December 12, 2010

Pokemon: Win or Fail? 144-152


  • Name: Cobalon
  • Number: 144
  • Type: Steel/Fighting
  • Species: Iron Will Pokemon
  • Looks like: some sort of an antelope thing with boots
  • Awesome factor: 7/10
  • Trivia: Its glare can make other Pokemon obey. It is calm with a heart of steel. It has the defense of all fighting types. 
Cobalon is similar to Raikou, Entai, and Suicune in concept. It's part of a trio of what I call "legendary dogs"(though they aren't really dogs), all of which are half fighting type. This trio appears to be based off the Three Musketeers. As far as the design goes, it's not bad at all but not extraordinary.
WIN

VGAs: They're like the new E3

If only the could pick a less crappy medium to unveil stuff like this!

December 11, 2010

Pokemon: Win or Fail? 127-143


  • Name: Crimgan
  • Number: 127
  • Type: Dragon
  • Species: Cave Pokemon
  • Looks like: a dragon with a scraggly head and holly wings
  • Awesome factor: 6/10
  • Trivia: Its head is harder than a rock. It is the only prue dragon type that does not evolve. 
I'm not sure what's up with this guys head and wings. I really like him except that his wings look like holly (especially from the back with those red scales) and his head looks really unnatural. He does grow on you, though. Plus he holds the distinction to be the only non-evolving dragon.
WIN

December 9, 2010

Pokemon: Win or Fail? 111-126


  • Name: Riguree
  • Number: 111
  • Type: Psychic
  • Species: Brain Pokemon
  • Looks like: a robo alien
  • Awesome factor: 8/10
  • Trivia: They mysteriously appeared in the desert 50 years ago. (hmmm...)
There has never been a Pokemon like Riguree before. He's obviously based off some sort of alien, yet he looks kind of robotic as well. Though he's not a steel type, he doesn't look completely organic to me, like he's some sort of alien android. The colored nubs on his hands are certainly interesting (though they remind me of jelly beans) and I wouldn't be surprised if they glow in the dark. 
WIN

December 8, 2010

Pokemon: Win or Fail? 94-110


  • Name: Kaburumo
  • Number: 094
  • Type: Bug
  • Species: Ringside Pokemon (?)
  • Looks like: a larva with a wrench head
  • Awesome factor: 4/10
  • Trivia: This Pokemon will evolve only if you trade it for Chobomaki, another bug Pokemon.
Another kind of cute little guy. He looks like an excited baby bug. Not sure why the the top of his head looks like a wrench, though. It's a bit strange, but overall descent design. 
MEH

December 7, 2010

Pokemon: Win or Fail? 78-93


  • Name: Chilarmy
  • Number: 078
  • Type: Normal
  • Species: Chinchilla Pokemon
  • Looks like: a chinchilla (off to a good start!)
  • Awesome factor: 5/10
  • Trivia: Its tail is used as a broom. It evolves via a shiny stone (wtf is that?)
Awww, isn't this guy adorable? I just want to give him a big 'ol hug! Anyway, his design is alright. Reminds me a bit of pikachu actually (which, let's admit it, is also adorable but simple). Not sure it's the kind of Pokemon I'd want to take into battle, though. It's just too damn cute to get beat to a pulp in a fight.
MEH

December 6, 2010

Pokemon: Win or Fail? 62-77

A few notes before today's Pokemon. I am rating these Pokemon based on originality, creativity, and uniqueness of  design and concept. That's the "awesome factor". My personal opinion will be reflected, though, and that's something that really can't be avoided. While I like the desert crocodile family overall, I feel like the first two aren't as up to par as the last one. "Meh" does not mean bad, it means solid but not spectacular. Just thought I'd clarify. Now on to the Pokemon!

December 5, 2010

Pokemon: Win or Fail? 46-61


  • Name: Kurumiru
  • Number: 046
  • Type: Bug/Grass
  • Species: Sewing Pokemon
  • Looks like: a worm with a leaf on its head
  • Awesome factor: 5/10
  • Trivia: It produces silk from its mouth, hence "sewing Pokemon". 
Here we have this game's worm Pokemon. As far as I'm concerned, it looks just as good as any other worm Pokemon. I've never been particularly excited over the design of any worm Pokemon, so he gets a middle-of-the-road score. He wouldn't look out of place, though, in any other generation.
MEH

December 4, 2010

Pokemon: Win or Fail? 30-45


  • Name: Dangoro
  • Number: 030
  • Type: Rock
  • Species: Mantle Pokemon
  • Looks like: a bunch of rocks stuck together
  • Awesome factor: 1/10
  • Trivia: It looks vaguely like a bomb-omb.
Dangoro is obviously meant to be this game's geodude, which means you'll see him every five seconds in caves. What a sorry replacement. He looks like a pile of rocks. I can't tell if that hole in the middle is supposed to be an eye or a mouth or what. 
FAIL


December 3, 2010

Pokemon: Win or Fail? 15-39


  • Name: Choroneko
  • Number: 015
  • Type: Dark
  • Species: Ill-natured Pokemon
  • Looks like: a pretty decent cat Pokemon
  • Awesome factor: 6/10
  • Trivia: n/a
It seems like every generation we end up with a new cat Pokemon. I happen to like this design better than skitty and about 100x more than glameow. Choroneko has kind of an oldschool feel to it that reminds me of the original 151. 
WIN

December 2, 2010

Pokemon: Win or Fail? 0-15



Because December is apparently Pokemon month, I will attempt to analyze the designs all 156 new Black & White Pokemon for you, the reader. But most importantly I'll tell you if they win or fail.

I apologize ahead of time for the black boxes that cut off the bullet points, and for the outlines in some of the pictures (they go away if you click on them). That's just the way it is!

October 8, 2010

Game Review: Halo Reach

**Please read about the new review policy first.**

Halo Reach is both the beginning and the end of an era. Nearly ten years ago, Halo Combat Evolved launched with the original Xbox. For better or for worse, it changed gaming forever by single-handedly carrying the Xbox through it’s launch and altering the very core of the FPS genre. Halo 2 added online support and helped to make Live what it is today. Halo has always been an influential franchise and Bungie does it again with Reach. Some changes are subtle and some are grand, but the guys at Bungie really gave this one their all. It is, after all, their final Halo title before they move on to their new ten-year deal with Activision. Halo is far from dead, but this is the last time Bungie will be behind it. You have to wonder whether Microsoft will put as much love and care into the franchise as Bungie has, or if they’ll milk it till the udders are raw. We can only hope for the former.

Building a better review: The new system explained

After much work, the new review format is complete. Here's a breakdown of how it works and what it means to you, the reader

October 1, 2010

Upcoming reviews

So I got some new games, the reviews for which will be coming up soonish. First down the pipeline will be Halo Reach. What good is reviewing the game three weeks after it comes out and everybody's played it? Because everybody's not played it. A lot of people I know have't played it yet. It's for guys like them.

After that, I'll have Metroid Other M and Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. My prediction for Kingdom Hearts is that it'll be the best one yet. Other M, though, I'm really looking forward to because I have no idea if I'm going to love it or hate it.

Final order of business: review structure. Another reason to delay my reviews is because I'm working on a new structure for the reviews. Hopefully, it'll end up being the best quality, most helpful review you've ever read. Fingers crossed.

September 11, 2010

Album Review: A Thousand Suns

I don't understand it either.
A strange thing happened, Linkin Park's A Thousand Suns caught me completely off guard by not sucking. It's strange because upon hearing the first single off ATS, "The Catalyst," I had given up on the band. It was way too... crap to have come from my former favorite band. Then I heard another song LP released called "Wretches and Kings" and thought it was garbage. I heard a third called "Blackout" and thought it was loud and repetitive. Then "Waiting for the End." With that song everything changed. I began to think of the songs less like individual tracks and more like pieces of a puzzle. "Waiting for the End," "Blackout," and "Wretches and Kings" are all one after another on the album in that order. Listen to them together and they don't suck so much. Listen to the whole album together and you have something that's actually much more consistant and coherent than Minutes to Midnight. Track breakdown inside lies ahead.

September 6, 2010

Uh-oh: Metroid: Other M soundtrack is bad

So Metroid: Other M got mixed reviews, but it still looks like a hugely fun game to play. I personally haven't played it yet, but as soon as it released I rushed online to check out the next awesome Metroid soundtrack. Except there was no awesome Metroid soundtrack. It was more like a bunch of ambient sounds strung together. Almost every track had no recognizable melody to it save for the few that were ripped from previous Metroid games. In short, it's almost as if the composer was so afraid or screwing up that he reused some old Metroid tunes and didn't do anything specific for the rest of it. So it looks like we'll have to wait for the next Metroid game to get a decent new soundtrack. Shame, because the Prime series was brilliant musically.

August 27, 2010

The worst review ever written

So Metroid: Other M comes out this upcoming Tuesday and today was review day. A lot of reviews have gone up today, and currently the game has a metascore of 80. Scores range from 6.3 to 9.5. Basically, it seems like a love it or hate it game. One review (thankfully) not factored in was that of G4's Abbie Heppe. It's the biggest joke of a review I've ever read in my life. Seriously, she just downright gives woman a bad name. It's just absolutely ridiculous how subjective and biased it is. But the worst part is that it was written by a woman and complains how Samus isn't portrayed to her liking. Well, just check out the video review below and you'll see what I mean.

August 25, 2010

Once you see (or hear) it...

I'm about to ruin your childhood.
You will never see things in the same way again.

August 14, 2010

The Best Modern Game Trailers Ever Redux

So I did this feature, a little over a year ago called The Top 7 Best Modern Game Trailers Ever. You know, if you don't periodically update these lists, they become completely outdated. A lot has changed in a year. A lot. So now I'm updating it. Hell, I might even make this an annual thing. So here they are: the best modern game trailers ever. Since I added one, I won't restrict this list to a certain number, especially if I do this annually. Original content in gold and new content in blue.

August 12, 2010

Why didn't Irrational develop BioShock 2?

Because they've been busy on this since they finished the original BioShock. It's due in 2012. It will be awesome.

August 11, 2010

Movie Review: Batman Under the Red Hood

Holy awesomeness, Batman! Now this is what animated Batman should be like. I haven't enjoyed me some animated Batman action this much since, well, Batman the Animated Series. The Batman was good, and The Brave and The Bold has it's followers but if they ever make a series like this movie, I would need a change of pants.

August 3, 2010

Comicon brings it- toon style

Comicon was great this year for a number of reasons. For me, though, it's all about animation and this year's Comicon did not disappoint. There's some great cartoons due out later this year and next. Infos and such after the break.

July 27, 2010

PSA: Borderlands DLC on sale this week

The XBL deal of the week this week happens to be the three pieces of Borderlands DLC. Borderlands, my game of the year 2009, is totally awesome so you should totally get this half price DLC and you too can fight those epic creatures you see above!

Random Song For Today

The only good song by White Rabbits, "Percussion Gun." Trust me, I've listened to the other ones.

July 23, 2010

Quite possibly the greatest invention ever

This dude gutted an old electric organ and outfitted it into a chiptune keyboard. Best. Idea. Ever.

God of Sandwich


Awesome.

The ultimate RPG?


Developer Big Huge Games has something epic up their sleeves. Almost said wizard sleeve to make it a fantasy reference, but then decided against that because you might get the wrong idea. Looks like I said it anyway, though, so oh well. Anyway, you're probably thinking "Who the hell is Big Huge Games and why the hell should I care?" You should care because this it the newest RPG from Oblivion designer Ken Rolston. But that's not all! It also brings together Todd McFarline as the visual director and fantasy author R.A. Salvatore as the writer. Salvatore created 10,000 years worth of fictional history set in the world Amalur for Kingdoms of Amalur Reckoning (that'd be the game's name). Excited yet? You should be. While details are scant as the game will be out fall 2011, it has been revealed that the game will be an open world action RPG set in the world of Big Huge Games also upcoming MMO codenamed Copernicus. More info here. The trailer follows.

REDIRECT>>

To keep up with new posts and information on upcoming stuff, please visit this link.

/Fuzunga

July 21, 2010

Axe Cop Jim?

Today's Axe Cop guest strip is by Doug TenNapel and his four year old daughter Olivia. Why should you care? Because Doug TenNapel is the creator of Earthworm Jim, of course! And you can view it right here after the break!


July 19, 2010

July 12, 2010

The End?

Not quite, but it's dormant time. Super special secret stuff is in the works and holy crap you can upload videos via Blogger now. When did they add that? Anyway, the next time you hear from me here will probably be on status updates for my new Project. I call it Project P.R.O.J.E.C.T. It stands for Projected Revolution Or Jelly Eggs Coming True. Take your pick. Oh, you wanted real information? Those first two letters are a clue.

/Fuzunga

July 1, 2010

The Deal

So here's the deal. Something big is coming so hold on to your pants. When? Eventually... Anyway, less posts now means more awesome later. Oh so much awesome! Deal?

June 29, 2010

Epic Steam sale is epic

It's steam, see, and it says Valve underneath it so it's cleaver. Right? Anyway, Steam is having this really epic summer sale. Nearly everything has been marked down to ridiculously low prices until July 4th. Hell, even I have a Mac and there's plenty to choose from. So get on over there to Steam right now and save!

June 25, 2010

Get that awesome Deus Ex music NOW!

Remember that super kickass trailer for Deus Ex: Human Revolution? Remember how awesome the music was? Well now you can download it for free from the official website. Awesome.

June 24, 2010

Lightning Reviews

I've been working on and off on a secret project so I don't have the time to write full reviews; however, for some guidance, here are a few fast reviews that I was planning on making large:

Bioshock 2: 8
Rapture comes to life again with beautiful coloration and an exciting adventure. The dual-wielding is a nice touch, but until the very end, the game lacks the emotion of the first game. While the first game is better, this is a welcome return to Rapture and a solid sequel. I also think the multiplayer is fantastic. The online is basically Modern Warfare 1 made Bioshocky.

Red Dead Redemption:
As a massive fan of the first game, I waited for this game since 8th grade. I was very let-down by the single-player. It was severely overhyped because of the "sand-box" aspect. Yes, the sand-box is brilliantly executed. Yes, a lot of work was put into the game. For me, however, singleplayer is about the missions and not your free-roam. Free-roam gets boring, so it's the missions that move you along. The missions were dull, too long, not enough shooting, and at times, very stupid. I recall at least 4 quests that involved herding cattle, and some that involved following dogs around for 10+ minutes to kill one guy. I spent more than 50% of this game riding my horse to different locations, and 30% frustrated at the repetitiveness of each quest. Instead of sticking to Red Dead Revolver's innovation, Rock Star took GTA's missions and forced them into the Wild West. I also hate the "bounty system" because it doesn't make sense. If someone insults me, takes a gun out, tries to shoot me but fails, and I attack back, why am I the criminal? Why should I have to escape from the police when the outlaw was trying to kill me? If I fight back, I lose honor and prices at shops go up. If I don't, I die, have to start over, lose all my money, and takes a smaller honor hit. Great choice.
The online, however, is different. The online takes the singleplayer and strips it of missions and honor-hit of , leaving you with a world where you are free to wreak mayhem without any fears. Even better, you do it with any player that wants to join your possee. The multiplayer games are boring because weapons are pre-set, and the locations are the same as singleplayer.
This game could have been a 10, but lack of innovation docks it to a 6.5 for me. The free-roam takes it up to a 7.5, and multiplayer to an 8. This one is tricky to review because the game has great and horrible aspects. So if you enjoy free-roam, you will love this game. If you are like me who wants solid-missions, wait for a price drop.

FIFA World Cup: 10
Granted that the ratings for sports games aren't the same as ratings for other games, but this game is perfect for a sports game. It has nothing wrong. I'm not a soccer fan and I love it.

Crackdown 2 impressions


Crackdown 2 suffers from something I like to call "next-gen disease." That is 1) it's darker and 2) it has zombies. Because everyone knows if your game isn't dark and zombie-ridden it isn't modern. The city, while the same, is almost unrecognizable at least in the area I played. Everything's decayed and run down, the color pallet is darker and even the Agency agents look like generic armored men. One of my favorite things about the first Crackdown was how your agent would physically evolve when your skills increased. While he certainly gets bigger now, the only other visual effect is more armor. You can choose a specific face for your agent, but you'll never see it, and the armor colors include blue, gray, light gray, and dark gray. Exciting. Even the HUD is transparent black rather than blue. Yes sir, this game certainly has next-gen disease. 

June 23, 2010

E3 Fail

So I was working on this epic E3 post and it seems to have disappeared. There's no way I'm going to rewrite all that, so I guess now you'll never know. Anyway, In case you weren't aware, here were my own grades for the Big 3 this E3:

  • Sony: B
  • Microsoft: C-
  • Nintendo: A+

June 18, 2010

E3 Grade - Kromebear

I'm not going to ruin Fuzunga's up-coming post, but here are my grades for E3 (and ranking):

1. Nintendo = A+

2. Sony = B/B-

3. Microsoft = C-/D+

Yes, Microsoft sucked. They failed to surprise or do anything new. Plus, Nintendo was so good it made everyone else look worse.

Daily E3 Wrap: The End

Can you believe it's over? Yup, another whole year of E3 has passed us by, but we'll be feeling all the awesome shockwaves for a year to come. That doesn't mean all the awesome E3 coverage is over, though. Far from it! E3 is such a big event, that there will be media and info for quite a while to come. And, on the bright side, E3 '11 has already been dated for June 7-9. But for now, let's take a look at some more games that were shown or announced at this year's expo.

June 17, 2010

Merger!!!

So once we were one, then two, and now we shall be one again. The Cutting Edge will return to Installation4!!! The reason is simple: efficiency!

June 16, 2010

E3: Day 2 Trailers (and gameplay)

Holy fail, Batman! Looks like the last trailer post I did was somehow XCOM over and over again. So... no more GameTrailers.

June 15, 2010

Daily E3 wrap: Nintendo and Sony

Oh man. What a day it was! So yeah, Nintendo basically obliterated everyone and stole the show. They win. Is it possible to give a grade higher than A+? Because that's what they get. Seriously, it was perfect. This was the day Nintendo fans have been waiting for for years. I really don't know where to begin, but I must try!

E3: More Fallout Fun

Well readers here's the scoop: A new Fallout Vegas trailer has been released and just in time for E3...yeah. This is not a post about E3 or anything really relating to it besides this trailer, the fact that it is a video game and the timing. What we have here is a standard analysis post. First, let me give you the trailer...


June 14, 2010

Daily E3 wrap: Microsoft, EA, and Ubisoft

That there is the new slimmer Xbox 360 which will be available, uh, tomorrow and which will replace all versions of the current system. Next to it is Kinect, which will be available this fall and will automatically connect up to the new, slimmer system. For older 360 models, Kinect will require its own power supply. In addition to that convenience, the new system will come with a 250 gig HD, which will be removable though presumably smaller, that you can transfer your data to from your current system via a $20 cable (not included) that was included with the old 120 gig drive. It's quieter, smaller, and has built in wifi. Oh, and it looks like the PS3 used to. Why would they go for the glossy look? And the random angle in the middle of the power button? Overall, it looks more like an Alienware computer to me and less like an Xbox. More shots here. Unfortunately for Microsoft, this was pretty much the best of their show today. The full day's summary after the break.

June 13, 2010

E3: Get over here for this new Mortal Kombat trailer

Turns out there is a new game. Looks like a reboot to me. And a return to form.

The pre-E3 Post

E3 will be upon us tomorrow. The question everyone wants to know is who will win? Because E3 is apparently some sort of a contest. So who will it be? Microsoft, Nintendo, or Sony? See my predictions of the show below.

How to make the best of a bad game

Tony Hawk: Ride was crap, but the board can be useful.

HELP WANTED!

Let me rephrase that: HELP NEEDED! Installation 04 needs your help, fine readers. It's common knowledge that I've been doing the majority of posting for over a year. The truth is, I can't do it alone. MonkeyLord and KromeBear have been helping out when they can and in the meantime I've lost Doegab. It's not enough. It's just not enough. Luckily, the more (dedicated) writers we have here, the more posts go up. That's where you come in. See, we need more people. A lot more people. With your help, we can make this place great. It's going to take a lot of dedication and work, but the payoff will be fantastic. Every dream of going to E3? Help I4 make it to the top and you might just have a shot. Suck at writing? It's not just writers we need either. Still interested? Inquire within.

June 12, 2010

New Look and Surprise Review

Yes, in honor of Installation 04's E3 inspired New Look, I have also chosen a new look. The look is temporary, unless y'all really like it. It's inspired by Super Mario Galaxy 2 because the colors of the game alone make me really happy. No, Galaxy 2 isn't the surprise review, but in the upcoming mega-review post there will be one added review!

June 11, 2010

New Look

It's E3 time and everybody's doing it! I went with green this time because why the hell not. Wanted a change of pace from the usual depressing shades of gray. Other new stuff includes a split sidebar, new Tetris header, and overall larger and easier to read page. Oh, and you no longer have to click on the post title to read the full post. Hooray!

P.S.- I'm still tweaking things.

Review: Super Mario Galaxy 2

*Note* Sorry this took so long to get up. It's been finished for a bit, but I spent the last day in the hospital.

Super Mario Galaxy 2 is, more or less, the definition of a great game. Don't call it Super Mario Galaxy 1.5 Everything about it is polished and executed perfectly. I'm not sure if any game has achieved this level of perfection before, but certainly no Mario game has. Since Mario is usually at the top of its class, I think it's safe to say that Galaxy 2 is one of Nintendo's finest games ever. Is it better than Mario 64? Most would say it's not because Mario 64 is classic. Honestly? Yes it is. It's the culmination of everything that worked in past Mario games. Even the 2D ones.

Coming Soon: Bioshock 2, Darksiders, FIFA World Cup

Well since I'm usually pressed for time I've found it most efficient to group up reviews. The next batch will be Bioshock 2, Darksiders, and (just in time for the real-deal) the FIFA World Cup game. My next 2 games will be 2 big-name titles: Red Dead Redemption and Super Mario Galaxy 2. Expect great reviews in the near future!

June 9, 2010

Mortal Kombat Rebirth

The following is apparently test footage made for WB by an unnamed director who wants to reboot the franchise (it is assumed) in movie form. I have to say, it looks pretty fantastic. I'd see it. Between this and Street Fighter Legacy, which may actually become a series (!), it looks like game-to-screen adaptations ar looking up!

The facts of life


Now that the evil fruit has gotten your attention, I'd like to make a statement. Lately, I've been the only one really doing crap around here I've got two other guys ( MonkeyLord and KromeBear- they deserve recognition) who help out when they can. Everyone else is useless. If that offends you, well, then try not being useless. In any case, I've been doing some thinking. Obviously, we're not going to continue on like this. We're all busy fellows who do this in their spare time. Thing is, we obviously don't have much of that these days. I'm not closing the place down, but I don't what such infrequent posting either. Therefore, don't be surprised if I you see a post up in the next few days trying to recruit people. We need more. More people= more available posting time= more posts. Just FYI, if you're interested. Details will be forthcoming.

June 5, 2010

If this game doesn't blow me away...

Few trailers have ever made me this excited. Many have come close, but I day say that this could be the single greatest game trailer ever. It's for Deus Ex: Human Revolution, and it don't take no shit. It's designed like, and feels like, a blockbuster movie trailer and if it was a movie I'd see it in a heartbeat. If this game doesn't absolutely blow me away as the best game of 2011, hell the best game EVER, I will be extremely disappointed. I haven't been this excited in a long, long time. And it feels great.

June 2, 2010

I'll chop your head off!

What is this extremely epic image you ask? Why it's from Axe Cop, the greatest comic ever created. You see, Axe Cop is a cop who uses an axe and is great a fighting. Together with his pals Flute Cop, Sockarang, his talking dog Ralph Wrinkles, and his pet dinosaur with machine guns for arms, Wrexer (and a lot more people) he is on a mission to wipe out all evil in the world. What's the best part? It's written by 5 year old Malachai Nicolle and edited and illustrated by his 29 year old brother Ethan. It's super awesome. Trust me. If you enjoy my nonsense stories, it's actually just like that but with pictures. Check out the first comic below and click here to see the rest.

'Net's back!

My internet is back and working at half capacity! Huzzah! Super Mario Galaxy 2 review here we come!

May 29, 2010

No internet = no posts

So my internet hasn't worked in days. It started as a minor annoyance when my modem decided to die. The connection was slow for quite some time- slow but stable. They sent a new modem and the connection was spotty. Now it just doesn't work. No telling how long it'll be out because the phone people are idiots. Posting this from my cell, the final connection to the outside world. Might go crazy soon. We'll see how things turn out.

May 26, 2010

Mario Galaxy 2

I've probably played enough of Mario Galaxy 2 to review it. However, I'm going to wait until I get to the end because the game seems to never stop throwing new stuff at you. I want to make sure I cover every awesome thing this game offers. In the meantime, know that Mario Galaxy 2, though it shares a name with the original, is a very different game. Calling it 1.5 is an insult. It most certainly is it's own game, sharing only basic gameplay elements. Review should be up fairly soon I hope. My internet sucks right now, so that explains the lack of posts and possible late review of this game.

Review List

I got a request to list all the games I've reviewed and their scores, and I also recieved criticism for being too generous. Remember that under my scale, an 8 is a solid game to get. 7 is iffy territory and below 7 are games I suggest you avoid unless you find the price very cheap. So here is a compilation (from worst to best):

Resident Evil 5 - 4.5
Halo 3: ODST - 6.5
New Super Mario Brothers Wii - 7
X-Men Origins: Wolverine - 8 (7 compared to other games)
Street Fighter IV - 8
Ghostbusters - 8
Star Wars: Force Unleashed (Sith Edition) - 9
Borderlands - 9.5 (was originally a 9 but has been adjusted)
Batman: Arkham Asylum - 9.5
Assassin's Creed 2 - 9.5

While there are many 8s, as you can see when I give games like ODST and RE 5 poor scores (and this were loved by critics), I'm not being too generous.

May 25, 2010

Best Super Robot Monster Battle line Ever

I relize that this is a random post, but I was watching Dexter's Lab (yes, as a matter of fact I was reliving my childhood) and it was the one with the foreign exchange student and the battle in Japan. Anyway, at one point Dexter and his family are battling the monster and the dad throws an energy ball and says, "You're gonna get some pepper on this one". Laughed uncontrollably.

MEGA-MASSIVE REVIEWS: X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Star Wars: Force Unleashed, DLCs, and More!

As the title says, this is the massive review I promised, plus a surprise game: Bioshock 2! Actually, Bioshock 2 will get its own post but wanted to let y'all know it was coming up. Now before I begin, since I am reviewing DLCs also, the grading scale is a bit different. It's basically a 5 point scale, where a 3 is a DLC that may be worth it but anything above 3 is definitely worth it. The DLCs will go like the lightning reviews:

__________________

Borderlands DLC 1 - Zombie Island:
This was a very fun DLC. You traverse zombies and face an old-school boss encounter. You also see an old blind friend. Pretty good deal for $5-10. Rank: 4

Borderlands DLC2 - Mad Moxxi
Okay this DLC is a nightmare. The arenas would be cool if you could actually keep anything. Instead, you just spend all your ammo to get achievements and die. Only redeeming part is that it includes a bank for your weapons. If you really want a bank, get this DLC. If not, I'd recommend avoiding it or getting it as part of a package with the new Borderlands add-on package. Rank: 2.5

Borderlands DLC3 - General Knoxx
As far as DLCs go, this is king. Greatly expanded content. An armory full of weapons. Epic boss encounters and missions. Oh, and Cramerax the Invincible (the boss I can't even scratch). Without a doubt, this is a Rank 5

Ezio_full_shot_1(1).jpgAssassin's Creed 2, DLC 1 = Battle of Forli
I love Assassin's Creed 2, so I obviously loved this DLC as well. It's not really worth $10 because the quest can be beaten in an hour if you are fooling around (I did it in about 30 minutes). However, for the duration, it's a lot of fun. You basically storm and defend a castle, engage in street civil war, kill two smart-ass brothers, and fill in a missing piece of Ezio's memories. Rank 4

Assassin's Creed 2, DLC 2 = Bonfire of the Vanities
This DLC is incredibly challenging! As a history buff, I loved seeing Savanorola introduced into the game. But, besides the obvious kill this guy, you have to kill his 9 officers in incredibly challenging ways. The hardest one is where you have to infiltrate a small boat that has no windows or doors and kill the official without being seen or noticed. Took me close to an hour, but well worth it. Rank 5
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Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Sith Edition) - 360
846386-star_killer_vader_secret_apperentice_super.jpg
This game brought me constant smiles and fan-boy giddiness whenever a character from the Star Wars universe came up in the game. In one word, this game is powerful. You play Starkiller, Darth Vader's secret apprentice. The game takes two major plot twists (both of which were expected), but focuses on filling the gaps between episodes III and IV through the adventure that this game provides. This is an upgraded hack 'n slash. Upgraded because you have a lightsaber that is customizable (to a degree) once you find power crystals and lightsaber mods (for example, I rolled with a purple or ebony lightsaber with a +lightning damage mod), and because, as the title suggests, this game stands out when it comes to the force. Using the force is an integral part of the game and what truly makes it stand out. Your favorite powers are there, from force lightning (my all-time favorite) to force push, force shield, etc. The game tests your usage of the force in combat to busting doors and even bringing down a starship from outerspace into a devastating crash with a planet.

The controls are very smooth and combos can be learned and pulled off easily. The graphics are awesome, and the story line is fantastic. The game takes you to diverse locations and even includes battles with Vader, Darth Maul, and [SPOILER ALERT!!! SPOILER ALERT!!!] the Emperor himself (although I won't tell you how to get this battle). The Sith Edition comes with three added encounters: Tatoine (where you raid Jabba's palace, kill the rancor, and fight both Boba Fett and Obi-Won!!!), the Jedi Academy at Coursecent (with a psychedelic encounter in the hall of trials), and my favorite, Hoth (featuring battles against Ice beasts and Luke Skywalker!). Just a word of caution, however, if you don't find the Sith Edition, you will have to buy the three DLCs separately.

Overall, this game reminds me of the evolved form of, and spiritual successor of, the Star Wars Jedi Academy series. This game challenges you with waves of rancors, aliens, Jedis, Siths, and even yourself. This is a true summer game and a must-buy in my opinion.

Final Rank: 9
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X-Men Origins: Wolverine (Uncaged Edition) - 360
I'll start off by saying I don't know the difference between uncaged and normal other than that the uncaged has more blood and I don't believe the normal is sold anymore. So, let me say one thing: have no fear! Contrary to most movie games, Wolverine Origins (as I call the game) is fantastic! So the game is a hack and slash, and I previously boasted it was the greatest of all time. This is an exaggeration which, sadly, fails to come across in text; however, the game is very fun and does everything it does well. The graphics are very reminiscent of Arkham Asylum (I believe they use the same engine). Players of Arkham Asylum will love the "sub-boss fights" because the bosses are the same models as the Titan-infused Arkham cronies. For those who haven't played Arkham, this means that the sub-bosses in Wolverine are giant creatures (including Lava monsters and giant army mutants) that you have to roll past, jump on their back, and give them hell.

This game shines in being the first game to make you Wolverine. You are Wolverine. You feel like Wolverine as you lunge from enemy to enemy and claw and hack the enemy into limbs and pieces. You see like Wolverine when you use feral senses to find secrets and solutions to puzzles (again, this is the same as Batman's detective mode in Arkham). You become Wolverine in berserk mode, and in basically everything you do. My favorite is Wolverine's health regeneration. You actually witness it occur in real-time. Let's say you get pumped full of bullets and then thrown into a fire. Well, Wolverine becomes a gruesome sight filled with bullet-holes, burning flesh, and an exposed adamantium skeleton. As your regen factor kicks in, you see the skeleton slowly be covered up by new flesh and Wolverine's wounds close. For fighting, the game gives you tons of combos and power-ups featuring on what Wolverine does best: claw people apart.

The game's biggest flaw is also its strength. The game lets you fight hordes of enemies in the jungles of Africa (where the hatch from Lost can be found), The Weapon-X Facility, under a blizzard in Canada (where a WoW Easter Egg can be found: during the snow storm, you enter a cave and find Arthas' blade Frostmourne with a skeleton next to it. The skeleton has an exclamation point over his head reminiscent of WoW quest givers), a Robot-creation factory (where you get to fight a SENTINEL!!!! and find a Portal easter-egg), New Orleans (boring level), a bar (battle against Sabertooth), and Three Mile Island. You can also unlock costumes for Wolverine by finding action figures and then challenging Wolverine in that costume. To get the costume, you must beat the enemy Wolverine. These fights are the most challenging bosses in the game (apart from the Sentinel). These include original, classic (the blue and yellow one), and my favorite, X-Force Wolverine (which looks like Batman; it's black and grey and turns Wolverine's eyes red). WAIT! You're probably thinking: hey, he hasn't said anything negative. Well, the negatives are that the levels are way too long, and this makes the combat a bore as the game progresses. The game really only has 4 levels: Weapon X Facility, Robot Factory, New Orleans, and Three Mile Island. These levels literally go on for hours and you fight the same group of enemies over and over again. The occasional boss makes the game exciting, but you start thinking "Why won't this level end" and "Why are the enemies the same?". As you exhaust every combo, you start to get frustrated with the game. Then comes the New Orleans level which is completely unnecessary because your mission is to fight Gambit, yet the game manages to turn the level into a 3 hour chase after Gambit through what seems like the world's largest hotel. At least destroying Gambit and a helicopter made it cool. It also annoyed me how the Africa level was interspersed through the four main levels. From a narrative stand-point, this move makes sense so I let it slide.

Overall, this game is intensely fun the first day and a very nice surprise. After the outdoors part of Weapon X level (the Canada snow-storm part) you think this game is one of the greatest you've ever played! Then it starts getting stale. The Sentinel battle makes you jizz in your pants, and after that, the game starts losing satisfaction rapidly. Judging it against other video games, this game starts at a 9 and declines to a 7. However, given that this is a game based off of a movie, I will be generous because the fighting, graphics, unlockables, and story are awesome.

Final Score: 8
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So I just beat Bioshock 2 and am currently hooked on the multiplayer (which will be discussed in the next review). I also just picked up Darksiders so expect a review on that in the near future.


May 22, 2010

Play Pac-Man on the Google homepage!

Google is awesome. Pac-Man is awesome. Google has recognized this and combined the two for Pac-Man's 30th anniversary, transforming the Google logo into a working game of Pac-Man! It's the real deal, complete with all 250-something levels and even multiplayer support! Play now!

The Installation 04 Official Reach Beta Impressions

Now that the Halo Reach beta is over, it's time for impressions! So, uh, here they are.

May 19, 2010

Would you like proof that Mario Galaxy 2 is the best game ever?

Lucky for you, here it is:

Review: Tatsunoko vs. Capcom


Tatsunoko vs. Capcom is an excellent fighting game. If you own a Wii, pick this one up. That being said, let's look at why it's so awesome.

May 17, 2010

BUY X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE NOW!!!

I'm back from school which means I have time to post. As promised, I will write up the Borderlands DLC review. I also have a review for Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Sith Edition), and the Assassin's Creed 2 DLC. The post drought is over!

Also, I'm currently playing through X-Men Origins: Wolverine and let me tell you, if you haven't played it, this game is a MUST BUY! That's right! I'll take the surprise away right now and say this is one game based on a movie that is far from crap. It may be the greatest old-school style action/hack 'n slash ever made. I'm completely in love with this game!

May 13, 2010

PSA: Steam now on Mac; Portal free until the 24th


To celebrate the launch of Steam for Mac today, Valve is giving away it's first Mac-compatible game for free on both PC and Mac. Portal is free to download until the 24th, so I'd suggest you get it now. And if you already have it, download it again. Need I remind you it's free!? Also, the Diabloesque Torchlight is half off until next week. Valve is also offering a bundle with all five Tales of Monkey Island games as well as the full season of the latest Sam and Max series for only $30. Head on over to the Steam site for all the awesome deals. 

May 12, 2010

Pokemon fans are more creative than the developers.


You see those abominations there? Those are the new starters for Pokemon Black and White. I know, right? We've got a snobby lizard thing, a pig-rabbit, and my personal favorite: a clown-otter with a snowball for a head. Yes, these guys are awful, just awful. Worse than I could have imagined. Worse than a lot of people imagined, actually. You see, when this image was released a few days ago, it sent the Pokemon community into a mad frenzy trying to decipher what they might look like. And guess what, the fan's creations are better. Here's an idea Nintendo, for the next Pokemon game, how about you let the fans design the monsters? My favorites of the fan monsters are below.

May 11, 2010

Super Fun Facts About Fallout New Vegas


Well guys, while surfing around the interwebs I found out that Bethesda has announced that they will have a Collector's edition for Fallout New Vegas.

-It will include seven poker chips that represent the seven casinos in Vegas featured in the game.
-A Fallout New Vegas customized deck of cards.
-A recreation of the game's highly coveted "Lucky 38" platinum chip.
-A hardcover graphic novel entitled "All Roads". It will be about the stories leading up to New Vegas, and is written by Chris Avellone, the creative director of the game.
-A DVD about the making of the game. Apparently there is exclusive interviews and such regarding this.

I personally am really psyched about this. In case you couldn't tell, I love the Fallout 3 game, and have now come to love the first few Fallout games. This is going to be awesome and I plan on pre-ordering the limited edition. It will (as of now) cost $79.99 for the PS3 and the Xbox 360, and $69.99 for the PC. I am excited. If you want to see a picture of the Collectors Pack type: Fallout New Vegas collector's edition into Google or whatever search engine you use and eventually a pic will pop up.

Lost Planet 2


It's out right now, in fact it came out today. However, it has been getting some poorish ratings, so either wait till a friend gets it and play that or wait for it to get cheaper. I personally enjoyed the first one, just because it was a fun game, not really based on plot or any of that, it just felt oldschool fun. I plan on getting this in the near future, probably around when Reach or Vegas come out. Hey, thats just me and my opinion though, so feel free to make your own call.

May 9, 2010

PSA: Buy this bundle now!



The Humble Indie Bundle will only be on sale for another day and sixteen hours at the time of this posting. I suggest you get it while you still can and help support indie developers as well as charity. It's a pay what you want package containing six indie games that are DRM free and compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux. The lineup includes: World of Goo, Gish, Aquaria, Lugaru, Penumbra Overture, and the recently added Samorost 2. Honestly, I hadn't heard of any of these besides World of Goo (this is my third copy) and Gish (which I have never played). And, once again, you can name your price. I'd suggest you snag this deal before it's gone and give your monies to a good cause. Whatever you can spare helps charity and indie game developers.

May 8, 2010

May 7, 2010

The greatest gaming film ever is three minutes long


Man, these guys got it right. The following Street Fighter "short film" (calling it that is a bit of a stretch) entitled "Legacy" is both more accurate and more entertaining than the previous two Street Fighter theatrical releases combined. When I first heard about this "short film," I was expecting 20 minutes of epicness. Instead, we get three. Still, it's better than almost any professionally done video game film ever. And it's gotten Capcom's blessing. Usually with these types of things, the companies that own the licences want to shut down fan projects because they're jackasses that don't want free publicity. Capcom, however, has been very generous lately. Allowing both this film and another based on Mega Man to be released. Let's hope that Capcom watches this and realizes they need to hire these guys to make a full fledged movie. Or, at the very least, I'd like to see more of these shorts.

But that's not the end of the story. Who, exactly, is responsible for this film? Why it's actor, filmmaker, and action choreographer Joey Ansah who played Desh in The Bourne Ultimatum. The team he gathered to make this possible includes Top Gear director Owen Trevor, producer Jacqueline Quella, Anthony Wayne, a senior producer on the last eleven James Bond films, and visual effects studio Prime Focus. For a three minute movie. Yeah, the man is dedicated. Here's what he has to say about it:
As an actor, film maker and a fan, I have been repeatedly disappointed by the many diluted, un faithful and outright butchered movie adaptations of fighting video games. It was clear to me, that given the way the movie industry worked, we would never see a super faithful, darker toned and more adult themed (or just plain good!) incarnation of Street fighter unless a die-hard fan director or film-making team with the game canon knowledge, film making know how and connections stepped up to the plate to helm such a project.
So almost a year ago, I began writing treatments and a production design brief and partnered with Streetlight films before proposing my concept and vision to Capcom. I'm pleased to say they gave their blessing and permission for the project to move forward.
And finally, you can see the film after the break.

May 4, 2010

Activision Revealed

So as we all know, Activision and Infinity ward are partner companies. Well, it may not be that way for long. As you all know from Fuzunga's post Bungie recently merged with Activision (yea!). But what some some of you may not know is that Activision recently fired (March 1) both the CEO and President of Infinity Ward, Vince Zampalla and Jason West, who are now sewing Activison for 36 million dollars in due royalties, which they were apparently supposed to recieve on March 31. Apparently back in March of 2008 Activision tasked the Zampella and West with completeing Modern Warfare 2 by November 15 2008 in exchange for complete control over Infinity Ward studios and rights to all COD brands that were based in the post-Viatnom era. Basically, the new COD black ops may be stalled if West and Zampalla don't sign off on it. Now that the back story is known,it is my belief that Activision bought Bungie so that it can recap some of its future potential losses. We will see. Also West and Zampella have signed on with a company called Hollywood's Creatvie Artists Agency, who have very powerful ties with the movie, sport and music industry. I think that we may be seeing more video game based or type movies coming out in the near future.

Gablargah


Hmmm... spellcheck isn't correcting that title. Doe that mean "gablargah" is a word? Anyway, real busy at the moment so no posts for a bit. But really, you should forget about us for a while and go play yourself some Reach beta. Seriously. What are you doing here reading this when there's heads to be hunted, stocks to be piled, generators to be defended, and invasions to fend off? Go on now, off you go!

April 29, 2010

The biggest story of the month *updated*


*Edit* Just to clarify because a lot of people don't fully understand the situation: Bungie is currently and will remain an independent studio owned by nobody. The Activion deal is for funding and distributing games only. In addition, it would seem that Bungie has specified some more details of the deal, stating that Activision will only publish one particular (non-Halo, because Halo is owned by Microsoft) game series that they are working on for multiple platforms. It's similar to the deal Epic has with Microsoft in wich the House of Windows (see what I did there?) publishes the Gears of War series, but other games such as the Unreal series can be published by whomever for whatever platform. Bungie could, if they wanted, make another game series and make it exclusively published by Sony for the PlayStation if it tickled their fancy (don't freak out- that was just hypothetical). In addition to all that, Bungie gains the right to develop Activision-owned game properties if they so choose. So if Activion ever wanted to do Call of Duty: Future Warfare, Bungie could hypothetically make it for them. Also, that logo is a joke. Bungie did, however, register this trademark in March. Nobody knows what the logo will be used for.  

Original Post: Or maybe it was when Activision fired the heads of Infinity Ward who then set up a new studio, Respawn, followed by about 30 other Infinity Ward employees leaving and joining them. I can't decide. In any case, they both involve Activision which, if you're not aware, is this decade's Electronic Arts. Did I mention that Respawn has a partnership with EA? Yeah, they're the good guys now.

April 28, 2010

Repetitive but Still Awesome

I thought that this trailer was a bit of a copy from the ODST trailer but it was still cool. And while the die hard Halo fans among us may find some discrepancies in the base story, it is still pretty sweet. HE'S TOO OLD!! ORPHAN!! Sorry just needed to get that out, here's the trailer.


April 26, 2010

Review: Kick-Ass

Oh man. Wow. This. Yes. So. Good. Can't. Speak. See. Now. Click. Read. More.

April 23, 2010

MicroReview: Chime

Holy McSnarf! The 700th post! Huzzah! Hard to believe, eh? Let me tell you, this will be the most relaxing 700th post ever. Why? Because Chime is the most relaxing game ever. Ever.

Microsoft be takin' mah monies!

You'd think in these tough economic times, Microsoft would be cutting us a break. Not so. They announced yesterday the Halo Reach Legendary Edition, with will run you $150. That's actually twenty more than the Halo 3 Legendary. But this time it looks totally worth it. Really! Images await below.

Metroid: Other M delayed

Wouldn't be a Nintendo game without a delay, now would it? It's been moved from June 27th to August 31st. Poop.

Shining

Warning: The following video contains dangerous amounts of win.

Review: The Passing DLC

So I just played through "The Passing." Yup, I actually completed it since my last post. How is it? Is it worth 560 Microsoft Points? Find out ahead.

April 22, 2010

Afterthought: Left 4 Dead 2 Review

Did I ever review this game? I don't think so. I mean, I finished it a while back but I think I just plain forgot. Anyway, here it is if you care to read my opinion.

April 21, 2010

Fallout New Vegas Info


Alright people, here is what I have been able to eek out of all the repetitive info and total bull@*(#) that has been posted online about Vegas. WARNING: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS TO PARTS OF THE GAME INTRO OR TO SOME OF THE NEW FEATURES. YEE ALL BE WARNED OF THE DANGER. If you are still with me, here is some of the stuff so far: