Thread @ dirty.

I was saving this for my end of year GAMES, EYEMO write up, but...

Originally MSN'd by Joe:

Joe says (9:09 PM):
oi, i'd like a review of mario galaxy when you get a chance. i've sworn on my own life that i will not buy a wii again but i'd like to hear what you think of it (especially compared to that stupid gamecube mario game)

Okay. Please note that I have not yet completed the game, so my opinions and thoughts may yet change, but you can probably gauge how I feeel about the game from these impressions.

The thing about Mario Galaxy is that it took me a little while to work out why I felt so good playing it. It wasn't until I reached the first 'proper' boss level that I realised I hadn't felt like this since Mario 64. More on that in a bit - first let me get the obligatory 'review' fodder out of the way.

The visuals in Mario Galaxy are stunning. For the Wii. It's kind of unfortunate that the Wii can't output a higher definition video signal, as this game would benefit from it immensely. That said, Nintendo have managed to make the player forget they're playing a low definition game by throwing some amazing visual design out, that makes most other platformers look like dog shit. Actual dog shit. Kameo, in comparison, looks brown and rough and smelly. Dog shit.

The audio in the game is outstanding. The familiar Mario tunes are now orchestrated in Dolby Digital, and they sound hot. The games sound effects are standard mario fare, but that's a good thing.

Level design is somewhat amazing, which leads me back to the start of this write up. The thing Mario Galaxy does, as Mario 64 did when it was released, is present the player with mechanics and gameplay they have never experienced before. I vividly recall a level in the Space Junk Galaxy where I was on a moving platform, dodging bullets, running onto the under-side of the platform, jumping AROUND the platform's gravitational pull (LOL ORBITING) and thinking "I've never done this before...". While that may not sound as profound as, say, fighting a battalion of Striders in Half Life, that simple phrase - "I've never done this before" - is something a lot of players haven't said in a long, long time.

As I said, I'm not finished with the game yet, so I don't want to say too much. But so far, this is the best game I've played this year, and that's saying something - 2007 has been, by far, the best year in gaming in the history of the past time. You owe it to yourself to at least have a go at a course or two. Fuck, come to my house and we can wreck shit with beer, pizza and Mario.

I'm fighting the good fight for PS3 now.

Bullshit.

For this:

I'd say this game is a little over-hyped. It's good, but I think the reviews boasting how great it is deserve some qualifications.

Specifically: it's a great multiplayer game. I think it's a mediocre single player game.

The single player is gorgeous. The enemies are smart. The story has some gripping moments.

It has, in my opinion, pretty shitty gameplay. There are scenarios in which there are unlimited opponents, and the only way to advance is to press forward, and scenarios with limited enemies, where the surest way to survive is to stay behind cover and pick them off. I found it very frustrating trying to figure out which type of scenario I was in.

Further, there are segments that appear wide-open, but in which you are, in fact, supposed to follow a particular path. The only way you know (eventually) that you're going the wrong way is because you've been dying. A lot.

There's a PS3 blog column about a particular level being the greatest FPS level of all time. Bullshit. It's atmospheric, and good for one run-through, but it's so completely on rails that I have no desire to replay it whatsover...

The multiplayer system is super, super fun, though. The leveling system and the create-a-class system all work as it should, and make the game more engaging without being overpowering. I do think they could use some variety in the levels (a few of them feel largely similar). Hopefully they'll offer some expansions. Lots of gametypes, good fun. They say that they'll implement player mutes so you can SHUT UP THE ASSHOLES LISTENING TO MUSIC WHILE THEY PLAY. FUCK.

I thought I'd write some casual reviews, and this one's been bugging me.

I'm basically going by gamespot, which gave it an 8.6. I can honestly say it deserves better.

The weapons, in particular, deserve some recognition. They're quite innovative, and some of them actually introduce new, unforced gameplay mechanics. The bullseye's alt-fire launches a marker that attracts the main fire's shots. Hearing the sound that means your tag connected, and ducking behind cover and emptying your clip into the air, watching your bullets stream around your cover to your target, while hell rains down around you, becomes one of the definitive experiences of the game. And that's just one weapon...The Auger, with its ability to plant force-fields, the special grenades, all class.

The AI is no slouch, either. We're getting to a point, these days, where you can divide shooters into two groups: stupid opponents and good ones. Any good shooter should have enemies that take cover, flank you, grenade you if you're dug in, etc, and Resistance definitely delivers. They're nice and unpredictable: I've watched enemies take cover and waited so long for them to peek back out that I've concluded they must have died, only to be proven wrong when I leave my position. It makes the fights fun stuff.

I think the level design for the single player is among the best I've seen in a FPS. They naturally incorporate many different gameplay types, and some of the scenarios are quite memorable (trying to hold that city square and storming the hillside to take out the mortars, for starters). There are some stretches that are a tad over-repetitive (some of the tunnel crawls, and, IMO, the jeep sequence), but no level really mimics another...

They've added to the replay value with a nice feature, as well: new weapons on your second playthrough. Adds a lot of appeal.

Graphics are perfect. Sound is perfect. Seriously. Being in a blown-out house and hearing a Chimera walking around above you, floorboards creaking, is intensely atmospheric.

Where is it short? A few minor quibbles. The foot soldiers that you fight on the first level still form the bulk of your enemies on the last level, and the first two guns you get will be your stand-bys for the entire game, so there's a certain lack of development. They do introduce new enemies, and the AI is exciting enough that this isn't really troublesome...but I did notice it.

Gamespot did criticize the story, a bit, and I'd say their points were half-right. The main character doesn't have much of a personality, but this is partly a function of the story. And while the story doesn't develop too much on the surface, there's tons of stuff beneath the surface that you'll miss if you're not paying attention. I won't reveal too much, but there's some corpses you find later in the game, and if you know where to look, these corpses have messages that add an entire new dimension to the story that you would otherwise be unaware of.

Honestly, I never even turned the multiplayer on...waited for Call of Duty to do that. But I know it does allow some variety in having one human team and one chimera team, and with the rest of the gameplay elements, I can't imagine it to be really lacking. No class system, though, which seems to be the order of the day.

If, at some point, any of you pick up a PS3, I consider this a must-play if you like FPS. Classic.

So Wii is the no 1 selling console (of the 3 current gen majors) now. GG.

Sony SCEI July - Sept Quarter = $841 million loss.

Nintendo March - Sept Half = $1.16 billion profit.


WTF.

I know most of us have probably seen it already, but goddamn this trailer gives me goosebumps.

http://www.streetfighterworld.com/

You may remember a few posts by me regarding Dungeon Runners, NCSoft’s free to play MMO Hack’n’Slash RPG.

My Mage, Clop.

.

New Warlock UI, for my 46 lox:

(Those of you who have 360's already know all this and can probably skip the post, lawl)

I am utterly in love with this machine.

I grabbed Gears of War, a 120gb HDD and a wireless headset yesterday, and have spent today playing with my brother on Live.

Live is the best thing to that ever happened to gaming. For reals. It's just so seamless. It blows my mind just thinking about it. The demos, XBLA, videos, social stuff - it all just fucking works.

We played co-op Gears on Hardcore today for about 6 hours. It's easliy the best co-op experience I've ever had. So many "OH FUCK AHAHAHA" moments. God damn. Dchu would pack a shotty and I'd hang back with the sniper rifle - it was like sending a dog into a chicken coop then picking off the poor animals. Also, chain-reviving each other as we GTFO of a firefight is too funny.

We also played a bunch of Bomberman Live, and fuck me that game is awesome. 8 player online is so hectic it makes me sick.

Georgia is out there now owning 3 kids from Arizona in UNO. HAHA - "Oh god dude move your camera I can see up your shorts".

The next 5 months are going to rule aswell - Bioshock (which honestly looks like the best game ever made ever dot com), Halo 3, Mass Effect, Mercenaries 2, Rock Band - fuck. Wallet Rape 2007 in full effect.

I still want a PS3 too. I was hoping Lair would push me into getting one, but it's getting pretty average review scores, which is a shame. I guess I'll just wait till MGS4 drops.

More Gears imo.

Aqua - "Barbie Girl"
B-52's - "Love Shack"
Barenaked Ladies - "One Week"
Billy Ray Cyrus - "Achey Breaky Heart"
Crash Test Dummies - "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm"
Divinyls - "I Touch Myself"
EMF - "Unbelievable"
Gin Blossoms - "Hey Jealousy"
Lisa Loeb - "Stay"
MC Hammer - "U Can't Touch This"
Meredith Brooks - "Bitch"
M People - "Movin' On Up"
Natalie Imbruglia - "Torn"
New Kids On The Block - "Step By Step"
Nick Cave & Kylie Minogue - "Where the Wild Roses Grow"
Poison - "Unskinny Bop"
Radiohead - "Creep"
REM - "Everybody Hurts"
Roachford - "Only to be with You"
Savage Garden - "I Want You"
Seal - "Kiss From A Rose"
Sir Mix-a-Lot - "Baby Got Back"
Spice Girls - "Wannabe"
Spin Doctors - "Two Princes"
Technotronic Feat. Felly - "Pump Up The Jam"
The Cardigans - "Lovefool"
The Cranberries - "Zombie"
The Cure - "Friday I'm In Love"
Wet Wet Wet - "Love Is All Around"


FUCK YES HOW AWESOME IS THE 90'S!!!!!

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lol

I know no-one but me really gives a shit, but:

Gamers and their avatars, a slideshow.

Some news:

( Guild Wars UpdateCollapse )

Panel de Pon is coming!!!

Planet Puzzle League DS


WiFi Multiplayer and voice chat. ULTIMATE WIN.

Preview.

I've been playing WoW for the last few months, and more recently enjoying the Burning Crusade content.

Far from home.

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I think it's funny how crazy the internet gets. Blizzard are announcing a new game in 3 weeks at WWI in Korea. This could mean Starcraft 2 (!!!) or Diablo 3 (!!!), but I'm really hoping for THE LOST VIKINGS 3 (!!!!!!!!!!!)

NullDC has been released and it's heads and shoulders better than ChanCast and demul.

I just tried a Jet Grind Radio ISO and managed a solid 45fps. No gamepad support just yet, so you'll need to use something like joy2key.

And now I go on a DC ISO downloading spree.

Aussie videogame TV show looking for a new co-host. I'm applying.

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Lord of the Rings Online

Tonight I joined a new guild in Guild Wars, and wow, what a difference it makes.

The Order of the Chimaera [OC] are a GMT+10 guild based out of Sydney. They're experienced, mature players that focus on both PvE and PvP content. I haven't been in a proper guild since WoW, and I really did forget the feeling it adds to a game. It's strange going from a Guild of 4 (2 of which don't play) to a guild of 70+ aussies. I expect great things from this.

As part of the appliaction process I got to run a mission with some of their officers. This mission had raped me twice before, but with these guys I whomped it in 13 minutes.

Woop woop!

NEW TRAILER

I'm going to talk about some of the various Guild Wars builds I've come up with over the next few weeks, so non-nerds may want to skip these posts. I'll dump them behind a cut.

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I haven't forgotten about it. I've been working on it for a long while now. It's become something much bigger than anything I've done before.

Hopefully this weekend.