly raced to scribble down a seemingly never-ending onslaught of numbers. In the US, video games sales are up 50%. In Japan, make that number over 100%. Impressive, no doubt.

There are two ways you can look at Nintendo’s pre-E3 2007 show. Nintendo did exactly what any company would do in its position: it gave the cold, hard numbers and continuously reminded that between the Wii and the DS, the company is “owning” the industry. This press conference was directed at the mainstream – not the hardcore. The entire show was written specifically for mainstream outlets like CNN, MSNBC and USA Today – all of which are outlets that write for not just the “gaming world,” but the entire world.

Unfortunately, for the 700 or so game journalists sitting in the Santa Monica Auditorium, that didn’t translate into what one would describe as an entertaining show. More than half of the conference was spent spitting out numbers – and don’t get us wrong, those numbers are impressive. Nintendo claims that its audience’s ratio of men to women is balancing out. For the competition’s user base (read Microsoft and Sony) 20% of gamers are women and 80% are men. Nintendo’s? 33% are women and 67% are men. While the difference isn’t earth-shattering – there is a difference.

During its hour and a half press conference, the Big N spent most its time telling us what we already knew. This was a kind of organized event to get the big numbers out there (once again, so the mainstream can hear all about how awesome Wii and DS are and buy them both). But the company gave few new reasons for current gamers who do not already own a Wii to purchase one. Sure, it announced Mario Kart Wii, but it was the only new “gamer’s game” the company had to show. What’s more, it’s nothing but another iteration of a franchise that has seen countless installments. Where are the new IPs? If Nintendo’s all about innovation, why was one of its biggest announcements for a series that sees at least one installment every generation?

At one point and time, Reggie Fils-Aime (dressed in his “heavy” clothing) stated that there are over 60 Wii games available to date and plenty more on the way. However, most of these games are sloppy ports that have been panned by critics, and few are as revolutionary as Nintendo wants you to think. Nintendo seems to be doing everything it can to appeal and essentially “buy” the non-gamer, but it offered few new incentives to the millions of current gamers to purchase a Wii. Both Super Mario Galaxy and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption are sure to be great games, but we’ve known about these games since last E3.

The biggest announcements this year were either aimed at mainstream America and beyond or were peripheral unveilings. The Zapper and the Wii Balance Board both seem like interesting devices (we shall see for ourselves later today), but should we be worried about a growing number of Wii peripherals? How many additional controllers are going to be required to play Wii software when all is said and done? Then again, it’s a nice sentiment and excellent move on Nintendo’s part to package the Mario Kart racing wheel for free with each copy of Mario Kart Wii. Of course, that’s assuming it’s included at no extra charge. What happens if there are two SKUs – one for just Mario Kart Wii and one for Mario Kart Wii and wheel, the latter of which complete with a higher price tag? Even more important, where are we supposed to store all these peripherals?

Nintendo missed a great opportunity to demonstrate specifically what kinds of games we’d be seeing on its newly announced WiiWare downloads service today, too. Of course, some could argue that the service is still too far off in the future.

Reggie says Nintendo is “serious” about online. He even suggests that they’ve been serious about online gaming for a while now – and that it’s our fault for not “noticing.” Well, Nintendo must be right because the best online game it cited as an example of its “online support” was Mario Kart DS, which released in 2005 – two years ago. But how many serious online games have been developed for either a Nintendo handheld or console since then? The bottom line is Nintendo is late to the online party – they should just drop the subject and stop trying to convince critics that they are somehow misinformed.

In at least one way, Nintendo’s press conference’s presentation was a step up over last year’s. The company was careful to display its non-HD games on much smaller screens, and thus the attending harsh press weren’t attacked by 200-foot aliased Wii games. This meant Wii games look cleaner and nicer, overall.

The big announcement of the morning was not Mario Kart Wii. It was Wii Fit, a Wii Sports-style exercise game. Chances are the title will go on to see the same kind of unrivaled success that Wii Sports has enjoyed. It’ll be interesting to see how Nintendo approaches pricing – and will we see a new Wii bundle that comes with Wii Fit? I’m willing to bet yes.

Overall, Nintendo did exactly what it needed to do for the mainstream, but as a result, the hardcore gamer was a little left out. Most attendees sat in their seats with an evident look of boredom as they waited for the number fest to come to an end. Thankfully, the conference kind of picked up towards the end when Wii Fit told Reggie that he’s overweight. Perfect.

The Pros and Cons of Digital Distribution

2009-01-20T17:30:00.000-08:00

This article was originally published on Kombo.

As time goes on and Internet download speeds increase, industries like the video game industry grow closer to a day in which you will be able to purchase and download all your video games from the comfort of your own home directly to your game consoles.

While there are a number of advantages to digital downloads, there are also some disadvantages. Below, we’ve highlighted some of the major pros and cons to digital distribution.

Continue reading at Kombo.

Is the Age of Buying Video Games Dying?

2009-01-20T17:26:00.000-08:00

This article was originally published on Kombo. You can find the published version here (all missing pictures on this page will display on the Kombo version).

Video games aren’t cheap. Sure, at $49.99 a pop, you figure “Well, you get a lot of value for your money.” After all, you can spend the same amount of money on a trip to the movies with your entire family – maybe even more – and that only gets you about two hours of entertainment. Even DVDs don’t offer as many hours of entertainment in comparison to games, and they aren’t exactly cheap, either. A newly released DVD can cost anywhere between 20 and 30 smackers, and they on average last two hours (not including extras). Games, meanwhile, can last 10, 20, 30, 40 hours or more. It makes sense people are willing to spend so much money on games.

But game prices are going up. The average first-party Xbox 360 title, for instance, retails for $59.99, 10 bucks more than a Microsoft Games Studio-published game during the Xbox-GameCube-PS2 generation. The same is true for PlayStation 3 software, which also retails at the same price. It’s true that Nintendo has made it a goal to keep software cheap on the Wii side of things, but that’s just one of the big three console manufactures, so it’s in the minority.

Halo 3 priced three ways: $60, $70 and $130
If you’re in the market for the latest, hottest next-gen video game, chances are you’re going to have to have to drop 60 dollars. The big question, though, is: is it worth it?

Why buy when you can sign up and rent as many games as you can beat for one flat fee? Services like GameFly, GameZnFlix, Gamerang and many other growing companies allow you to sign up for a monthly subscription with a monthly charge, pick the games you want to rent and then have them conveniently mailed directly to your house. GameFly’s cheapest subscription is $14.95 a month and allows you to rent one game at a time and keep it out as long as you’re subscribed. Meanwhile, you can manage your own “Game Q,” which lets you queue up to 50 different games and prioritize which game GameFly sends out next when you’re done with your currently-rented game. And that’s just “Plan 1” – there are two other subscription plans available from the Los Angeles-based online rental services, and what’s more, there are other competitors that have other deals, so you can shop around for the best one and really get your money’s worth.

Buying games means you have to be careful with your gaming dollar, and even when you do that – unless you’re rich – you don’t get to play every single game that releases. It means you have to be picky. Unless you really want it, you probably won’t buy it, and that means you’re missing out on some diamonds in the rough. There are many sleeper hits each year that aren’t worth $40, $50 or $60, but they’re still worth playing. Online rental services, like GameFly, let you play those games without breaking your bank account.

A big perk of my job is getting free games, but even so, I don’t get every game – or even that many – that I want to play for free. If I’m not reviewing it, I’m not getting it for free, so that means I still have to buy games. Just like you.

I’ve been subscribed to GameFly now for a little over two years, and through the service, I’ve played game after game after game that I would otherwise skip if it weren’t for it.

You’ve been able to rent games at Blockbuster and your local video rental store for years, but let’s face it: it’s no fun having to wait weeks for these stores to “maybe” receive that game you want to play but don’t want to drop the big cash on. Online video game rental services eliminate the “Maybe we’ll have it next month” nonsense you have to deal with at your local rental store. Instead, they have almost every new release within just a couple days of release. And, depending on where your online rental service is based out of, you’ll receive your games in just a few days. Sure, it means you have to wait a couple days, but it’s much cheaper than buying every game you “kind of” want to play, and it’s much shorter of a wait than at your local rental store.

Make it a Blockbuster night... when we carry your game
Smart consumers should stop buying and start renting more often. There are some games – multiplayer ones, for example – that you should buy. If you’re going to be playing it for months, then it’s worth the pricey cost of admission. But if it’s a 10-hour game that you’ll be done with in a week, why are you paying so much money for it? You shouldn’t be.

The game-buying defense force will argue that in the long run, you’re only losing money on renting. Well, how much money are you losing on games that you buy, play once, throw in the closet and never play again? Worse, how much money are you losing to GameStop and EB Games for all those trade-ins that earn you 10% of what you originally paid?

There are pros and cons to buying and renting, but there’s never been a better time to sign up online and starting renting games.

Perhaps someday in the not-too-distant future, companies like Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo will notice a spike in the renting trend and launch their own first-party services that allow you to rent and download latest releases right from your home. Digital distribution, whether you like it or not, is the future. Will downloads replace hard copies entirely? Not any time soon, but the convenience of digital distribution is unparallel, and frankly, there’s no reason to fear the oncoming revolution. It’s only going to make life better for you.

Imagine being able to download Halo 3, Super Mario Galaxy and Metal Gear Solid 4 via your high-speed Verizon FiOS connection. As super high-speed Internet connections become more and more common, features like this will begin to materialize.

How many games would you have completely ignored if it were not for the ability to download game demos Xbox Live Marketplace? I know, personally, I’ve ended up playing a lot of software I would have missed out on if it weren’t for Xbox 360’s downloads center. What if in the future you could download a demo for every single game? Digital distribution will make this possibility a reality someday.

We spoke to GameFly about the laws and business practices of renting video games online. The company couldn’t go into specifics, but we were told they abide by the same laws stores like Blockbuster and other online rental outlets do. That means publishers are making some kind of money off these online rentals. But how much more could they make if they cut out the middle man and offered direct downloadable rentals themselves?

Digital distribution is the future
Of course, none of this is ever going to happen if we continue to buy and buy overpriced games. It’s true that game developers and publishers have to make their money, but who says the current business model is the best? It certainly isn’t for consumers, and as a consumer, that’s what matters to me. What gets me the best deal for my dollar? There’s no commandment saying publishers can’t make money, and we can’t get a good deal at the same time.

The age of buying video games isn’t dead. However, that doesn’t mean it’s a good deal for you, the consumer. If you only buy games, you’re wallet hates you, and you’re missing out on a lot of great games that may not be worth the full price of admission but are still worth your attention. You’re a gamer, so jump to the latest beat and start gaming more. Now you know how to.

Evolving Zelda

2009-01-20T17:23:00.000-08:00

This article was originally published on Kombo. You can find the published version here (all missing pictures on this page will display on the Kombo version).

The video game industry is a funny thing, but aren’t many other industries as well? In our crazy industry, it’s not unheard of for certain game properties to simply have expectations that would require unadulterated perfection to meet.

If there is one franchise in the game industry that fits this description impeccably well it has to be Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda. Born in 1986 on the Nintendo Entertainment System, the first game in the franchise put into motion the series’ very own legend. At the time, The Legend of Zelda was hailed for its numerous innovations, many of which have impacted the art of game design so heavily that they are still used and recognized in today’s most modern video games.

Zelda began its life in the imagination of renowned game creator Shigeru Miyamoto, who at the time of release of The Legend of Zelda on NES had created the Mario series just years before. The game was inspired by Miyamoto’s own imaginary childhood adventures through the hills and caves of Kyoto, Japan. His vision transformed into a video game innovated in many regards – both in gameplay and in technology. The Legend of Zelda NES was an overhead 2D adventure that let players run around an open world, collecting items, solving puzzles, fighting enemies in real-time and exploring unknown dungeons and caves. Meanwhile, technically speaking, it employed a groundbreaking save system that allowed gamers to, for the first time, save their NES game progress. In an era where you either had to resort to sometimes ridiculously long save codes to continue your adventure or simply could not save your game progress at all, this was a godsend – one that truly revolutionized the game industry, and in fact, without this breakthrough, games as we know them today would not exist.

Miyamoto’s imaginary childhood adventures through the hills of Kyoto, Japan inspired him to create Zelda

Following the soaring popularity of The Legend of Zelda both in Japan and in the United States, Nintendo eventually released The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past for the Super NES. After the RPG-like departure from the roots of the original Legend of Zelda, known as Adventures of Link, A Link to the Past was like a reassuring breath of familiar air for many. Once again, the foundation that made the first Zelda so successful lay at the foot of this new Zelda. A Link to the Past, at its very heart, played like the true successor to the first Zelda. But it still managed to push forward the franchise, shaping it into The Legend of Zelda many gamers know and love today. The game introduced multiple-level dungeons, new items, more complicated puzzles, more interactive NPCs, a more lively overworld and upgraded visuals. All of these improvements made a lasting impact on the franchise, as a whole, and can be seen in contemporary iterations of Zelda.

Ocarina of Time transformed Zelda into 3D

The next huge jump for Zelda was The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for Nintendo 64, the first 3D Nintendo home console of all time. Just as the original Zelda laid the groundwork for future 2D adventure games, Ocarina of Time rocked the 3D adventure genre and even ten years later is, for many, not only the greatest Zelda game of all time but the single-best video game ever crafted. These are big words, and they are not used lightly. Ocarina treaded grounds no console adventure game had explored before it. With the title, Nintendo took the Zelda formula – a 2D concept – and realized it as a 3D reality. The leap was huge. Nintendo’s fathered at-the-time wholly new gameplay mechanics, such as lock-on targeting. The result was a piece of software that is used as a benchmark for games being developed a decade later. Zelda titles released today are immediately measured against the N64 masterpiece.

The Franchise That Stopped Revolutionizing
So far, I hope I’ve given enough history of the Zelda franchise to illustrate why it’s so celebrated. Truth is, we’ve only discussed three of many great, great Zelda titles, and yet I think that’s all that really needs to be discussed to make my point. The title of this section has no doubt angered, upset and most likely spawned a lot of rage in my direction – and rightfully so. After all, the subject of Zelda is a sensitive one, and any who dare to criticize the property or describe it in a fashion that is anything less than “the best thing ever” or even “complete perfection” is a hater and thus should be hated.

These are the laws of fans – fanboys, even – and the people who adore everything Zelda.

But the disrupting and even disappointing truth for many hardcore Zelda fans – including this one – is that it has been ten years since the last revolutionary Zelda title. It’s kind of comic, actually, that I can write about a franchise that it only revolutionized three times in its life and make it sound like such a sad shortcoming. Crazy, no? Can you name any other game series that has been such a force in shaping the video game industry? I can think of maybe one other, Mario, but I am a Zelda fan, so for me – and my personal bias – it always comes back to Zelda.

Is Zelda the ideal video game series?

The fact that I am a Zelda fan is something I would like to make very clear before I continue. Something about the franchise has such an uninterruptable grip on me. For me, it’s just the ideal video game franchise – almost everything about it.

And yet I like to think about myself as a clear-headed and practical Zelda fan – not the kind that proclaims everything Zelda as gold. Maybe this write-up will show that.

The bottom line is that Nintendo has produced three truly impacting Zelda titles: The Legend of Zelda, A Link to the Past and Ocarina of Time. I think you could even argue that only two of those – the first and the last – are truly “revolutionary.” But I think A Link to the Past deserves mention simply because it began to really fledge-out the Zelda universe and also because Ocarina of Time draws great inspiration from that installment.

The Legend of Zelda and Ocarina of Time, however, are the two primary revolutionary Zeldas. The first laid the foundation of the entire franchise and influenced the design of future adventure games like no other game at the time. Meanwhile, Ocarina made the formula work in 3D – a pretty big accomplishment by itself.

The game that started it all

Since 1998 – the year Nintendo published Ocarina of Time – we’ve seen a combination of both new 2D and 3D Zeldas, and many of these have been quite simply amazing titles. For instance, every 3D Zelda released since the N64 legend has been critically acclaimed, and if you look at review databases like GameRankings, you’ll find three of the four 3D Zeldas in the top 20 highest-scoring games of all time list. The lowest, Majora’s Mask, is still in the top 100. Another amazing feat for Zelda.

However, these Zeldas, though amazing, aren’t nearly as groundbreaking or influential as either the first Zelda of all time and the first 3D Zelda of all time. Of course, both The Legend of Zelda and Ocarina have big advantages – being the first of their kind automatically gives them a lot to work with as far as a chance to truly innovate goes.

The last revolutionary Zelda title

Regardless, while the Zelda franchise has continued to be a triple-A series of great games, in the last ten years, Nintendo has failed to do anything truly earth-shattering with the games. For a company that often refers to itself as a big innovator – the Big N even calls itself “the worldwide innovator in the creation of interactive entertainment” in every one of its press releases – it’s disappointing to consider that its most recent Zelda, Twilight Princess, is rooted in a formula that was first conceived two decades ago.

Stuck in the Last Millennium
Nintendo’s two most recent console Zeldas, The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess, feature a formula that has essentially been copied and pasted from Zelda to Zelda over the last twenty years. Series enthusiasts will argue the formula and template works – collect some stones and gems, save the princess and kill Ganon – and in truth it does. The old saying goes, “If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.”

But while the current Zelda works, with each year that passes, the last Zelda to redefine a genre and further shape it becomes older and older, and simultaneously, the formula continues to age and become dated. Will we reach a day and age when Zelda loses its appeal because of reused game mechanics and a failure to re-pioneer? I believe we will, and that day is probably closer than we realize.

Most Zeldas focus on the same thing: saving this princess

If you were to cut up the components that make up The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess into individual pieces, you would find that the overall template is almost identical to that of Ocarina of Time’s. That design concept is ten years old now. It’s dated, and it’s beginning to feel primitive in an era where other developers are exploring more advanced game design.

One of the biggest areas where Zelda fails to mature is storyline. Over the period of twenty years, Nintendo has not managed to move far past the plotline of “save the princess.” Go ahead, take a look at every Zelda in the last five, ten, twenty years – most of them employ the same general plotline over and over. Wouldn’t it be nice to see a deeper, more complex and ultimately more engrossing storyline?

On a controversial note, why does each Zelda have to include Zelda in the same fashion over and over? Heck, why include Zelda at all? If all she serves as is a doll to be kidnapped, maybe it would be more exciting to see the introduction of a new character or set of characters. After all, most Zelda fans love the series because of Link, not the princess. That noted, if she’s involved in the story, the developer needs to expand upon her role a little bit. She’s been involved in the same way, essentially, since the beginning of the franchise.

The world of Zelda is loved by many, and I am sure fans would like to learn more of its history. There are countless established races, areas and characters in the franchise that Nintendo can expand upon by so much. Twilight Princess takes gamers on adventure through a Hyrule that feels eerily familiar to a Zelda of old. In fact, many of the regions and towns explored in the title are the same places seen in Ocarina of Time ten years ago. And while this provided Nintendo with the prime opportunity to go into great detail about the history of these areas, the company ignored the occasion.

Speaking of story, in a general sense, Zelda is light-years behind other games like Final Fantasy, which employ much more captivating and even original storylines. These games are filled with full-motion videos, cut-scenes and other cinematic that are the cornerstone in their storytelling. Even other games, such as Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem from Silicon Knights, manage to incorporate more storyline development than today’s Zeldas, and they don’t utilize many more cut-scenes than Nintendo’s franchise. In other words, through in-game dialogue and character interaction, story can be told just as well as using lengthy FMVs.

Even if Nintendo should decide to avoid the use of more cut-scenes and FMVs, it shouldn’t avoid voice-acting much longer (or orchestrated music, for that matter). Should the series’ main protagonist, Link, speak? I don’t think so. But other characters in-game definitely should. There are plenty of games out there that have silent heroes but still have full voice work for other characters.

In general, character development seems to be a big area where Zelda avoids much growth, which is disappointing. It would be nice to see a Zelda game with a complex web of character relationships. Relationships between characters are always an integral element in the stories of books and movies – and even in games as they become a more mature medium – but Nintendo has managed to completely shelter its franchise from this reality. It’s a shame.

For single-player video games to continue to impress, they must become more story-driven and less formulaic. Zelda is not exempt from this truth.

Moving away from storylines, the Zelda franchise has remained rather primitive in regards to character interaction. Take a look at BioWare’s Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic or Bathesda’s Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Both of these western RPGs help spotlight a cultural division between western games and eastern games, such as Zelda. In both of these RPGs, you are able to realistically interact with NPCs throughout their game world. The games employ a dialogue tree system that allows you to reply to other in-game characters with a number of different responses. Depending on your response, the character you’re speaking with will respond differently, and more often than not, depending on how you treat characters, different events will unfold.

Zelda needs character interaction like Oblivion
The 90s mentality that every character in a game should only be capable of repeating the same lines over and over until the developer decides otherwise is a boring and even prehistoric one. Perhaps Zelda doesn’t need as deep of a dialogue system as either Knights of the Old Republic or Oblivion, but it would be nice to see a more intractable solution to speaking with in-game characters.

Outside of its dialogue system, I think that Oblivion is a great role model, overall, of where the Zelda franchise needs to go. Unfortunately, Bathesda and other developers alike beat Nintendo to inventing many of these mechanics, but it doesn’t mean Zelda should remain in the dark ages.

Video game overworld design has evolved considerably over the last decade, and yet Zelda’s hasn’t as much. Oblivion is a perfect example of how an overworld should feel, in my opinion. The entire land of Oblivion feels like one big world. You can seamlessly travel from area to area without ever feeling like you’re on a predefined path. In Ocarina of Time, or more recently, Twilight Princess, the same isn’t quite true. Zelda handles world design far better than most games, but at the same time, Twilight Princess’s world feels like a series of large rooms connected by pathways connected to even more large rooms. In fact, take one glance at the map of Hyrule in the game, and you’ll notice that the world is in fact made up of circles connected by confining paths.

The world of Oblivion is open and wide, Zelda’s should be too

Lionhead’s 2004 release, Fable, got slammed for this kind of linear world design, but Zelda seems to be a big offender of this crime, too. Interestingly enough, however, this didn’t always seem to be the case. While Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask and Twilight Princess all feature overall world design that is made up of shapes connected by one circular hub, titles like A Link to the Past feature world design that is much tighter and more cohesive. It seems that in the translation to 3D, Ocarina of Time struggled to recreate a living, breathing 3D world that is laid out in truly non-linear fashion. But can we blame it? It was the first of its kind, so it’s forgivable. But it’s a little tougher to understand why Twilight Princess’ world design feels so 1998.

Even the life within recent Zelda worlds feels awfully scripted and sometimes dull these days. Castle Town in Twilight Princess was overflowing with NPCs in every direction, and yet you could not talk to 95% of these characters. What gives? Why include so many lifeless bodies that serve absolutely no purpose other than creating foot traffic for Link to navigate around? If a character is in a game, it should play some kind of role other than scenery. If Nintendo wants an example of what I mean, Oblivion’s a great example yet again. Every character in that adventure RPG has its own virtual life, has a daily routine and is doing something that is connected to other characters also living their own virtual lives in that world. Above all else, there’s a reason for each character’s existence in Oblivion, and it has something to do with you, the player. Today’s Zelda still has a SNES-level of character interaction, meanwhile.

Lots of people in Castle Town, and you can’t talk to most of them

It’s true that Majora’s Mask was centered around a world that felt very much alive. There were a number of great sidequests to do, and they all had to do with a world of characters that seemed to be alive. But, somehow, the franchise has avoided that kind of atmosphere ever since.

Conclusion
Despite some problems Zelda has, as a whole, it remains one of the very best video game franchises out there. The bottom line seems to be that future games could benefit from some freedom in game design. In general, it’s more fun and engrossing to be able to do what you want in a game. Some linearity is key, otherwise you lose too much structure, but favoring overly simple or archaic design over deeper, more complex concepts is not a substitute for smart structure. The most linear a Zelda game should be, in my opinion, is when you’re in a dungeon. And the franchise does a top-notch job as far as dungeons go. It’s really the barebones approach to storytelling, lack of next-gen character interaction and restrictive world design that the Zelda games, in recent years, have failed to really move past.

Some might argue these things work – that they areZelda, in fact. While I won’t say those people are wrong, I will say that if Nintendo continues to favor the same kinds of gameplay design over and over, the appeal will slowly fade. Zelda has become its own legend – famous for its quality. It’s one of the few video game franchises that consistently receives nothing but praises from critics and fans alike. But the reason this is true is because the series has continued to evolve, constantly remaining fresh by introducing new mechanics and ideas. For the franchise to remain as celebrated, it must continue to do so – by evolving.

Dissecting GTA IV: Game Journalists Speculate

2009-01-20T17:20:00.000-08:00

This article was originally published on Kombo.

It has been a couple of weeks now, but we’re still thinking of the Grand Theft Auto IV trailer. The teaser didn’t really divulge much of any “real” information about the game – in typical Rockstar style. However, the game industry is spilling over with obsessed GTA fans that can’t help but speculate about the trailer.

Below, we’ve rounded up some journalists from sites and magazines like Electronic Gaming Monthly, IGN and GameDaily for their opinions, observations and speculation about the trailer. A few of our own editors even had a little something to say, too.

Continue reading at Kombo.

E3 2008: Sony Media Briefing Liveblog

2009-01-20T16:55:00.000-08:00

This was originally published on Kombo. You can find the published version, which includes photos, here.

The third and final conference of the big three is Sony's, and it starts at 11:30 AM on Tuesday. We're liveblogging the press conference, bringing you the latest text updates and photos from the media briefing. Our liveblog kicks off at the same time as the press conference, so keep an eye below to see what happens at Sony's show.

1:09 PM: And, it's over!

1:06 PM: We're seeing a trailer now. It looks good; we'll have photos uploading soon.

1:03 PM: Going to show a new MMO now. Says it is not technically possible on any system but PS3. Massive Action Game. MAG. This is a new IP from Zipper that will immerse players in 256-player matches. Combines small, tactical-based shooter with huge-scale battles.

1:01 PM: Now, we're seeing inFamous. Also coming in 2009.

1:00 PM: Just a teaser. No gameplay shown.

12:59 PM: God of War III. Next year. Trailer being shown.

12:56 PM: Another video montage: LittleBigPlanet, MotorStorm, MGS4, Quantum of Solace, SOCCOM, Ghostbusters, Soulcalibur IV, Resistance 2, The Agency, Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm, Mirror's Edge, Resident Evil 5, Singstar, Guitar Hero World Tour, NBA 09 The Inside, Buzz! Quiz TV, Killzone 2.

12:53: Showed a little footage of the new Prince of Persia. Looks sweet. The developer montage is still going on.

12:52 PM: Showing a montage of thoughts/commentary from different game developers, highlighting their opinions of the PS3.

12:51 PM: 80 gig PS3 coming in November. $399.99. Will be the "primary" PS3 version, says Sony.

12:46 PM: The trailer looks great. We'll get it up on the site as soon as possible.

12:44 PM: Talking about SOE. Going to show DC Universe Online.

12:43 PM: Talking about Life with PlayStation. Live news, live weather and live webcam feeds. It'll be available by the end of this month.

12:42 PM: Now we're going back to PS3 stuff.

12:39 PM: Showing reel, highlighting upcoming PSP games in the near year. Star Wars: Force Unleashed, Madden 09, LocoRoco 2, NBA 09 The Inside, Super Stardust Portable, Lego Batman, Patapon 2, Buzz! Master Quiz, Valkryia Chronicles shown.

12:37 PM: Spring 2009. It's a third-person shooter.

12:36 PM: Resistance: Retribution for PSP announced. Didn't see that coming, did you?

12:35 PM: This fall, a new entertainment pack is coming to the PSP line-up. In October, the Size Matters pack will be hitting store shelves. $199. Memory stick, Silver PSP. Size Matters. National Treasure 2.

12:34 PM: It's time to talk about PSP.

Says the PSP is the "most elegant" product Sony has ever made.

12:33 PM: Oh, btw. It's available tonight. Very nice.

12:32 PM: Talking about PSP integration. Can get content through the PS3 to the PSP. Or you can go through a PC and transfer to your PSP. Can even use the video-out feature to display your movies on a display, such as your PC monitor. Nice.

12:31 PM: Can preview movies before downloading.

It'll take an hour to download a standard-def movie. (Estimation, based on connection speed, obviously.)

12:29 PM: Showing off the video store. Layout looks clean and straightforward.

12:27 PM: Going to unveil new service that allows you to download movies directly to your PS3. Says it'll be open to business for all distributors. Companies on board are Sony pictures, Fox, MGM, Lion's Gate, Warner, Disney, paramount, Funimation, Paramount.

$1.99 per episode.
$2.99 – 5.99 for movies.
$9.99 and up for purchases

12:26 PM: Publishers on board with EA include EA, Ubi, Lucas Arts and Nike.

12:25 PM: PlayStation Home time. I was wondering when this would come up.

12:24 PM: Talking about trophies. Sony plans to expand upon trophies in the future.

12:23 PM: It'll be available August 1st via Prologue.

12:21 PM: Talking about GT5 Prologue and Gran Turismo TV. Showing a trailer for the feature.

12:19 PM: Just saw a montage of upcoming PSN games.

12:17 PM: Tretton says that with PlayStation Network, you don't have to choose between quantity and quality. You can have both.

12:16 PM: Looks just like a "real" PS3 game.

12:16 PM: New gameplay feature: can pick up objects with wrench.

12:15 PM: New PSN game: Rachet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty.

12:13 PM: 180 million PSN-related downloads have taken place since PS3 launch.

12:12 PM: Next topic: PlayStation Network. Starting this fall, single sign-on for all PlayStation-related accounts.

12:12 PM: New Lego Batman PS2 bundle announced. Also comes with the animated film Justice League: New Frontiers. $149.

12:10 PM: 1.5 million songs downloaded via Singstar Store.

12:08 PM: Over 130 new PS2 games coming in the next year. NCAA, Tiger Woods, Star Wars: Force Unleashed, Warriors Orochi 2, Singstar Pop Vol 2, Yakuza 2, Madden XX, Mercenaries 2.

12:07 PM: Now he's talking about PlayStation 2.

12:05 PM: LittleBigPlanet release date = October 2008.

12:05 PM: New Greatest Hits, $29.99, Resistance, MotorStorm, Warhawk, Call of Duty 3, Fight Night, Need for Speed Carbon, Rainbow Six Vegas, Assassin's Creed, Oblivion, Ninja Gaiden.

12:03 PM: Over 5 billion PS3 software sold, worldwide.

12:02 PM: They're showing a really creative graph, using nothing but the level design to illustrate the graph.

12:01 PM: We're going to see a new level from LittleBigPlanet now.

12:01 PM: This is a game you can play with everyone in your family. Tretton also loves that LBP is "uniquely PlayStation."

12:00 PM: Tretton is back, and talking a bit about user-generated content. LittleBigPlanet's being talked about. "LittleBigPlanet allows gamers to design games."

11:58 AM: He's running a new trailer for the game.

11:57 AM: Ted Price is talking about the scale of the game. Insomniac has focused heavily on the scale of Resistance 2. I think it shows.

11:56 AM: The demo's over.

11:55 AM: Okay, the creature has grabbed you and thrown you across the city skyline into another building.

11:54 AM: I presume this is a boss fight, and it looks great. Very intense.

11:53 AM: Oh, it's a live demo. The game looks great, graphically speaking. Huge-ass creature on screen. Shooting rockets at him. Doesn't seem to be doing much. The rockets are going into his mouth, and he's not phased by it.

11:51 AM: He agrees with the press – 2008 is the year of the PS3.

Resistance 2 footage.

11:49 AM: "PS3 has more exclusives than any other platform. More than 75 titles."

11:48 AM: Talking about how Blu-ray won the high-def format war. How critics have written that the PS3 is the most future-proof home console.

11:47 AM: Talking about the 10-year life cycle that Sony focuses on with its consoles.

11:46 AM: Now Tretton is talking about the history of the PlayStation. Reminds us that it was the first video game console to sell one million units.

11:44 AM: He's going over the history of the Shrine Auditorium.

11:43 AM: Jack Tretton is coming on stage. Says that Sony has had a lot of fun putting together this conference. Oh, he's kidding. Apparently, it's the most stressful time of his life – putting together the Sony E3 press conferences.

11:41 AM: Montage time. Killzone. Fear. BioShock. SOCCOM. Madden. Guitar Hero.

11: 40 AM: The lights just dimmed. Here we go.

11:32 AM: We're up front at the Sony Media Briefing, yet again waiting for things to get rolling. Hopefully, this show is a little more exciting than Nintendo's.

E3 2008: Nintendo Media Briefing Liveblog

2009-01-20T16:54:00.000-08:00

This was originally published on Kombo. You can find the published version, which includes photos, here.

Nintendo's E3 Media Briefing is scheduled to kick off today at 9:00 AM PST. We're live in Hollywood's Kodak Theater, live-blogging the whole thing. Check below for the coverage, including our photos and text updates straight from the conference.

10:11 AM: Here's one last pic – it's of Ken, completely underwhelmed. Doesn't his face just say, "WTF?"

10:10 AM: And that's it. Pretty underwhelming, overall. We're gonna head on over to the Sony Media Briefing.

11:08 AM: Reggie is telling us that Wii and DS are not fads. Fads are "no longer optimal."

11:08 AM: Right now, just recapping everything we just saw.

"Nintendo simply brings more smiles to more faces."

10:07 AM: Reggie and Cammie are talking again. Wrapping up the conference, it looks like.

10:06 AM: A bunch of Nintendo employees are on stage playing Mario music together.

10:05 AM: The game records videos of you playing.

10:01 AM: 50 different instruments. Piano. Violin. Saxophone. Drums.

9:56 AM: Wii Music is designed for everyone, designed for people who can play music in real life, but will be able to using Wii Music.

9:55 AM: Shigeru Miyamoto is on stage. Saxophone time!

9:54 AM: Wii Music is being shown. Coming this fall. Showing drum set.

9:52 AM: Reggie just destroyed Cammie. "That's why they call me the Reggenator!"

9:51 AM: Fencing mini-game game being shown now.

9:50 AM: Showing Jet Ski game now. You hold both the Wii-mote and nunchuck to control it. Reggie's playing it.

9:50 AM: It detects real-time movement of what you're doing with the Wii-mote. It looks 1:1. She's doing a Frisbee-throwing mini-game. There's a cute dog on screen, and it's going after the Frisbee.

9:49 AM: Demo time. Wii Motion Plus comes packaged with each copy of Wii Sports Resort.

9:48 AM: Wii Sports Resort announced. Takes place at the beach.

9:47 AM: Talking about Wii Motion Plus device. Makes Wii-mote more precise. It renders every slight shift of your wrist and arm into the game.

9:46 AM: Now she's talking about the DS being used in the kitchen, as a cookbook. The software is coming this November.

9:45 AM: Talking about airports and DS. She's always playing her DS at airports. But can the DS be used at an airport in other ways? Such as checking your flights, where your luggage is and checking ATMs/places to eat. Nintendo is experimenting with all this.

9:43 AM: GTA: China Town Wars coming to DS this winter. Set in modern-day Liberty City. Same free-ranging gameplay fans expect. Lots of clapping. Did someone just scream?

9:43 AM: The next Pokemon game announced. Pokemon Ranger: Shadows of Almia coming November 10th.

9:40 AM: Another big game coming is Spore from EA. Video reel showing Guitar Hero and Spore Creatures is running now.

9:41 AM: Guitar Hero On Tour Decades announced.

9:40 AM: Cammie is back now. Talking about how popular handheld games have become. Says 30% of gamers in 2005 playing DS were female. In 2006, that number was 46%. This year, it's at 48%, so far.

9:39 AM: Call of Duty supports the Wii Zapper. Lots of focus on the co-op element of the game in the trailer being shown.

9:38 AM: The third game is Call of Duty: World at War.

9:36 AM: There are lots of Wii games on the way, Reggie says, but Nintendo will be showing just 3 games for Wii this E3 conference, so it can focus on the variety of ways software is using the Wii's special controller.

First game is Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Second game is Rayman: Raving Rabbids TV Party

9:35 AM: Reggie says that using key franchises and characters (like Metroid and Mario) and also using new series (like Wii Sports and Wii Fit) helped accomplish this.

Now, we're seeing more third parties have success on Wii. 19 third-party Wii games have sold over 400,000 units in America alone.

9:33 AM: No system has sold as many games in its first 19 months as Wii has.

9:33 AM: Nintendo expects that when the NPD numbers for last month are released, it will reveal that Wii is the best-selling next-gen console, worldwide.

9:32 AM: He's talking about how Nintendo is now targeting females with its marketing. Within weeks of beginning its new campaign, sales doubled for New Super Mario Bros., Brain Age and Nintendogs.

9:31 AM: Says the new Pokemon: Mystery Dungeon series was a big seller this spring.

9:30 AM: Nintendo expects the total, worldwide DS sales will hit over 100 million by next March.

9:29 AM: But, despite all this, Reggie says Nintendo is not satisfied because there are still millions of people that do not play games.

9:27 AM: Reggie Fils-Aime is coming on stage now.

Lifetime sales for Wii hardware = 10 million.
DS = 20 million.

9:26 AM: The game will support "WiiSpeak," a microphone that allows players to communicate online. It sits on a flat surface and picks up audio throughout your room.

9:25 AM: You can use a mask to look like your Mii.

9:24 AM: Animal Crossing: City Folk coming this fall. And it's online.

9:23 AM: Animal Crossing confirmed.

9:22 AM: Talk about user-created content. "We're not the only ones thinking along these lines."

9:21 AM: So, the question is what's next, say Iwata? Eventually people will get tired of a new product. This happens with others try to reproduce that product. Iwata says that there is danger is standing still.

"We must find more ways for players to feel engaged. Different ways for them to be enriched. Even with interactions that are not games. The overall experience must be increased enthusiasm. Unfortunately, all these things are easier said than done. We at Nintendo always change our selves to be pioneers. We seek fresh surprises. I hope you enjoy the ones we have for you today."

9:20 AM: An example of this is Guitar Hero. He notes that although it's on multiple platforms, the Wii version is selling the best.

9:20 AM: Iwata wants to destroy the barrier between gamers and non-gamers.

9:19 AM: Years ago, games were purchased seasonally -- as a gift for someone else. However, now, players are buying games for themselves.

9:18 AM: But games like Wii Sports, with small budgets, can capture a worldwide audience. As long as it starts with a good idea.

Also, another thing that has changed is that the userbase has expanded. Photos of old people are on screen. I think you know where he's going with this.

9:17 AM: Says that the teams responsible for both Mario and Zelda are "hard at work."

9:16 AM: Games can now sell for a very long time. Games like Brain Age and Nintendogs are "Evergreens," continuing to sell year after year. Iwata thinks that it is no longer true that players only seek new games with more sophisticated graphics.

9:15 AM: Satoru Iwata is now on stage. He's talking about how when he firs started at Nintendo, there was such a pessimistic view of the company. Today, he wants to discuss what has really changed since then.

9:13 AM: The game's coming this year to Wii, "exclusively, she says. I thought the game was also for 360?

9:12 AM: Shaun is teaching her how to play Shaun White Snowboarding with the Wii Balance Board. She's doing the half pipe right now. Ouch, just slammed into the ground. She definitely needs Shaun's help.

9:09 AM: Shaun White Snowboarding being shown, and it's Shaun White playing the game.

9:08 AM: Talking about family trip when she went snowboarding. She fell, and she says that she needs someone to help her get better at snowboarding.

9:08 AM: Talking about her family. Says that playing video games is probably the safest way to try and impress your kids.

9:07 AM: Cammie Dunaway is on stage. "My name is not Reggie," she says. But she has a lot in common with Reggie. "We're both having a lot of fun." "I can't stop smiling."

9:06 AM: It's starting. There's a montage playing of people playing their DS and Wiis, smiling and having fun. Yay! Everyone's so happy!

9:01 AM: The show should be starting any minute now. We're all playing with our iPhones (custom apps FTW) while we wait.

8:45 AM: The theater is filling up, and we're just waiting for this thing to start.

8:36 AM: We just sat down. Got pretty decent seats. About 6 rows back. Feels like E3 2006 again, being back in the Kodak Theater. Let's hope it's a good show.

Mirror's Edge Review

2009-01-20T16:51:00.000-08:00

This review was originally published on Kombo. You can find the published version here.

What the Game's About
Mirror's Edge is unlike any other game I've played. Developed by DICE, it is a first-person parkour game, in which you'll spend the majority of your time wall-running, swinging from poles and jumping from building to building. The game is a single-player affair, telling the story of Faith, a "runner" in a city wherein communication is closely monitored by an authoritarian government. In this tightly monitored city, privacy is a thing of the past. Faith's day job sees her doing work for clients: delivering information to those who want to keep their communications off the wire. That is until her sister is framed for the murder of a rising politician. Suddenly, her life has changed. Now her purpose is to clear her sister's good name.

What's Hot
The moment you see Mirror's Edge in motion -- whether you're the one holding the controller or just watching someone else play the game -- you'll be impressed with how fantastically stylized and immersive the game is. Granted, graphics aren't everything, but Mirror's Edge blows you away with its distinctive, eye-catching looks, and it's these graphics that help create the experience that makes the game such a treat. Its masterful combination of varied sound effects and realistic sense of movement make it one of the most immersive games ever made. "Immersive" is in fact the best word to describe Mirror's Edge. The game takes place in first-person, which helps produce unparalleled raptness as you play. As you walk, run and jump, the camera bobs realistically, and you'll often see Faith's hands and feet, grabbing onto ledges and when you're rolling, respectively. As a result, you'll quickly find yourself absorbed in Mirror's Edge. It successfully does something few games do: it makes you feel like you're really "in" the game.

It's not just Mirror's Edge's graphical and audio presentation that makes it a winner. Simply put, the game is unlike any other. Sure, we've all played platformers -- and even first-person games with some platforming elements in them. But Mirror's Edge tries something unique. It's a first-person game that is devoted entirely to running and platforming, and it takes place in a brilliant setting: a city populated with hundreds of skyscrapers. Although the game is linear, you often have multiple paths to take to reach your destination, allowing you to creatively manipulate Faith around her environments. In a way, each environment that you encounter is very much a puzzle in itself. You know your objective -- get from point A to point B. But figuring out how to do it is a simultaneously challenging and satisfying experience.

Some would disagree, but there's something else that's refreshing about Mirror's Edge. It's not about combat or fighting. It's about running. There's a combat system, which is in place primarily so that you can disarm enemies rather than actually wrangle with them. And you can even use weapons, although each gun has just enough ammunition for a few kills and the weight of each weapon will actually make moving throughout the world an impossible task. But both the combat and gunplay mechanics are far from the focus of Mirror's Edge. Rather, it's a rather simple concept -- running -- that is the star of the show. Everything else, whether an enemy or environmental, is just an obstacle for you to overcome. Impressively, DICE has created an entire game around this theme, and it's done so ingeniously. Indeed, Mirror's Edge is at its best during segments in which you're running. These moments are like something ripped right out of a movie -- so cinematic and thrilling, it's impressive to encounter them in video game form.

Thanks to the fast pace of the game, it's ideal for speed running. There are even a couple of modes specifically for just this. Both the speed run and time trial modes are excellent tools for those who are into the idea of mastering each level in the quickest amount of time possible.

What's Not
Like any game, Mirror's Edge is not without flaws. The story is decent at best. While the plot sounds like it has potential -- and it does -- it doesn't deliver. There's not enough character development, so the few "twists" in the game are underwhelming. The whole thing -- an eavesdropping government, runners -- sounds great on paper. But it's just not executed particularly well. It's a shame, really.

There are some bigger problems, though. There's a lot of trial and error to Mirror's Edge, especially if you're not skilled at it. This isn't a game for impatient gamers. Moreover, wall-running, jumping from rooftops and running from "Blues" (the game's term for police) is entertaining, but that's all there is to Mirror's Edge. The game is super short, so these things never become so routine that they become boring and eventually lose their glimmer. Perhaps Mirror's Edge's most embarrassing stumble is that once you've played it for 30 minutes, you've basically experienced what the game has to offer.

The level design is also a bit on the repetitive side. Much of the game takes place outside, on top of skyscraper rooftops, but there are a fair amount of indoor areas too. Unfortunately, the most dramatic change in scenery is always due to a color palette change as you go from place to place. Over time, the environments begin to feel sterile and even lifeless.

Final World
Mirror's Edge is a beautiful and immersive title that simply must be experienced. The visual style is fantastic and the first-person parkour purely entertaining. Coupled together, these things are largely responsible for why Mirror's Edge is so great. What's more, it's truly refreshing to see a game that's entire focus is on running and escaping enemies, rather than engaging them. It's just one of the many components of Mirror's Edge that makes it unique. While there are some problems here and there -- primarily a weakly executed storyline and repetitive gameplay -- they are easy to overlook. Mirror's Edge is just too damn good to skip out on because of such forgivable flaws. That said, the game is very short (8 hours or so), so consider that before you purchase it.

Overall Score: 8.5 out of 10

E3 2008: Microsoft Media Briefing Liveblog

2009-01-20T16:50:00.001-08:00

This was originally published on Kombo. You can find the published version, which includes photos, here.

Today, Microsoft is holding its E3 2008 Media Briefing in Los Angeles, and we're liveblogging the whole thing. The conference and liveblog start at 10:30 AM PST today, so check below for the live coverage. We'll have all the news and photos straight from the conference.

12:05 AM: That's it. Presentation over. No motion controller, no Halo. Stay tuned for live blogging from the EA press conference.

12:03 PM: Available at launch for Xbox 360…in North America and Europe? No mention of Japan.

12:00 PM: Final Fantasy XIII trailer!

11:58 AM: Last Remnant releases worldwide November 20th. Also available on Games for Windows. Wow, Microsoft is still pretending to care about that?

11:57 AM: Last Remnant available on Xbox 360 first this holiday season. Trailer for Last Remnant starts up. UE3 graphics are pretty good, English dialog/voice acting is bad

11:56 AM: Star Ocean coming Spring 2009

11:55 AM: Square on stage. Infinite Undiscovery available September.

11:52 AM:: Over 500 songs will be playable in Rock Band 2.

11:50 AM: Rock Band 2 coming exclusively to Xbox 360 this fall. AC/DC appearing in Rock Band, exclusively.

11:45 AM: Lips getting motion sensitive mics.

11:43 AM: Lips revealed. It's a singing game. You can import songs from your Zune. Available this holiday season.

11:42 AM: Van Halen, The Eagles and Metallica part of World Tour.

11:40 AM: Guitar Hero: World Tour displayed on stage. New cymbals and a touch slide guitar displayed. 360 owners will be getting a REM trackpack ahead of everyone else.

11:38 AM: Gamers using Xbox Live to fuel their music passion, says Shane Kim.

11:35 AM: Your in the Movies looks like Eyetoy. Will include LIVE Vision Camera when it ships this fall.

11:31 AM: Your in the Movies announced. From Codemasters. Exclusive. This holiday.

11:30 AM: Scene It: Box Office smashed announced, shown. Uses your avatars.

11:29 AM: The original Banjo games are coming to XBLA.

11:26 AM: Showing a new trailer for Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts and Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise.

11:25 AM: Shane Kim is on stage now. GTA IV DLC coming later this year. Still exclusive.

11:24 AM: You can share your movies with your live party, so friends that are on the other side of the country can watch movies with you. Pretty freakin' awesome.

11:23 AM: Netflix partnering with Microsoft, exclusively. You'll be able to rent games from Netflix through your Xbox 360 and have them delivered directly to your house. Current Netflix users will have access to the service on XBL for no additional cost.

11:22 AM: Showing some of the first community games designed for XBL. The full service is going live this fall.

11:20 AM: Gladdos annoucnes Portal: Still Alive. It's for Xbox Live Arcade. Only.

11:20 AM: Galicta Legions coming to XBLA next month.

11:18 AM: Geometry Wars 2 coming exclusively to XBLA.

11:17 AM: You can even win real-life prizes. Pretty cool idea, I think.

11:15 AM: "Xbox Live Primetime" revealed. Allows gamers to star in game shows on XBL.

11:14 AM: Has "Live Party" feature lets you team up with friends and share photos, join games and hang out online. Sort of like Home.

11:11 AM: Avatars confirmed. New interface confirmed. The new look is very OSX/Apple.

11:10 AM: New system update coming. "The New Xbox Experience."

11:09 AM: John Scheppert on stage now. "Xbox Live is what separates us from the rest of the pack." Over 12 million members now.

11:08 AM: MGM and Constantine films will be available for download today.

11:06 AM: NBC, Universal becoming part of Microsoft's digital distribution partnership.

11:05 AM: Says Xbox 360 will sell more consoles worldwide, this generation, than PlayStation 3. No mention of Wii.

11:03 AM: Don Matrick is back on stage, doing some PR spin. The industry is doing great. Microsoft is doing great. Yadayada.

11:02 AM: Coming November 2nd.

11:00: AM: The demo ends with a tease. You can ride the Bruma. Also, the game has a new gameplay mode. 5-player co-op, taking on wave after wave of enemies.

10:59 AM: Showing off the new mini-gun. Very loud.

10:56 AM: Oops. Technical difficulty. Had to restart the demo.

10:55 AM: Doing a live co-op demonstration. The goal: take out Locust sinkhole.

10:54 AM: Cliffy B is on stage.

10:53 AM: Gears of War 2 trailer. Meat shield time.

10:53 AM: Fable 2 is coming in October of this year. I liked the first game, so I can't wait to pick this one up.

10:49 AM: He's showing the intro of the game, which we already saw back at Microsoft's Spring Showcase 2008 event in San Fran.

10:48 AM: Peter Molyneux is on stage now, and he says Fable 2 is finished. Everyone's clapping.

10:47 AM: RE5 is launching simultaneously in North America and Europe March 13, 2009.

10:46 AM: There's a new version of the chainsaw baddie, but the demo ends right as he appears on screen. We're guessing he was gonna try to cut someone in half.

10:44 AM: Online co-op confirmed. You can team up to perform co-op only maneuvers to reach areas you would otherwise not be able to get to.

10:44 AM: As expected, the game looks just like Resident Evil 4, but who says that's a bad thing? Of course, graphically, it looks considerably better. After all, this is a 360 game.

10:42 AM: Jun Takeuchi from Capcom is about to demo Resident Evil 5 now. He's speaking in Japanese, so I can't understand what he's saying. But, dammit, I love me some RE5.

10:41 AM: Fallout 3 will be getting "substantial" and exclusive on XBL.

10:40 AM: The game has cinematic camera angles when using turn-based combat. Looks pretty cool. And bloody.

10:36 AM: Demo of Fallout 3 is starting. The game looks awesome.

10:35 AM: Tod Howard is coming on stage. You know, from Bethesda. Says the trailer will be on XBL soon, sometime today.

10:34 AM: Fallout 3 being shown. New trailer.

10:33 AM: Talking about unveiling new technology.

10:31 AM: Don Matrick is on stage. Welcoming us to "Xbox 360," home of the biggest blockbusters. Talking about how the biggest sellers are on Xbox 360. GTA iv. Bioshock. Halo 3. COD4. Assassin's Creed.

10:24 AM: Still Waiting. Here's a photo of the setup.

10:15 AM: So, we're finally at the LACC, and we're inside Microsoft's press conference theater. The setup looks pretty solid this year. At least it's not at a High School like last year's show. We'll upload some photos soon.

9:00 AM: We're still in our hotel room, getting ready to head on over to the Los Angeles Convention Center. Our hotel is right across the street from the Staples Center this year, so it's a quick walk, compared to past years when we've been much further away. Media check-in starts at 9:30 AM PST, so we'll be heading over soon.

Fallout 3 Review

2009-01-20T16:50:00.000-08:00

This review was originally published on Kombo. You can find the published version here.

What the Game's About
When Interplay, the developer behind the original Fallout, announced that it was having financial troubles and would not be creating a sequel to Fallout 2, disappointment filled the hearts of Fallout fans. Even when Interplay sold the rights to Bethesda Softworks, despite the studio's proven track record, many fans couldn't help but doubt whether or not the developer could match Interplay's efforts. Fortunately, all the doubt was in vain. Bethesda has created a faithful 3D adaptation of the beloved franchise, and fans will appreciate and adore Fallout 3.

Fallout 3 takes place in 2077, around 200 years after a nuclear war that has changed the face of the United States. Set in a ruined Washington, D.C and surrounding area, Fallout 3 offers a frightening glimpse of what a post-nuclear war U.S. might look like. In the nuclear war-fearing years before the war, the U.S. government erected vaults for invited citizens to live in should there be an actual nuclear conflict, so that humanity could survive such a scenario. Indeed, there was such a war, and you are born into one of these vaults, Vault 101. All of your life, you're beaten with the vault's motto: you're born in the vault, you die in the vault -- no one ever comes into or leaves the vault. However, one morning, you awaken to find that your father, who is the vault's doctor, has unexplainably left the vault. As life in Vault 101 falls into chaos, you decide to find your father, leaving the vault and stepping outside into the unknown Capital Wasteland. Once outside, from your actions to your conversations with those who inhabit the land, you're able to do or say almost anything you want, making player freedom an integral theme of Fallout 3.

What's Hot
Fallout 3's story is compelling. There's a sense of mystery about your father and his life before you were born, and as you play the game, you'll unwind the truth about it all. It's difficult not to be engrossed by the premise. You've lived underground, protected from a world that you've only been exposed to via pictures of life before the war. When you first set eyes on the Capital Wasteland, you see a devastated and lifeless landscape of stripped trees and ruined buildings. Knowing nothing about this post-apocalyptic world, you must venture through it to find your father and uncover the truth.

Despite the harsh conditions of life post-war, humanity manages to survive. You'll encounter settlements of survivors, who are struggling to get by in the radiated, dangerous Capital Wasteland. Bethesda fans will feel right at home when it comes to interacting with these characters. Fallout 3 employs a dialogue system that's essentially ripped right out of the Elder Scrolls games. Using it, you'll interact with the game's characters. Nearly every character you encounter can be talked to, and you're free to treat each character however you like. If you want to be nice to people, you can, but if you want to be a downright bastard, there's nothing stopping you. Bethesda provides to you a selection of responses during conversation, and you pick the one that you like best. Depending on what you say, characters will respond to you differently. Rather than the game changing the storyline based on your interactions, you actually make the story depending on how you play. Other than the intro and ending, the story is told entirely through in-game conversations, so these conversations are a fundamental component of Fallout 3.

Your freedom is not limited to just conversations, even though perhaps just how much choice you have is most apparent during them. Many of the characters you encounter will ask for your help in the form of quests. Every quest offers the same kind of freedom the dialogue system does. There are a variety of ways that you can complete them -- that is if you choose to even do them. But I can't imagine anyone playing through Fallout 3 and ignoring them. Although you can stick to just the main quest line, chasing after your father, these sidequests are enjoyable and truly part of the Fallout 3 experience. They're not just tacked on, like sidequests are in many games. Rather, they're every bit a part of the story as the main quest is. You'll learn more about the Capital Wasteland and the characters who live in it through the sidequests. That said, in comparison to Bethesda's recent Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Fallout 3 seems a little more focused on the main quest than it does sidequests. Or perhaps it's just that the main quest's storyline is much stronger than Oblivion's, and thus you're more enticed to focus on it rather than sidequests.

In addition to the dialogue system and quests, the underlying gameplay design of Fallout 3 is strong. The game takes place in first-person and plays like a hybrid of the RPG and first-person shooter genres. Although you'll primarily use guns in combat, Fallout 3 is definitely more of an RPG than it is an FPS. You have an inventory which you fill with items that you collect as you explore the Capital Wasteland, you level up, you customize your character with the game's perks system and you encounter other role-playing elements along the way too. Even the combat is enhanced by an RPG approach to design. You're free to manually aim and fire, just like in, say, Half-Life 2, but using V.A.T.S. (Vault Automated Targeting System), you can play the game more like an RPG. In fact, I actually prefer to play using V.A.T.S. as it's such a well designed, cinematic tool. Using V.A.T.S., you can target different body parts of an enemy, each of which has its own effect when damaged. For instance, shooting the arm with which an enemy is holding its weapon will negatively impact its accuracy or prevent it from firing altogether. Meanwhile, shooting at the body will push an enemy backwards, away from you. Of course, headshots do the most damage and often result in a satisfying explosion of blood. Indeed, V.A.T.S. is gruesome, but it's entertaining because of the over-the-top gore.

Last but not least, Fallout 3 is immersive, which is thanks to its stunning visuals and fantastic audio quality. Perhaps not everyone who plays it will appreciate the desolateness of the Capital Wasteland, but there's something artistic and beautiful, at least in a tragic sort of way, about it. Exploring the ruins of a 1950s-style and decorated Washington, D.C. is a spellbinding, riveting experience. Stumbling upon famous landmarks, such as the deteriorated Washington Monument sitting across from the barely-standing Capital Building, and seeing how it all fares 200 years after a devastating nuclear war is a gripping visual moment. You can't help but appreciate the realness of the scenario and how frightening it is. Of course, the atmosphere wouldn't be what it is without its moody, ambient noise, whether it be the sound of gunfire, explosions, a radio station or stark silence. The production values are an award-worthy achievement.

What's Not
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion had its infamous problem: when you leveled up, so did all of the enemies in the game, and therefore, Oblivion became more difficult the higher level you were, rather than the other way around. Thankfully, Fallout 3 has escaped this problem, but it has been replaced by a new problem, unfortunately. In Oblivion, your skills, such as lock picking, increased as you used them. But in Fallout 3, you assign points to each skill as you level, which just doesn't work as well. As a result of this design, it's impossible to be a Jack of all trades -- that is, proficient in all areas. This is not so much a problem where combat is concerned, as it makes sense to force you to focus on one kind of combat. However, when it comes to secondary skills, such as lock picking or science, it's problematic. If you don't put enough points into a skill, you'll eventually find that you often can't use that skill later in the game. Because there's a relatively low level cap -- 20 -- you have to be cautious and think ahead as you dispense points. Otherwise, you could find yourself in a situation, even half-way through the game, in which you can't do what you want. For example, if you evenly invest in both lock picking and science and have level 50 in both skills, when you encounter a level 50 lock or computer terminal, you won't be able to interact with either. The deeper you get into the game, the higher level your skills will have to be to interact with these objects, so this can be an issue depending on how you play. Some might argue that this isn't a flaw in design, as you can avoid the problem by focusing on specific skills. That may be true, but the design does make Fallout 3 less enjoyable than it could have been.

Early in Fallout 3, ammunition is incredibly scarce. As you progress, the problem alleviates itself some, but during the first few hours of the adventure, the lack of ammo feels like a genuine problem. If you choose to do sidequests that do not reward you with ammo, you'll find that you're very low on ammo. Because the game's currency, bottlecaps, are also in fairly short supply in the beginning, you can easily find yourself in a situation in which you don't have enough ammo and don't have enough bottlecaps to purchase ammo. As a result of this, I found myself straying away from sidequests and exploring until later in the game because I didn't want to risk running out of ammo. There's no doubt that this is an intentional design choice on Bethesda's part, as the lack of ammo lends to the tense atmosphere. But it discourages exploration, which seems to go against what Bethesda games are all about.

When Bethesda announced that it was creating a Fallout game, I expected that its final product would basically be Elder Scrolls with a post-apocalyptic theme. In more ways than not, this is the case with Fallout 3. However, there are some key differences between Fallout 3 and the Elder Scrolls series, and while I am not necessarily taking issue with any of them, I think it's worth noting them. As a result of the theme, there are both fewer NPCs to interact with and fewer towns to visit as well. The game is more focused on the main quest than townplay and sidequesting, since there are less of both things. Again, this is not so much a complaint as it is an observation or a warning to those who expect the Elder Scrolls formula to translate without change to post-apocalyptia. On the opposite side of the spectrum, Fallout 3 sometimes feels too similar to Oblivion in the sense that mechanics, such as the dialogue system, haven't advanced much.

Final Word
Fallout 3 is an incredibly well done 3D adaptation of Interplay's cherished series. It is not a flawless title by any means, but it is a remarkable one. Bethesda's marriage of the RPG and FPS genres is a triumphant success, and it makes Fallout 3 a unique experience despite its similarities to Bethesda's past releases. Further, this open-ended adventure through a post-apocalyptic wasteland is simply captivating. You'll easily get sucked into the Capital Wasteland, and you'll want to explore every last bit of it before you put the controller down.

This is one of the best games of this generation, and a must-have for anyone with the slightest bit of interest in the post-apocalyptic genre.

Overall Score: 9.5 out of 10

Wario Land: Shake It! Review

2009-01-20T16:49:00.000-08:00

This review was originally published on Kombo. You can find the published version here.

What the Game's About
Today's video game market sees few console 2D platformers, but that fact hasn't stopped Nintendo from making such a title for Wii. Wario Land: Shake It!, as you might be able to guess from the title, is the latest Wario Land release. The game comes seven years after the last game in the series, Wario Land 4, and it marks the first console Wario Land installment we've seen. Shake It! features a regular, Nintendo-esque story. You play as Wario, who must rescue a kidnapped queen and the magical Bottomless Coin Sack -- the latter of which is the primary driver of Wario's interest in this rescue mission. Playing as Wario, you'll make your way through five worlds, each of which features a handful of levels and a boss fight. Along the way, you'll platform, collect money and smash your way through things. This is very much a typical Wario Land sequel.

What's Hot
Shake It! is unusual in at least one sense; it's a really good-looking 2D Wii game. Typically, you don't expect to be impressed by a 2D platformer's visuals, but Shake It! manages to anyway. The game features hand-drawn visuals as well as rich, parallax backgrounds. As a result, Wario Land comes off looking nicely stylized. This truth lends to making this old school platformer more presentable and enjoyable by today's standards.

While the graphics are attractive, the underlying gameplay is the reason why fans will dig Wario Land: Shake It!. Fundamentally, this is a standard Wario Land sequel -- and while that can certainly be a negative thing, it's simultaneously a great thing. The game's level design is varied, delivering a healthy assortment of themed locales and play mechanics. Just when you get sick of the look of an area, you're tossed into a totally different looking setting, and just when a play mechanic is starting to feel overused, a new one is introduced or the pace changes entirely. What's more, the game's controls are spot-on. There's no abuse of motion controls. The few mechanics that do rely on motion controls, though, are fitting and executed well.

What's Not
Perhaps the chief shortcoming of Shake It! is that its simplistic and straightforward, lacking depth. Its demeanor can't help but remind me of something that you'd expect to find on a handheld or WiiWare. That's not to cut down those kinds of games. It's just that Shake It! lacks the production values expected in a console title. Also problematic is Shake It's lack of newness. You won't find anything incredibly imaginative here, nor will you find anything that blows you away. The game's linear structure is rather straightforward, leaving the mechanics to speak for themselves. Since the majority of the game's play mechanics are recycled from past Wario Lands or other platformers in general, the game feels ordinary. The title is even missing a few things that past games in the series have had, such as power-ups.

I'm not a fan of at least one level design component found throughout Shake It!. Upon reaching the end of each stage, you'll have to race the clock back to the beginning of the level if you want to keep any of the coinage you earned along the way. I would have preferred longer levels than the forced backtracking. The current formula is on the repetitive side and artificially extends each level's length.

Finally, there is the lack of a true 16x9 mode, which is frankly unforgivable in this day and age. The title's widescreen mode frames a 4x3 version of Shake It! on the screen, surrounded by vertical bars. If you have a widescreen TV, this is not the way that you want to play any new release; it's a waste of screen real estate. The setup reminds me of playing the old Game Boy Pokemons on my N64 through Pokemon Stadium. That was cool at the time, but it's 2008 now.

Final World
Wario Land: Shake It! is a bit of a treat for old school gamers who are nostalgic for the 16-bit days. The title delivers tried-and-true 2D platforming fun. The hand-drawn visuals, level design and play mechanics come together nicely, creating an experience retro gamers and Wario fans will appreciate. Unfortunately, the straightforwardness and lack of freshness make that experience somewhat unimpressive. Further, there's something decidedly handheld or WiiWare-esque about Shake It!. Perhaps it's because the game is fundamentally the same as its predecessors, all born on the handheld platform.

All things considered, Wario Land: Shake It! is still an old-school treat. If you're looking for a light, fun 2D side-scroller, here you go.

Overall Score: 7.5 out of 10

Boom Blox Review

2009-01-20T16:46:00.000-08:00

This article was originally published on Kombo.

Kombo's Review Policy: Our reviews are written for you. Our goal is to write honest, to-the-point reviews that don't waste your time. This is why we've split our reviews into four sections: What the Game's About, What's Hot, What's Not and Final Word, so that you can easily find the information you want from our reviews.

What the Game's About
When Steven Spielberg announced that he'd be creating a video game and working with Electronic Arts to do so, the world expected something cinematic, something with a big budget and something with high production values. What the world didn't expect, however, was a puzzle game involving building blocks. I guess Spielberg thought he'd surprise us -- and he has, in multiple ways. Not only were we surprised that he chose to design Boom Blox as his first video game, we are surprised at just how enjoyable and fun the game is.

The entire title is built around the idea of playing with blocks -- either building them up or breaking them down. And these blocks -- they're not just normal building blocks. There's a creative variety of blocks, each of which has its own special characteristic. The variety doesn't stop there. There are numerous single-player modes, a multiplayer mode and a create-a-stage mode, as well. Spielberg's debut game might have been created with simplicity in mind, but laziness had nothing to do with it. There's a lot to play around with in Boom Blox.

What's Hot
I am the kind of gamer that will always pick the "core" game over a "casual" game -- you know, the story-driven, complex, graphically impressive epic. Casual games rarely hold my attention, and more often than not, I stay away (unless I'm reviewing the game, in which case I have to play it, obviously). Boom Blox, however, is the kind of game that I'll continue to play -- even now that I'm done reviewing it. The reason is simple: the game is fun, and just about anyone can play it and truly enjoy it. Additionally, it can be played strategically, which ensures you won't get bored quickly. I'm sure there are some folks out there that won't understand the attraction of systematically destroying towers of blocks, but whatever. This game is fun, and chances are you'll only have to play one round to understand why.

When you think about Wii's hardware, you probably don't think about impressive technology, let alone realistic physics. It's here that Boom Blox surprises yet again. The title's physics system, which is powered by Havok, is incredibly realistic, and as a result, playing with in-game blocks feels every bit as fun as playing with real-life ones.

Using the Wii-mote, you'll interact with Boom Blox in a fashion unlike any other Wii game. In some modes, you'll point on-screen where you want to throw your object (sometimes it's a baseball, sometimes it's a bomb and sometimes it's something else), and then you'll motion a throw with the remote (without letting go, unless you want to destroy your TV) to throw that object. Other modes, meanwhile, involve carefully removing blocks from skyscrapers of blocks. The Wii-mote perfectly connects you to the game, allowing you to interact with precision. Whatever the rules of the gametype, Boom Blox's controls are always intuitive and precise. The game might make the best use Nintendo's motion controller to date, thus far. Interacting with Spielberg's creation is as easy as can be.

There's a satisfying collection of modes in Boom Blox, including those based in single-player as well as a fantastic multiplayer mode, which up to four at a time can play. The developer hasn't just presented level-after-level of playing with blocks, either. There is a story-based adventure mode, which is a nice extra, even if the story is childish and unlikely to enthrall. But the truth is that while the single-player here is entertaining enough, multiplayer is where the game shines. This is a great purchase for those looking for a game that can be played at a party or even with just with friends at home.

Lastly, there is the stage editor, which lets you build your own levels. It's clear that Spielberg has played with building blocks before and knows that half the fun of doing so is building your own constructions -- only to knock everything down as soon as you're done. The stage editor lets you do that and comes complete with all the tools you need to create whatever you can imagine.

What's Not
Critiquing Boom Blox is not as easy as other games because there's very little to complain about. Because it's a Wii game, the immediate downside is that its graphics are inherently simple, and there's a lack of special effects and eye candy. Specifically, the backdrops are plain and lack art direction. Worse, on levels with large amounts of blocks, the framerate slows when things start falling all over.

Final Word
Boom Blox might not be the blockbuster, cinematic video game that many -- including myself -- expected from the mind of Spielberg, but that doesn't make it any less fun. It's a game that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and preferences. Think you won't like Boom Blox? I dare you to try it. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Overall Score: 9.0

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption Review

2009-01-20T16:42:00.000-08:00

This review was originally published on Kombo. You can find the published version here.

What the Game's About
It was over five years ago that Retro Studios developed and Nintendo published the GameCube insta-masterpiece Metroid Prime. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is the third and final title in the Metroid Prime trilogy. All of the questions you have after playing through Metroid Prime and Metroid Prime 2: Echoes will be answered – well, just about all of them. The game's story picks up shortly after the events that unfolded in Echoes, to be precise. If you haven't played both Prime and Prime 2, it might be difficult to follow along with what's going on in Corruption, although it's possible. Still, this is a sequel, and it constantly references events and information found in its predecessors.

What's Hot
Surprisingly, the first thing that stands out about Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is its storytelling. Retro has taken a much more cinematic and conventional approach to storytelling in the third Prime game, and it works every bit as well as you'd expect it would. This is the first Metroid game to feature full voice acting, and it's absolutely well done. Furthermore, Prime 3 is considerably more story-based than just about any other Metroid game before it. The larger amount of cut-scenes initially feels alien to the Metroid franchise, but Retro has done a top-notch job of trying to truly bring to life the Metroid universe in a fashion that's never been done before.

What makes Prime 3 a truly must-play experience isn't its storytelling, though. It's the thoughtful and intricate world – or universe, rather – design. Like previous Metroid Primes, everything is carefully tied together. The level and puzzle design often crisscrosses, and you'll find yourself journeying back and forth between explored and unexplored areas, employing newly found power-ups and abilities, which allow you to progress even deeper into the game's world.

Retro's incredibly smart design – both in regards to level design, puzzle design and the game's excellent pacing – is indeed what makes Prime 3 such a satisfyingly entertaining playthrough, but on the surface there's something that Corruption does that instantly catches your attention: its superb use of the Wii controller. While the button configuration is less intuitive than we like, the pointing controls eventually become second-nature and offer precision and ease of use that's on par with a keyboard/mouse setup. What's more, the gesture controls let you interact with the game's world in an unprecedented manner – on a level never experienced in any other game before, period.

Flying back and forth between different planets makes Prime 3's universe feel big. The interior of Samus' ship is rendered beautifully, and you feel like a real bounty hunter as you use the ship to navigate your way from alien planet to planet throughout the galaxy. The introduction of Samus' ship and the galaxy map means you don't spend quite as much time backtracking as you do in past Prime games, which is sure to be a plus to many (although there is still a great amount of backtracking and re-exploration, both of which are franchise roots and are sure to make hardcore fans happy).

There's another first for the Prime series, too: you don't lose all of your power-ups at the beginning of the adventure. Instead of re-collecting a bunch of power-ups we've all seen and used in both Prime and Prime 2, Retro instead showers you with a stream of never-before-seen abilities. This keeps the adventure feeling fresh and new throughout, as especially in the latter half of the game, you'll discover several unexpected power-ups.

Perhaps the biggest surprise Metroid Prime 3 brings to the table (we knew it'd play well, after all) is its visuals, which thanks to a creative art-direction, manage to blow you away over and over again. The world and areas in Prime 3 are varied, each featuring its own visual theme and style different from the last. Even room-to-room, Corruption manages to deliver a certain level of diversity that most games could only dream of. This is by far the best-looking Wii game yet, thanks to winning art-direction, extensive bloom lighting, overflowing detail and overall artistry that runs circles around even the best-looking Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 software.

What's Not
While playing, there are a few things that might annoy. For example, the control configuration is initially less intuitive than past Primes. There's definitely a learning curve with the new controls, too, but they do grow on you. As far as the button layout goes, pressing down on the D-pad to fire missiles never feels as satisfying as a conventional button press has in the past, and it's not ideal. Stranger, on the topic of controls, Corruption never tells you that you can morphball jump by motioning upwards with the Wii-mote, which is rather baffling considering it works so well.

While the design of the worlds explored in Prime 3 is superior to both its predecessors, Corruption's locales are not as memorable as some explored in the original Metroid Prime. For instance, the game never enjoys the kind of high the first Prime did five years ago with areas like the Phendrana Drifts. The most impressive parts of Prime 3 take place indoors, rather than outdoors, which is clearly a smart move by Retro, as the few parts of the game that do take place outside are dampened by the Wii's inability to render wide-angle shots of stretching landscapes. Whereas the indoor areas of Prime 3 are practically bursting with detail, all outdoor ones are limited by noticeably lower resolution textures and less sophisticated geometry. The two different tones – gorgeous indoor areas and dry outdoor ones – resorts in a sort of bipolar visual experience.

Scanning is still a huge part of Metroid Prime 3, but the new scan visor employs a visual effect that drastically changes the colors and detail that you would normally see if you were walking around in your combat visor. We have a tendency to walk around in the scan visor, as we simply have to scan every little thing possible, so this means we sometimes felt like we were missing out on seeing some of Prime 3's most stunning moments, as we were stuck seeing simple shapes and colors without the detail that brings everything to life. In past Prime games, the scan visor did not use such a dramatic visual style, and thus you could still see the beautiful art-direction surrounding you, which we prefer.

While Prime 3's pacing is about as seamless as can be, it's marred by what for some will be an annoying fetchquest towards the end of the adventure. It's hard to say how much this will affect each person's experience with Prime 3, because this is by far the least annoying fetchquest found in all of the Prime games. You will actually end up collecting the items needed along your way through the game, and by the time you are told you need these items to progress any further, you are likely to have amassed 75% of the items you need, leaving you to collect one or two more. However, if for some reason you've been missing out on these items, you'll be left with a vague and annoying fetchquest.

As it did in past Prime games, Retro has masked all loading times in either cut-scenes or shoot-to-open doors that separate rooms. Unfortunately, when you shoot one of these doors, they will sit still for several seconds before they open, which can become frustrating when backtracking through no-longer-new areas. While the same loading doors were utilized in both Prime and Prime 2, the loading times were nearly instantaneous, whereas the wait here can be as long as five seconds.

If you've played through both Prime and Prime 2, you should know that the "Normal" difficulty in Corruption is noticeably easier than traditionally. There is a "Veteran" mode, which we recommend playing on, otherwise boss fights feel less climatic, and you might find that you're blowing your way through what should be at least decently challenging encounters.

Some enemy encounters, specifically with space pirates, feel quieter than they have in the past – all due to decidedly quiet death sound effects. When these space pirates die, they do so so quietly things feel mute. What's more, the battle music is rarely triggered, which means you'll find yourself fighting in regular background music or near-silence most the time.

Finally, while a lot of the music in Metroid Prime 3 is outstanding, we weren't as blown away by some of the tracks here as we have been with past Metroid games. There are at least a few memorable tracks, but the soundtrack is probably one of the least memorable in the franchise's celebrated musical history, and there are even some repetitive tracks to name.

Final Word
Metroid Prime 3 is by far the best developed-from-the-ground-up Wii game yet. Retro's excellent use of the Wii-mote's pointing capabilities and gesture capabilities makes this a video game experience that's truly unlike any other out there (and that's not just hyperbole).

There are some minor quibbles: long load times, barren-looking outdoor environments, a soundtrack that doesn't entirely deliver, it's basically just more of the same stuff found in the other Prime games, and we never found a world that topped the Phendrana Drifts from the original Prime. But these are all just that: minor shortcomings. Fortunately, smart gameplay design, stunningly-gorgeous art-direction, superb controls and superior storytelling more than make up for these things. What's more, Retro has done a lot of things – like the more conventional storytelling – to make Prime 3 the most accessible of the Prime games.

As a whole, the game's overall difficulty tone is easier than previous Metroid games, which might disappoint, but the level and puzzle design throughout Corruption is easily some of the best in not only the franchise but in any game out there. Retro's carefully-thought-out design shines through any shortcomings the adventure might have and makes Metroid Prime 3: Corruption an absolute must-have Wii title. It is not as groundbreaking or impressive as the original Metroid Prime was five years ago, but on many levels, it is the more advanced and sophisticated game.

If you own a Wii, you have to own Corruption. If you don't own a Wii, this is a convincing reason you might want to think about buying one.

Overall Score: 9.4 out of 10

BioShock Review

2009-01-20T16:41:00.000-08:00

This review was originally published on Kombo. You can find the published version here.

Few games start as triumphantly as BioShock. From the moment the game’s opening cinematic begins to roll to the very end of the adventure, you can’t help but become glued to your TV. 2K Boston – originally Irrational Games – has created an absolutely riveting, atmospheric and gorgeous first-person shooter.

The game opens with your character in a plane, but not before long, it crashes into the ocean, and you’re floating in the dark. Jet fuel floating around you has ignited, and a wall of fire surrounds you. The flames provide just enough light for you to see the tail-end of the plane, which is steadily sinking deeper into the ocean. The scene is frightening, but it immediately hooks – few games manage such an instantly-captivating opening, but BioShock isn’t your average game. Swimming to what appears to be safety, you discover the top of a building sticking out of the water. One more glance behind you, and you see the last part of the plane finally succumb to the ocean, sinking out of sight. In front of you is the unknown; some building of some kind mysteriously awaiting you in the middle of the sea. As you walk through the dark corridors, lights flicker to life, revealing a path before you. Eventually, you step foot into a capsule, and you descend into Rapture.

Rarely do we experience something in a video game that actually sends a shiver down our spines, but our first glimpse at the underwater metropolis of Rapture did just that. Set in the 1960s, the city is glowing bright with a wide assortment of colors, which realistically blur due to being under water.

Andrew Ryan is the mastermind behind Rapture and its existence. It is a place for the talented to rise to the top, but one look inside the aquatic city reveals a disturbing reality for what should be, according to Ryan, a utopia.

Once inside Rapture, it truly does feel like you’ve stepped foot into a world separate of earth’s. The dystopia is chock-full of the city’s people, all of which have gone mad. There’s blood smeared across the walls, mask-wearing crazies wonder hallways, trash is littered across the floor, windows are smashed, things are on fire, delirious screams from its once-happy inhabitants fill Rapture’s air and propaganda posters are pasted across whatever walls are still standing. Over the city’s radio, disconnected voices broadcast more half-truths. The mood is eerie. The city of Rapture is disturbing on so many levels, and yet every inch of it is absolutely fascinating, and you can’t stop looking at the unfolding devastation.

BioShock rarely takes control away from you, which is what sets the game’s storytelling apart from every other cookie-cutter shooter on the market. Although there are the occasional cut-scenes, which are needed to push the story forwards, they’re few and far between. The majority of the story unfolds while you’re controlling your character, which means there are no rough transitions between gameplay and cut-scenes – it’s all seamless.

As you explore the enchantingly unusual city of Rapture, the story moves forward via radio messages, which you can listen to while playing. The mechanic works well and 2K Boston has gone to great lengths to keep you immersed, using a static sound effect to add realism to the messages. Unfortunately, due to a mix of static, accents and sometimes-quiet volume, some recordings can be rather difficult to hear. Making matters worse, while the game supports subtitles, they’re surprisingly poor – skipping forward, backward and lagging, making them rather useless.

While this is a first-person shooter at heart, it’s anything but a routine one. Indeed, while you carry weapons around, you also have access to creatively-designed plasmids. These magic-esque abilities let you interact with the environment in a number of different ways. One plasmid lets you shoot fire from your hands, allowing you to melt away ice and burn nearby enemies. The plasmid abilities break up what would otherwise be non-stop gunning.

2K Boston has carefully designed and paced the adventure, and it shows. For example, during our play-through of the game, we always had just enough ammunition, money and EVE (required to use plasmids) to get by, creating a winningly intense ambiance. While BioShock is a first-person shooter, it requires a smarter play style than just running and gunning. The game features intelligent AI, and in fact, it’s easy to forget that you’re playing against computer-controlled enemies and not other humans.

One example, in particular, of the game’s excellent AI is demonstrated any time you square off with a Big Daddy. The metal diving suit-wearing characters roam the buildings of Rapture, but unless they are accompanied by a Little Sister, they will not try and harm you. However, it’s required that you fight and kill the Big Daddies to progress into the game, and these fights never fail to deliver a rush of excitement and challenge.

The game challenges you to choose between killing or saving Little Sisters, and it even manages to bring some emotion into the equation. There are plusses and minuses to either decision, so there’s no right or wrong path.

While BioShock is a magnificently intense and atmospheric adventure through and through, it’s not flawless. For example, it would have been even greater if the game featured co-op play. The worst problem, though, is that the game sometimes feels overly formulaic and even repetitive. It sends you all over the place, but every time you arrive where it tells you to, you’re then immediately sent off in another direction because somebody either died or an area was blocked off by some scripted event. Along the way, you kill any enemies you find. More importantly, you have to find and kill or rescue every Little Sister in each area of the game before you can progress, otherwise the game will “become extremely difficult,” as the game itself warns you when you try to progress further into the game without dealing with each Little Sister in your current area. The formula can be broken down into going from goal to goal and finding Big Daddies and Little Sisters along the way.

Regardless of the fact that BioShock is not a perfect game, it is still an amazing one. This is the most atmospheric game available on Xbox 360 – and it’s one of the most atmospheric video games of all time, period. The game is incredibly polished and well done on every level. It’s a graphical and audio showpiece, to boot. There are few games that manage to captivate and enthrall the way that BioShock does. The intriguing storytelling, smooth pacing, varied level design, gorgeous graphics and incredible audio all come sweetly wrapped together in one must-purchase package.

Don’t miss this masterful shooter.

Overall Score: 9.6 out of 10

Super Mario Galaxy Review

2009-01-20T16:40:00.000-08:00

This article was originally published on Kombo.

AMN's Review Policy: Our reviews are written for you. Our goal is to write honest, to-the-point reviews that don't waste your time. This is why we've split our reviews into four sections: What the Game's About, What's Hot, What's Not and Final Word, so that you can easily find the information you want from our reviews.

What the Game's About
Ten years ago, Nintendo did something remarkable. It translated its cherished Mario franchise from 2D to 3D, creating an instant classic. Indeed, Super Mario 64 is the benchmark that the Big N's latest Mario title, Super Mario Galaxy, must measure up against. Making matters more unfair for Galaxy, it's the first "true" Mario title in five years. Expectations are at an all-time high. However, Nintendo's latest Mario title has no problem standing on its own two feet. Obviously, it's not as groundbreaking as Mario 64 was a decade ago, but it shakes things up, nonetheless. Mario must traverse a new frontier: space. He's platforming from planet to planet on a quest to save – can you guess it? – Princess Peach. But this time, the princess is in another galaxy. Along the way, he'll explore unexpected worlds, use both new and old power-ups and encounter both familiar and not-so-familiar characters. And he'll entertain you each step of the way.

What's Hot
Super Mario Galaxy might not revolutionize the platforming genre, but it definitely takes it, flips it on its side and has as much fun with it as possible. The new premise – exploring galaxies and hopping from planet to planet – is admittedly a bit unorthodox for Mario. However, it turns out Miyamoto still knows what he's doing. These three-dimensional objects (planets and otherwise) serve as Mario's playground the majority of the time and come in an assortment of sizes, shapes and colors. Impressively, each is more brilliant than the last. Know this: the planet-to-planet gameplay is different from traditional Mario. But even so, it's damned entertaining. Initially, Galaxy's novelty is "pretty clever." Soon enough, it becomes mind-bogglingly impressive. The level design here is often ingenious and always engaging. Galaxy subtly marries platforming with puzzles. And despite its kid-friendly appearance, Galaxy is anything but shallow. Oppositely, its depth can be appreciated by people of all ages. The gameplay here is smart, and thus it's the kind of game anyone can enjoy.

At first glance, Mario Galaxy seems unconventional. That's because it simply is. But Mario fans should rest easy. Galaxy eloquently mixes new with old in a way that few games have in the past. For every bizarre and alien mechanic introduced in Galaxy, there is something familiar you'll want to hold close. Consider the power-ups the perfect illustration of this truth. EAD Tokyo has designed new, easy-to-love power-ups, but it has also revived fan favorites. It's hard not to appreciate what the team has done. There hasn't been a Mario game since the SNES with as many power-ups. But it's not just the power-ups. The harmony between new and old is steady throughout Galaxy. The levels, characters, enemies, music – it's the perfect equilibrium of old and new ideas that so many developers strive for.

Many Wii games struggle to balance the conventional with new-age when it comes to controls, but Mario Galaxy truly serves as a flagship example of how to make use of the Wii-mote without overdoing it. Many puzzles are designed around the controller. These are more often than not incredibly smart and thus rewarding. However, not all puzzles rely on the Wii-mote. There are just as many that employ less radical mechanics – the kind in line with the original building blocks of video game design. The dev has sparingly but effectively used the Wii-mote; the outcome is exceptional.

Mario Galaxy introduces a great sense of exploration to the franchise. There are over 40 different galaxies in the game, and what's more, there are even more planets that wait discovery in each galaxy. Hands down, Mario Galaxy offers more variety in its environment design than many of today's top games combined. In fact, it's the forerunner in sheer level variety as far as Mario games go. We so badly want to tell you about the worlds you'll see, but you're better off seeing for yourself. You'll thank us later.

It's hard to nail down what it is exactly that Mario Galaxy does so well. In truth, it's the combination of its many independent successes that amount to something great. The level design. The bosses. The music. The superb Wii-mote controls. The underlying formula, really. Whatever it is, the result is something that can be described as purely enjoyable.

What's Not
For all the raving we're doing, Super Mario Galaxy is not a perfect game. It has some imperfections that mar an otherwise delightfully entertaining voyage through space. There are two primary issues plaguing Galaxy, and consider them both equally important.

First, there is the camera, which is problematic because it doesn't offer complete control. As a whole, Galaxy's camera system is eerily similar to Mario 64's – a system that's now ten-years-old and showing its age. At times, you can control the camera with the D-pad, but there are just as many instances in which that control is robbed from you. When hopping around spherical objects, especially, the camera wonders and can end up in some unusual but rarely helpful positions. Sometimes, the camera angles are disorienting and make it difficult to control Mario. Additionally, although you can center the camera with a button press, a lot of the time, this results in camera angles that are somehow worse. These moments frustrate. Also concerning, we expect some will become nauseated by the whole spherical thing. Really, we can't dock points because of this, but consider yourself warned if you're the queasy type.

The second problem is the difficulty. The title starts off babying you – it's easy. As it progresses, the difficulty begins to pick up, but by the time it becomes challenging, you will have close to 60 stars and the end of the adventure will be in sight. This sort of thing is rather fundamental, due in part to underlying gameplay design. However, the fact that we never saw a Game Over screen can be attributed to the profusion of 1-ups.

Lastly, while Galaxy is almost entirely superior to its predecessor, Super Mario Sunshine, we feel the new hub world is a step backwards. The overall personality is likable, but from a gameplay perspective, there are few secrets and surprises to discover.
Final Word
We don't often get the chance to rave on and on about a game like this. Looking back, it's hard not to feel like we've written some kind of hyperbole-filled press release for Super Mario Galaxy. However, this is a fantastic title that's deserving of its enormous praise. There are some minor quibbles: the camera's a nuisance, and the game's over too fast because it's a little too easy. However, despite these shortcomings, it's nearly impossible not to celebrate the exceptional design that backbones Galaxy. This encompasses everything from the controls to the level design to the music – not to mention everything unconventional or traditional in between.

You can abridge Super Mario Galaxy with any adjective you like. Superb, ingenious, impressive, fantastic, terrific, awesome – they're all good and more than appropriate. But the best one is the simplest of them all: fun. Indeed, Galaxy succeeds where it counts most. It's all about fun. And that's how it wins you over.

Hopefully, we won't have to wait another five years for another Mario game of this caliber. But if we do, let Super Mario Galaxy serve as a reminder that the wait is worth it for Mario.

Ladies and gents, you have to play this game.

Overall Score: 9.6 out of 10

E3 2008: Resident Evil 5 Hands-on

2009-01-20T16:38:00.000-08:00

This article was originally published on Kombo.

E3 Disclaimer: Kombo's E3 previews are designed to inform you of what each game at E3 plays like, and what we think of what's shown. These previews are not reviews, and we reserve final judgment of each game until it is finished and released. These previews offer an honest opinion of what a publisher chose to demo at E3. So, without further ado, read on.

What the Game's About
Resident Evil 5 stars Chris Redfield and a new female co-star named Sheva. The game features similar design to Resident Evil 4, using the same control scheme and overall formula. The most exciting new thing that Resident Evil 5 introduces to the series is its two-player co-op. Although two-player co-op is a focus of the development team's effort, there is of course single-player, and from what we played, it's a blast.

What's Hot
Going into Resident Evil 5, I expected that it'd be just like Resident Evil 4, but in a new location, with new characters, a new plot, new weapons and better graphics. After playing the game for just a few minutes, this suspicion was confirmed, but that's actually a good thing. The game plays just like RE4. If you loved that game, you're bound to love RE5.

The addition of Sheva and co-op moves adds an extra bit of depth to the RE4-style formula. By pressing the co-op button, you interact with Sheva, triggering a context-sensitive co-op move. For example, when pressing it next to a wall that's too high for Chris to scale, Chris will help lift Sheva up and over. The co-op moves aren't exactly original, but they seem to be a good addition to the series, from what I've seen.

What's Not
The great thing about RE5 -- that it's basically RE4-plus -- is kind of a double-edged sword. Indeed, the phrase is cliché, but I can't help but use it to describe RE5. While I love RE4, and I definitely want more of it, playing the RE5 demo, I was never blown away. The game just felt like the natural extension of RE4 -- a game that was impressive the first time I played it, but one that has lost the sparkle it had when it first released.

Outlook
Resident Evil 5 is one of my favorite games I've seen all week. It's an extension of Resident Evil 4. It feels just like RE4. Part of me definitely feels like it's just more of the same stuff, but, hey, who says that's a bad thing? After all, Resident Evil 4 is awesome, and thus Resident Evil 5 is too.

Pre-E3 2008: Mirror's Edge Hands-on

2009-01-20T16:37:00.000-08:00

This article was originally published on Kombo.

Pre-E3 Disclaimer: The format you see in this article will be used for all of our pre-E3 and E3 2008 previews. Kombo's E3 previews are designed to inform you of what each game at E3 plays like, and what we think of what's shown. These previews are not reviews, and we reserve final judgment of each game until it is finished and released. These previews offer an honest opinion of what a publisher chose to demo at E3. So, without further ado, read on.

What the Game's About
From DICE, the same studio responsible for the Battlefield series, comes Mirror's Edge, a open-ended, go-anywhere parkour-themed adventure set in first-person. In the game, you play as Faith, a character on a mission to clear her sister's name. Mirror's Edge takes place in a city that is ruled by a totalitarian government, who has framed Faith's sister. Helping you along your journey is a Cortana-like character named Mercury, who will guide you by pointing you from one direction to another. Mirror's Edge is a story-driven title, which means the plot will dictate how gameplay unfolds.

What's Hot
Although it's the game's story that directs you through Faith's adventure, the star of Mirror's Edge is its platforming-esque gameplay. Admittedly, we did not get to play the game for ourselves, but one of the game's developers demoed it to us, and it appears to be fun to play. Watching someone play it, the parkour-style platforming -- a blend of wall-running, jumping, sliding, swinging and more -- is instantly appealing.

According to EA, its controls have been designed to be as intuitive as possible. As far as movement goes, the primary mechanics you'll encounter are jumping, sliding and climbing. Every maneuver you make will involve one of these things. So, on the surface, Mirror's Edge appears to be simplistic in its control scheme. However, DICE wants the game to be skill-based, requiring you to string together these independent moves in harmony to execute true parkour. As one of the game's developers played the game for us, he admitted that even he is challenged by the level of skill required to perform some of the advanced maneuvers in the title.

It'll take some time to master the game's controls, it seems. And, still, there is the actual platforming to deal with. To assist you in your platforming, Faith has an ability called "reaction time," which when activated slows down time, creating an effect best likened to bullet time. Although the game automates tasks like grabbing onto ledges, you'll still encounter death-defying leaps in which Faith's reaction time is useful.

As we watched him play, we saw this for ourselves. But the game isn't so challenging that only a few will be able to complete it. DICE is no dummy, after all. Instead, the team has imagined a sandbox-style world in which there are different approaches to completing the same task. For example, a less skilled player might travel from point A to point B using a different route than a more experienced, skilled player. Both players will start and end up in the same place, but the routes they use will differ depending on the techniques they utilize.

In addition to platforming, you'll also encounter combat in Mirror's Edge. The moment DICE began talking about combat, though, it stressed the importance of understanding that Mirror's Edge is a first-person game, but not a first-person shooter. Sure, there are guns, and sure, enemies use those guns. But the studio has only put these things in place to provide additional obstacles for you. Combat is primarily composed of battling to disarm weapon-carrying bad guys. Once you have your hands on a weapon, you'll want to use it and lose it as soon as possible because your movement speed is dramatically affected by carrying a weapon. Besides, DICE says that your acrobatic ability to disarm enemies trumps any advantage a gun would give you in any other game. What's more, you can only efficiently fight one or two enemies at a time, as the game is realistic in the sense that Faith is not immune to the damage of five assault rifles firing on her body in unison. Because of this, it's likely you'll need to approach each combat situation in a puzzle-like fashion -- planning and strategizing as if you were about to fight an armed patrol in real life. Anything less, and you'll end up unconscious, I expect.

During the demonstration, DICE showed two areas of Mirror's Edge. The entire game takes place in the same city, but the city is spectacular in size -- gazing at its skyline is awe inspiring. Thanks to the city's size, you'll visit a number of distinctly different areas in the game. During the first-half of the demo, we saw mostly the same stuff shown in the official trailer -- city rooftops as far as the eye can see. The second half, meanwhile, took place in an immense underground flood sewer. The area featured more of the same platforming-style gameplay, only set in a different location. Honestly, I have no problem with that.

What's Not
Considering we still haven't had the chance to play Mirror's Edge for ourselves, it's difficult to recognize any potential problems the title could have. Aesthetically, the game is still a bit rough around the edges. For example, the gun models look unfinished (which they probably are), and sometimes the game has this lifeless, sterile look to it. More importantly, the demo we saw wasn't as bright or vibrant as the official trailer. It could have been the TV DICE was playing on, or, more likely, the game just won't look as good as that initial trailer led us to believe.

I suppose the forefront concern in my mind hasn't changed since the first time I saw Mirror's Edge being played back in February of this year. How much fun will the game be to play, and for how long will it remain fun? Thus far, what DICE has shown hasn't been wildly varied. Everything we've seen looks cinematic and, frankly, very cool, but how do those things translate when you're the one controlling the game? At this point, we don't know.

Outlook
Mirror's Edge is still a bit of an unknown in my mind. Everything we've seen looks incredibly cinematic and immersive, but it remains to be seen how enjoyable it is to actually play the game. I don't have much of a reason to be skeptical of Mirror's Edge, other than the fact that it's unlike any game I've played before, and I haven't played it for myself. That noted, I'm very much looking forward to playing Mirror's Edge. The combined use of first-person, parkour-style gameplay and fantastic sense of speed seem to work in harmony, creating a cinematic-looking experience that I can't wait try first hand.

Pre-E3 2008: Dead Space Hands-on

2009-01-20T16:36:00.000-08:00

This article was originally published on Kombo.

Pre-E3 Disclaimer: The format you see in this article will be used for all of our pre-E3 and E3 2008 previews. Kombo's E3 previews are designed to inform you of what each game at E3 plays like, and what we think of what's shown. These previews are not reviews, and we reserve final judgment of each game until it is finished and released. These previews offer an honest opinion of what a publisher chose to demo at E3. So, without further ado, read on.

What's the Game About
Dead Space is a sci-fi survival horror game in development at EA Redwood Shores for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The title is set 500 years in the future, in a galaxy in which mankind has used all of Earth's resources. In this post-Earth setting, mankind must explore the galaxy for planets that it can harvest resources from. Known as "Planet Crackers," these ships destroy planets to retrieve ores. You play as a space engineer, Isaac Clarke, who must investigate a distress call from one of these Planet Cracker ships, USG Ishimura. After arriving on the Ishimura, Isaac discovers a hellish reality; something terrible has gone wrong on the vessel.

What's Hot
Right off the bat, Dead Space is incredibly gory. The game takes place from a third-person perspective, featuring an over-the-shoulder-like view as you explore a creepy space vessel inhabited by alien monsters. These grotesque creatures are absolutely dead set on killing you. You'll have to really work to take down each enemy you encounter, using precise aiming to pick off specific body parts and limbs until said creature drops dead. Several times, I decapitated an alien only to have it continue charging at me. Later, I shot out both legs of an alien to have it fall over and begin dragging itself towards me using its powerful arms. Adding to the tension, just because an enemy drops doesn't mean it's actually dead. They'll play dead and pop up behind you the moment you turn your back on them. As a result, you'll have to obliterate each alien you run into before you can rest easy, and even then, the thought that the fiend will attack you again as you walk away is always lingering in your mind. The atmosphere is made even more frightening by the impressive variety of alien designs. EA Redwood has imagined some truly disgusting creatures -- ones that can't help but gross you out.

In our playtime, we were able to play around with three of the game's weapons: the plasma cutter, line gun and flamethrower. Weapons feel satisfying, thanks to Dead Space's realistic and immersive sound effects. It feels good to cut through enemy's flesh with the line gun. Likewise, it's morbidly entertaining watching the plasma rifle spit plasma at these ugly monsters. And, as you can imagine, the same can be said of the flamethrower, which lights up the game's dark, infested hallways, every time you decide to burn your way through an alien.

In addition to physical weaponry, you have special powers, such as Stasis and Kinesis. With the former, you can stop an enemy dead in its tracks, allowing you to take aim and dismantle its body one limb at a time with your weapon of choice. Via the Kinesis module, meanwhile, Isaac uses a beam to grab distant objects, which can then be used as airborne projectiles or pieces in an environmental puzzle.

What's Not
The control scheme is a tad complex. In fact, when the EA rep on hand sat down, he said that it would take him a few minutes to explain the controls because of the complexity. Admittedly, even after hearing a detailed explanation of the control setup, I struggled with the configuration for the first several minutes of playing. By the time my demo ended, I felt like I had a better grasp on the controls. But those first few minutes aren't easy. Like many other "next-gen" games, Dead Space has abandoned the idea of a HUD. Instead, important data is displayed elsewhere. For example, Isaac's health meter runs up the back of the character's suit, in a spine-like fashion.

Although there is a run button, Isaac just moves slowly. EA Redwood probably hoped that this would lend to creating a frightening atmosphere in which you constantly have to keep moving or the aliens will get you. While it does this, the slow movement means it takes a long time to maneuver around the ships' many rooms and hallways.

Outlook
When it was first announced, I thought Dead Space would be nothing but a generic sci-fi/horror title. After playing the game for myself, I can't quite shake the impression that there's something generic about its aesthetics. However, I have to admit that it has some promise. The limb dismemberment system makes shooting at and killing these foul aliens strangely satisfying. Also, the atmosphere is tense and uncomfortable -- Dead Space definitely excels at immersing you in its world. In a way, it sort of reminds me of Resident Evil 4, only with aliens and a space theme. That's not really a bad thing. I guess we'll have to wait and see how the full game pans out.

Pre-E3 2008: Left 4 Dead Hands-on

2009-01-20T16:34:00.000-08:00

E3 2007: Fallout 3 Eyes-on Impressions

2009-01-20T16:33:00.000-08:00

This article was originally published on Kombo.

E3 Disclaimer: AMN's E3 previews are designed to inform you of what each game at E3 plays like, and what we think of what's shown. These previews are not reviews, and we reserve final judgment of each game until it is finished and released. These previews offer an honest opinion of what a publisher chose to demo at E3. So, without further ado, read on.

What the Game's About
It's the first appointment of the day – one we've been eagerly looking forward to. We're sitting in comfortable theater chairs, in front of two 50-inch Plasma HDTVs, but we're not alone: the room is quickly filling up with early bird game journalists, all of which are no doubt looking forward to what they're about to see. A familiar face walks into the room, Bethesda's own Todd Howard, executive producer of Fallout 3.

He takes his seat in the corner of the room and asks us how we're all doing. Game journalists usually don't talk before 11 AM, but for Todd, everyone makes an exception. Todd, we're awake, and we can still slap together vaguely coherent sentences. Maybe.

Before he starts to talk about Fallout, he reassures us that he has a back-up Xbox 360 on hand. "You know, Xbox 360s sometimes have problems." We all laugh. Todd's a funny guy. Especially on the last day of E3 when we're all delirious.

It's a good thing Todd's going to be playing and not us.

Despite the number "three" in its title, Fallout 3 does not directly follow the events that took place in the previous Fallout titles. Instead, this is a retelling, essentially, of the original Fallout, which was developed by Black Isle Studios and published by Interplay in September of 1997.

In 2077, China launched nuclear attacks on the US. Fallout 3 is set 200 years after the catastrophic onslaught. The RPG is set in the nation's capital, Washington DC. During a short-lived two-hour atomic war with China, America bolstered down in underground vaults, one of which is Vault 101, where Fallout 3 begins. You are immediately born into this post-apocalyptic world but allowed to customize the stats of your character as well as your appearance. Although you are born in baby form, you are able to see how your character will look as an adult. Furthermore, and impressively, your father's appearances will be shaped by how you visually define your own character, an effect that establishes the footwork for the adventure's level of realism and immersion.

Your father is the vault's lead scientist and doctor. In the early stages of Fallout 3, the story is broken up into different age-specific events. For example, on your 10th birthday, you receive the Pip Boy, which is a device that is worn on your arm. The device features a radio, radiation level gauge and even a character information screen. On your 16th birthday, meanwhile, you must take the Generalized Occupational Aptitude Test (or GOAT for short), which is for all extensive purposes an oral test that measures your preferences and expectations and translates them into appropriate levels for skills like sneaking, science, medicine, guns, speech and more.

Your 19th birthday, however, brings the unfortunate and mysterious disappearance of your father. The vault Overseer suspects that you had something to do with the man's sudden disappearance and expects that you might attempt to leave the vault. He's right, as you eventually do so when you decide the leave Vault 101 and seek out your missing father, who you believe left the underground haven for unknown reasons.

The second you step outside of Vault 101, you're met by an end-world depiction of Washington DC, a wasteland of destruction. As your eyes struggle to adjust to their first exposure to sunlight, a graphical blur is employed. The atmosphere is set.

The Capital Wasteland, as Todd Howard calls it, is an unnerving portrayal of a city that once served as a country's political backbone but can now be summed up all too effortlessly as one simple but powerful word: remains. As you explore the game's world, which is said to be smaller in overall size than that of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion's but instead more detailed, you'll interact with NPCs, fight mutated enemies and embark on intriguing quests. Imagine, if you will, the Xbox 360 hit Oblivion, only minus the gorgeous lush, green forests and richly populated cities. In place is a barren city in ruins, struggling refuge towns and rage-filled mutants running wild.

As you travel through this horrifying version of Washington DC, you'll come across weapons, like a rifle Todd Howard soon finds and equips, which you'll use to shoot your way past giant insects, super mutants, slavers and raiders. Doing so, you'll gain experience points and level up. Every other level, you'll have the opportunity to further refine your character's attributes.

One town we saw during our Fallout 3 demonstration, Megaton, is separated from the Wasteland by a crashed, decaying airliner. Laugh all you want at the name, but one look into this camp of survivors reminds you of how grave Fallout 3's atmosphere is. It's here that we're also reminded that the title is being developed by the same team behind Oblivion, as the same kind of town gameplay runs through the heart of Fallout 3. You can strike up conversation with any and every character you come across, and the dialogue system works just like Oblivion's, allowing you to pick between different responses and create, rather than just read, your very own conversations with in-game NPCs.

Through the dialogue tree-style conversations, you're able to be good or evil. But just like in real life, your words are only a small part of what determines whether you're good or evil. It's your actions that really count. In Megaton, we get a glimpse of the kinds of decisions you'll have to make in Fallout 3. Upon entering the refuge camp, the sheriff, Lucas Simms, tells you about a nuclear bomb that was dropped into the town of Megaton nearly 200 years ago but didn't detonate. Simms requests your help, asking you to defuse the lethal explosive. However, a rather shady character who we are introduced to in Moriarty's Saloon, named Mr. Burke, has a more evil proposal in mind – he wants you to detonate the atomic weapon and destroy Megaton once and for all.

During the Fallout 3 demonstration, we see what happens when you cohort with the evil: a powerful, vision-blurring nuclear explosion, no doubt decimating what was once a shelter for nuclear holocaust survivors, illuminates the screen and thus the entire theater.

Bethesda admits up front that Fallout 3 features fewer NPCs to interact with in comparison to Oblivion. The team's last game featured well over 1,500 NPCs, but this time around the numbers are in the hundreds. However, while there are fewer characters in Washington DC, the quality of interaction with each is said to be higher. The dev has enhanced its Radiant AI system, allowing for more dynamic NPC interaction. Characters have their own lives and are busy 24/7 with their own obligations, tasks and relationships. Indeed, characters will build and nurture their very own relationships with each other.

Connecting the different areas of Washington DC to one another is an underground dungeon-style hub, the Washing DC metro tunnel. Here, mutants inhabit dark, deserted tunnels. Enemy encounters can be handled by simply pointing and shooting – first-person shooter-style – or by employing the Vault-Tech Assisted Targeting System (VATS), which zooms in on an enemy, pausing time and allowing you to queue up attacks on specific limbs and body parts. For example, you're able to choose from targeting an enemy's head, shoulders, arms, hands, torso, legs, feet and even its weapon. However, VATS displays a number of statistics that you'll need to consider before attacking. It highlights the health of each body part as well as the chances of being able to successfully hit and damage said body part from your current position. Making matters more complex, you'll want to think one step ahead of yourself when choosing what body parts to target. For example, if you shoot a pistol out of the hand of a super mutant, you could damage the pistol, which lessens its value to you once the battle is over, as it will no longer function as a weapon.

Another area we see in our demonstration is Downtown DC. Collapsed buildings, abandoned cars, powerless street lights and rubble make up the area, which Bethesda says represents a little less than 1/4 of the entire game world. It's here that we find ourselves in the midst of an on-going war with two factions: the Brotherhood of Steel and an army of super mutants. To make it through the area, Bethesda says its best to temporarily side with the brotherhood. Suddenly, the RPG takes on features of a futuristic war game, as Todd Howard maneuvers his way through forgotten intersections and derelict city blocks, stopping only to target and shoot nasty-looking mutants. Eventually, Todd stumbles upon an overgrown super mutant behemoth. Luckily, he has the Fat Man, a handheld mini-nuke launcher, which he takes aim with and unleashes upon the mutated giant. The explosion is so powerful it instantly crashes the game and the room of sleepy journalist comes to life with laughter. We didn't see for ourselves, but Todd promises that players will be greeted by a visually pleasing mushroom cloud when they have to resort to the Fat Man. That is, of course, if your Xbox 360 doesn't collapse under the handheld nuke's unspeakable power.

The world of Fallout is scattered with endless interaction possibilities. For instance, you can collect seemingly random objects as you explore the ruined city of DC and later create makeshift weapons from those same components. What's more, radio stations in the game, which broadcast over 20 different licensed songs from the 50s, employ DJs that will discuss current and local events, including those of which that you are personally involved with. Remember that town, Megaton, Todd blew up? Well, there's a good chance that discussion of that little event will find its way into the conversation of at least one talk show on the radio.

Fallout 3's main quest line will provide you with around 20 hours of gameplay, but that's not counting the hours upon hours of side quests and other extras there are to experience.

What's Hot
There was not a single face in the room of game journalists during our Fallout 3 demonstration that didn't look wowed at some point during the hour-long walkthrough, and there's a good reason for this truth. Bethesda's latest project is every bit as ambitious as its past titles, and even with its release over a year away, Fallout 3 shows signs of a kind of polish we wish many already-released games had.

When Todd Howard said that Bethesda took 1950s America and dropped a nuclear bomb on it, we knew we were in love. Throughout our Fallout 3 demonstration, the afterimage of a futuristic eccentrically joyful and happy-go-lucky Hula Hoopin' America can occasionally be seen, although it is almost drowned out by the game's post-apocalyptic setting. The two tones clash but simultaneously make a happy couple, much like many of the categorically dysfunctional marriages spread across modern-day America.

Fallout 3 looks to be another Oblivion-style adventure with an entirely new theme: that of a post-apocalyptic Washington DC. Replace the swords with guns, the forests with seas of ruined monuments, and you've got a good idea of what to expect. What's not to love?

What's Not
Fans of the Fallout franchise might be upset with the switch to first-person. What's more, while we saw over an hour of Fallout 3, we still don't know for sure if it's not just Oblivion with a new theme, which could be a little disappointing. While that wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing, we hope Bethesda can manage to surprise us with some kind of new, groundbreaking mechanics and gameplay design when all is said and done.

Oh, and the game is still over a year away from release. How will we ever make it?

Outlook
Up until this point, Bethesda has been eerily quiet on the topic of Fallout 3, but now it all makes sense. The developer has been busy creating an experience that is shaping up to be every bit as impressive if not more impressive than Oblivion, not to mention every other game it's ever made. Fallout 3 won't see store shelves until sometime in late 2008, so now we'll just have to wait until Bethesda can finish development of the title, so we can get our grubby little hands on the gorgeously atmospheric adventure. Too bad that's easier said than done, because quite frankly, we can't wait for this game.

E3 2007: Metroid Prime 3: Corruption Hands-on

2009-01-20T16:32:00.000-08:00

This article was originally published on Kombo.

E3 Disclaimer: AMN’s E3 previews are designed to inform you of what each game at E3 plays like, and what we think of what’s shown. These previews are not reviews, and we reserve final judgment of each game until it is finished and released. These previews offer an honest opinion of what a publisher chose to demo at E3. So, without further ado, read on.

What the Game’s About
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is the much awaited third installment in the GameCube-born Metroid Prime trilogy. It’s the last game in the “Prime” series, according to Nintendo, and will wrap up the series’ storyline.

We played roughly 30 minutes of Metroid Prime 3 today. Through our adventure, we experienced much of the expected: lots of puzzle, enemy battles and a challenging boss fight.

What’s Hot
The demo Nintendo walked us through this morning was considerably more polished and more impressive than what we played at last year’s E3. The extra year of development time Retro Studios has had with Metroid Prime 3: Corruption shows. For instance, while aiming with the Wii-mote hasn’t been completely perfected, Prime 3 features some control additions and changes over what we saw last year.

For example, by pressing the select button and aiming at the visor you want to use, you can fairly quickly swap back and forth between visors. In our playtime, we were able to quickly jump into the scanning visor when we needed to then pop back into Samus’ normal visor for any other kind of action.

The best part of Prime 3, no surprise, seems to be its puzzle design and the feeling of exploration as you progress into the game. We played through a level called Sky Town, a temple-esque fortress suspended high above the clouds. The level design felt fresh and unlike anything we’ve seen before in the Metroid franchise and featured extensive use of the grappling hook. Last year, we were worried about Corruption’s level design, but this E3 build seems to be a step in the right direction – one towards more organic and ultimately more memorable locales.

While the control for opening certain kinds of doors (you just move the Wii-mote to pull out, twist and push in a level) was shown last year, it’s just as awesome over 12 months later.

What’s Not
While the Wii pointing controls feels faster and improved over the E3 2006 build, it stills feels a little slow, and it’s hard to say at this point in time whether or not the control scheme is superior to traditional dual analog. Aiming itself is not the problem – it’s having to turn by dragging the on-screen reticule to the far left or right side of the screen and waiting for Samus to turn. It just feels slow.

While it’s impossible to say for certain, the E3 demo this year lacked the kind of magic found throughout the original Metroid Prime. Perhaps once we get our hands on the full game, we’ll discover otherwise, though. We certainly hope so.

Outlook
We really like what we’ve played of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption so far. There’s no doubt that when it arrives later this summer, it will be a great Wii purchase. However, the slow turning speed is still a problem. Motion controls used for using levers on the other hand are pretty darn sweet. Going into Corruption, we worried that the Metroid series had finally become just another shooter. Sky Town, however, demonstrated that’s not the case at all. Hopefully, what we saw today is a clear indication of the kind of level design we’ll see in the adventure. We can’t wait to see what else Retro has in store.

E3 2007: Skate Hands-on

2009-01-20T16:30:00.000-08:00

This article was originally published on Kombo.

There have been a lot of Tony Hawk games over the last five years, so it’s no wonder there are some gamers out there looking for a skateboarding video game alternative to the series. Skate just might be it if what we played of the game at Electronic Art’s pre-E3 2007 press event is any indication of how the final game will measure up.

The first thing you should understand is Skate is nothing like Activision’s long-running skateboarder. Sure, the game features a lot of skateboarding, but that’s just about the only similarity the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 title shares with the Tony Hawk games.

Skate is several times more realistic than Tony Hawk has ever been. In Activision’s series, it’s not unusual to kick flip into a tail grab while soaring 30 feet into the air off a high school staircase, it’s expected – and compared to the other tricks you can pull off in the average Hawk game, it’s actually pretty lame. In Skate, however, managing to jump off a staircase, do a simple 180 and land with success is quite an accomplishment – at least when you’re first learning to play the game.

Indeed, EA’s new skateboarder feels like the Gran Turismo of skateboarding games. It feels very much like a skateboarder simulator in everything it does – hell, after each challenge, you have to pay a doctor’s bill for each bone you broke while trying to grind a 20-foot rail down a stack of stairs. If that doesn’t emphasize how ‘realistic’ Skate is, nothing will get the point across without you playing it yourself.

If we have one particular complaint about Skate, so far, it would be the control scheme isn’t exactly simple, but at the same time, that’s part of the game’s style, and the unusually complex control scheme has a lot to do with what makes the game so challenging, realistic and thus satisfying to play. With the left analog stick, you steer your skater around a vibrant, realistic-looking world. In order to pick up speed, you have to press either the X button, which causes your character to push forward with his left foot, or the A button, which will push him forward with his right foot – just one example of the way the game tries to be as realistic as possible.

Skate employs a totally new control scheme for ollying and doing tricks called “Flickit.” The game relies on the right analog stick not only for doing tricks but for ollying, too. Moving the right stick down and up (or back and forward) will make your character ollie into the air. Pushing the analog stick up and down, on the other hand, will perform a nollie. Meanwhile, all flip tricks are mapped to the analog stick as well. For example, by moving the analog stick in a backwards C fashion, you’ll perform a varial kick flip. If you want to perform a toe flip, you perform an ollie and immediately roll the analog stick to the left. If you want to heel flip, you do the same thing but roll it to the right instead. For the most part, you perform tricks by moving the analog stick in a fashion similar to how you’d move your feet if you were skating in real life.

While all the flip tricks are handled with the right stick, once in the air, you can grab with either the L or R trigger. You’ve probably guessed it, but the L trigger grabs with your character’s left hand while the R trigger grabs with his right. This kind of depth, like the option to push your skateboard with either your left or right foot, seems to go a long way. Skate feels incredibly realistic, and once you begin to understand and manipulate the control scheme with ease, it becomes very satisfying to just skate around in circles and attempt the simplest of tricks, such as trying to grind a curb.

Although the video game world has been spoiled by Tony Hawk’s 50-foot 540s, it’s refreshing to experience a more earthly game adaption of skateboarding. EA showed us a free skate mode, where we could skate around a living, breathing city, complete with plenty of rails to grind, drops to kick flip off and objects to slam into. In a way, the open-city design reminds us of Grand Theft Auto – simply because you can go and skate just about anywhere you want, leaving you to create your own fun. What’s more, there are several challenges and events scattered around the city, allowing you to pick and do whatever you want when you want.

When we first started playing Skate, we could barely ollie, let alone skate forward, without somehow breaking both our ankles and landing headfirst into the cement. However, about a half-hour into the game, we felt like we were ready to go pro – until we grinded right into a wall, landing on our backside. Just like in real life, when you get cocky in Skate, you end up with your face skidding across the pavement.

A smart game design decision removes any kind of stat-building or leveling up. Instead, in Skate, the only way your character gets any better is if you get better. You’ll have to practice, practice and practice some more if you want to improve. Your personal skill determines just how “sick” or “dope” your skater is.

Before our time with Skate ended, Electronic Arts showed us the game’s impressive rewind feature. At any time while playing, you can rewind and watch a replay of your skateboarding. For example, let’s say you successful grind down a stair rail, you can then rewind and watch the whole thing in slow-motion, fast-motion or regular speed. Additionally, you can zoom the camera in and out and move it wherever you want it, allowing you to catch a glimpse of your mad skills from whatever angle you want. What’s more, you can save your replays to your Xbox 360’s hard drive. The game actually saves your replay as game data and not a video file, so the file sizes will be kept as small as possible. However, you have the option to save a flash version of your replays and upload them to Electronic Art’s EA Nation website and share your best Skate moments with your friends as well as the rest of the world. More impressively, you can edit together your sickest clips and produce your very own montages – so sweet.

Part of what’s responsible for Skate’s realism is its graphics and overall style. Its animation is smooth and realistic, and despite being soaked in that kind of realism, the game is bright, vibrant and colorful. In a skate park located in the middle of the city, what can best be described as a sea of grey pavement and cement is tattooed with occasional but still noticeable multicolored graffiti. Meanwhile, you can almost always see a blue sky above, populated by the occasional family of clouds, making Skate a very immersive experience.

When we asked EA when Skate will be released, a company rep could only promise “sometime in September.”

Of all the games we played at EA’s pre-E3 event, Skate was easily one of our favorites. The game feels polished, and its distinctly different feel from Tony Hawk is revitalizing. We can’t wait to get our hands on Skate again.

My Accomplishments

2009-01-20T15:20:00.000-08:00

Quick Thoughts on Windows 7

2009-01-19T22:31:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend, I installed the Windows 7 Beta. Because the release is beta, I decided to just dual boot Vista and 7. That way, if something goes wrong with the 7 beta, I still have my Vista install. So far, I'm impressed with Windows 7. The OS isn't radically different from Vista, but it's certainly more refined and polished.

Here are some quick thoughts on 7, after using it for the last two days.

It's Just Like Vista
Other than the new taskbar, Windows 7 looks nearly identical to Vista. There are of course some differences both in appearance and function, though. Aesthetically, Aero looks even cooler, with some added eye candy such as new animations and graphical bells and whistles. This is easily the best-looking operating system Microsoft has ever made. On the side of functionality, it's immediately clear that 7 is faster than Vista. Right off the bat, programs load faster and games seem to run better. World of Warcraft has always chugged since I upgraded to Vista, but my framerate is noticeably better on 7. It's not a huge improvement, but it's a step up, nonetheless. The other big difference between Vista and 7 is the taskbar -- but see below.

The New Taskbar is Great
The most prominent difference between Vista and 7 is without a doubt the new taskbar. The taskbar update isn't a groundbreaking change, but it's the most dramatic facelift that Microsoft has ever given the taskbar. Essentially, Microsoft has taken Windows a step closer to OSX with 7's taskbar. Microsoft hasn't completely ripped off Apple's dock, but it's hard not to draw comparisons. You can now drag and drop your favorite applications directly onto the taskbar, giving you quick access to launching them. Further, Windows 7 groups all applications under one icon, rather than showing each individual instance of a program that's currently running. This allows you to have more applications open without overcrowding the taskbar.

The best part about Windows 7 is how it handles things when you have multiple instances of an application running. Imagine that you have multiple Word documents open. Whenever you mouseover the Word icon on your taskbar, a preview thumbnail will pop up, in similar fashion to what happens when you mouseover something on Vista's taskbar. In 7, this thumbnail is bigger and serves an actual purpose, though. You can mouseover that thumbnail, and Windows 7 will show the full version of the application. Windows doesn't permanently load the program, though. If you move your mouse off the thumbnail, the application will minimize back to the taskbar. This new preview system allows you to easily browse between multiple versions of documents or other windows you may have open. It's perfect for people who, like me, always have lots of applications going at once.

You can check out a video demonstration of 7's taskbar here, by the way.

It's Surprisingly Finished for a Beta
For a beta, Windows 7 sure is polished. The thing feels every bit as finished as Vista did when it released a couple of years ago. In some regards, it feels more ready for launch, in fact. Because you can use Vista drivers for just about anything, the transition to 7 is as seamless as any transition can be. What's more, 7 I quick and reliable. I've only used it for two days, but so far, no crashes or "Windows is not responding" freeze-ups.

I Can't Wait for the Full Thing
I wasn't really looking forward to Windows 7 before I tried the beta for myself. But now that I've played around with 7, I seriously cannot wait for the full thing. I am just hoping that it's not overly expensive. At launch, a full version of Windows Vista Home was $200, which is just too much. I have two machines that I use -- a desktop machine and my laptop -- so I'll want two versions when I upgrade, which doubles my upgrade premium. Considering that it has only been about two years since Vista launched and that Microsoft seems to be abandoning the OS and praying computer users forget it ever happened, I hope that MS charges a more reasonable price. One other thing. Now that I've tasted 7, I hope the wait for the full thing isn't too long. There are rumors that 7 could hit before summer. Microsoft says this is the only beta for 7 and it ends August. Couple those things together, and I have to say, a pre-summer release makes sense to me.

Bye-Bye, Circuit City

2009-01-16T23:16:00.000-08:00

It has been coming for a while now, but Circuit City has finally hit rock bottom. The company announced today that it will be liquidating its remaining 567 stores.

It's definitely a bit sad to see this giant die. This leaves Best Buy with one less competitor in the electronics retail business. We still have numerous retailers, such as Wal-Mart and Fry's, that sell electronics, but the former doesn't carry nearly as many electronics as Best Buy or Circuit City, and the latter doesn't have nearly as many locations. In other words, Best Buy no longer has a serious brick and mortar competitor. Thankfully, it does have a competitor in another form: Newegg and other online retailers, which often have lower prices and a better selection of components. It's too bad that nobody could afford to buy up Circuit City and save it, though. The Best Buy vs. Circuit City war kept both retailers in check. Competition is good for consumers. Of course, Best Buy will still have to compete with online retailers.

I actually have warranties for my laptop and DLP through Circuit City. Thankfully, the warranties are handled by a third-party who is still in business.

About Me

2009-01-14T14:49:00.000-08:00

I've been writing about video games for 7 years, covering a wide variety of platforms. I've written for, edited and managed multiple websites and blogs. I have experience writing news, reviews, previews, editorials, features and other article types.

Most recently, I served as the editor-in-chief of Kombo.com, which had a readership of nearly half a million readers.

On this blog, you'll find a collection of a select few of my articles as well as any other writing I choose to do.

Stay Tuned

2009-01-14T09:45:00.000-08:00

I plan to use this blog as my online resume and portfolio of past works and ramblings. I'll be updating this in the coming days.

Out with 2006 and in with 2007

2007-01-06T20:22:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, boys and girls.

2006 is over, and to be honest, I’m not all that sad to see it go. The year was filled with ups and downs for me. The last half of the year was pretty rough, as my family and I moved, and nothing went smoothly. It was hellish, in a word. What’s more, my brother got very sick and required hospitalization and so did my mom.

Putting aside some of the bad parts of 2006 for me, there were some good things that happened. Excuse the lack of organization to this post, as I am going to just randomly list off some of the good stuff that happened in 2006.

I got an iPod Video 30GB in black in January of 06. The thing is sexy, and I use it all the time. It wasn’t my first iPod, but the fact that it came it black, had another 10GB of space over my at-the-time-current iPod and played videos made the upgrade tempting.

I mended the relationship with my best friend. For a while, we had a fallout and stopped talking, but now all is good (despite the fact that he had to move up to the San Francisco area, which was pretty lame on his part).

E3 2006 was awesome and was probably the last of its kind. The Nintendo press conference had some really high production values and sitting front row in the famous Kodak Theater in Hollywood, CA was pretty amazing. I also met up with some very cool folks in the industry, including but not limited to the guys from Retro Studios, Denis Dyack of Silicon Knights and Takashi Tezuka of Nintendo. I also bumped into some good friends in the game journalism industry that I don’t get to see much at all, which is always fun. Of course, hanging with the AMN crew during E3 is always a blast and never fails to entertain (or surprise, for that matter).

Got a Toshiba 15” Widescreen Notebook for my birthday in September, which I am using to type this up. I love the baby, and I use it all the time. Not too much else to say other than that. It r-a-w-k-s.

Wii arrives a week early. I’ve been intrigued and looking forward to Nintendo’s new-generation home console since it was announced, so getting a package from Nintendo of America – complete with a Wii console, controllers and copies of several un-released Nintendo Wii games – a whole week before its public launch was kind of like a dream come true for me. The downside was that I had to review a 50-hour game (as well as a handful of other Wii titles ) in less than a week, so I locked myself in my game room and played Twilight Princess and others for a week straight. My job often requires such sacrifices, but I can’t say that I complain. Playing Twilight and answering reader IMs about the game before it was out was pretty darn fun. The game turned out being one of my favorite games of all time, too, so I’m happy about that as well.

Bought a large-screen HDTV – something I’ve been saving to do and thinking about doing for ages now. I decided on the 1080p Samsung 50” DLP (HL-S5087W), after a lot of researching and window shopping. Simply put, it’s a gorgeous TV and playing games like Gears of War in 1080i on it makes playing any other way boring by comparison.

Decorating and Christmas time in general. I love the period between Halloween and New Years. I love Thanksgiving and Christmas the most, specifically, and I really get into the holiday spirit by decorating anything I can. I always get depressed on January 1 because it means my favorite time of year is over, and I have to wait another year for it to come again.

Pet bunny survives bladder surgery for stones he developed. I’ve had him for several years, so I love him a lot. I’m glad he’s still around and running the house as usual.

I quit playing World of Warcraft (again). The only reason this is included in my list is because last night I got into a discussion with my brother about how time-consuming and unsatisfying the MMO is. Of course, I’ll eat my own words in a few weeks when I buy Burning Crusade and probably become addicted to it. Bah.

I just stopped to read over what I’ve written so far, and I’ve noticed that I’ve written much more than I thought I would. I’m little over a page in Microsoft Word, and I’m still typing. Almost 800 words. I better stop.

Anywho, I might be forgetting something, so if you think I am, comment and maybe I’ll update this baby.

Happy New Years, and may 2007 rock your world.