Bioshock= This was the game I bought the 360 for in the first place, and I was not disappointed. Outstanding visuals, immersive gameplay, and a mind-bending story with actual deep themes. The story is actually trying to say something, though I'm not sure I 100% agree with everything it says. Still, to play a game with a story that actually makes you consider some of your own philosophical beliefs is a complete mind-fuck. I hope to see a sequel or something better from this team in the near future.
Naruto: Rise of Ninja= Consider this, this game actually got me to watch the show. Yeah, all the other games based on the show that I played with my cousins sort of bored me to an extent. The fighting engine would often utilize a Super Smash Brothers layout for the contrl scheme, and all the characters played the same. Yet, a western team went and created a game based off of a Japanese product and improved upon it, immensly. The actual fighting game only sports 11 characters initially: Naruto: Sasuke: Sakura (only girl): Rock Lee: Neji: Kiba: Kakashi: Gaara: Haku: Zabuza: and for the first time ever, Orochimaru (the main villain, and this is the first time he's a playable character). Now, this isn't many, but each of these characters actually features a little variety in their play style. Naruto and Rock are close quarters fighters who fly in and unleash constant combos at break-neck speed, while Neji, Kiba, Zabuza and Kakashi are hard hitters who make a few strikes, knock the characters back, and perform a special attack to make quick work of them. Then you have Haku, Sakura, and Sasuke who are more fit for jumping in, delivering a few quick hits, and jumping back out of harm's way, which can prove to be a death wish for characters like Gaara, who likes to keep the enemy beyond arms length, or Orochimaru, who is all about zapping behind an unsuspecting target and beating them senseless. To add to this, Ubisoft is offering extra content through Xbox live, such as new characters (Shikamaru is the only one I know of right now) and the Japanese language track. I'm not even going to talk about the story mode, because enough has already been said in other reviews. It's certainly not a perfect game, but it's a lot of fun, and it stands far above the mountain of Japanese made cash-ins that have plagued the world since the show first came out.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Friday, December 14, 2007
Sorry that I havn't gotten the second part up yet...
It's finals week and I've been so damn busy. The thing just takes so long to write and I've just not been willing to take care of it.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
More tommorrow...
coming tommorrow: Top Game Moments 5-1
A long time ago, a game rocked,
rivals battle in an awesome montage,
The Great war is fought again,
an old mascot at his prime,
and an elf dude takes us on the greatest adventure of all time!
Plus, some honorable mentions. Games that came really close to receiving a cigar, but only picked up some chewing tobacco.
A long time ago, a game rocked,
rivals battle in an awesome montage,
The Great war is fought again,
an old mascot at his prime,
and an elf dude takes us on the greatest adventure of all time!
Plus, some honorable mentions. Games that came really close to receiving a cigar, but only picked up some chewing tobacco.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
The Best Game Moments of all time (in my oppinion)!
You know that you have your own list stashed away somewhere within that grey matter. Since I love lists so much, I'm going to lay this one out. Know that this was actually a very hard list to make, because there were many moments that I just had to leave out. It was tough, but I think I have the best list I could conceive...
10) The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King; Opening Stage (Xbox, PS2, Gamecube, PC) / I figured I'd start out light. The Return of the King is, hands down, the best movie-game of all time. No other game was able to capture the feel of the films they were based upon the way that this game did. From the opening stage where Gandalf rides onto the fields before Helm's Deep, littered with the bodies of fallen Uruk and Rohirrim. The air is filled with the dust of the earth and the battlefield is illuminated by the haunting, orange glow of the dawn. Gandalf is immediately surrounded by the hulking, ape-like figures of the Uruks. He is forced to parry their blows continuously while he searches for an opening in their offense. After dispatching several of the fiends, he is beckoned to the top wall by Legolas who, along with a handful of Rohirrim archers, is busy trying to hold off a swarm of Uruk who are speeding his way with their weapons drawn. The White Wizard hastily climbs the siege ladder, narrowly avoiding a flaming projectile that completely destroys it. He makes quick work of the ensuing horde with his staff. Without giving Gandalf the chance to breathe, Legolas hurries down to the lower level upon a grappling hook that was launched the previous night. Gandalf follows Legolas after felling another group of enemies. On the ground, Gandalf joins up with Legolas, Gimli, and Aragorn to fight through the mass of foes that still continue to fight on. After spotting a wagon full of explosives being dragged into their stronghold, Aragorn and Gandalf rush to the Uruks' still-functioning siege equipment. Firing a balista into the wagon, the explosives ignite and take out a good many Uruks in one final blow. So, that's how your first mission ends.
9) Silent Hill; Other-world Midwich Elementary Transformation (Playstation) / After gathering the two medals that fit into the sockets at the side of the Midwich Elementary School Clock Tower, Harry proceeds through the now open door. From outside, Harry could hear an eerie grinding noise that sounded less mechanical and more biological. Fear nearly overwhelmed Harry, causing him to hesitate. However, his resolve to find his daughter quickly brought him back to his senses. Harry knows that he must find Cheryl and bring her home, for he is her father and that's what he's there for. Inside the tower is a ladder, but it does not go up as one would logically assume. No, it goes down, into a deep, black hole. Harry knows that he has no choice in the matter, for his intuition is screaming out to him that this is the way to go to find Cheryl. He climbs the ladder, into the dark abyss below. At the bottom is a long, graffiti covered hall. The path ahead, lit only by his flash light, gives way to nothing but a litter strewn path into more dark enigma. Puzzlingly, an air raid siren can be heard from deep within the depths of this concrete warren, blasting away at the silence of the shade therein. Harry proceeds down the hall, only his footsteps and the maddening sound of the siren could be heard during this ordeal. After a minute of walking, Harry comes to the end of the tunnel, which gives way to a ladder that is nearly identical to the one he has just come from. Confused, he cautiously proceeds up the ladder, winding up on an identical platform, connected to an identical door. As Harry opens this door, he enters the mirror world of our own. A world that reflects the twisted nature of the evil in this world.
8)Mario 64; First experience with fully 3D control (Nintendo 64) / Up until Mario 64 introduced the control stick, 3D games were controlled by simple directional pads. This was an example of an old technology being used in tandem with new ones. I really don't have an actual narrative to go along with the entry the way I did with the previous two, and that is because this entry does not deal with a moment within the gameplay, but a moment in gaming history. It just fit to me.
7)Resident Evil 4; Salazar vs. Leon (Gamecube, PS2, PC) / Leon rushes through the door, barely concerned for his own safety anymore. He has his mission, and he intends to carry out no matter what the cost is. After all, if he is not willing to throw away his life to protect this girl, then what the hell is he there for? He stumbles out upon the walk-way, as that wormy Spaniard, who has been trying with all his power to put an end to Leon in the most horrible ways, sneers at him. He mockingly shrieks to Leon that Ashley has already been taken away to his master's island, a wicked smirk appears upon his face. The little tyrant knows something that Leon doesn't, and he is aware of it. Leon puts one foot forward and his hand on his gun; he is ready for anything. Previously the monster has thrown carnivorous insect men, vicious dogs, blinded beserkers, living suits of armor, his monstrous reptilian guard, hordes of zealots, and countless traps in his way. Yet despite this, Leon had survived. He understood that his foe was desperate and might reveal his trump card. Leon's intuition told him that Salazar was still hiding it, just beneath the surface. The tiny castellan spread out his arms and was absorbed into s massive plant that became animated, seemingly, at his command. A great, flesh-eating vine surfaced from the base as Salazar bloomed from a pod on top of the wall-encompassing being. Somehow, betraying the fact that Leon had seen far too much during his life, he was not surprised. Leon withdrew his magnum and fired into the flesh of the vine, causing no damage. Salazar openly mocked his competitor as he swung another, slightly smaller vine at Leon. The agent was struck and dropped to the floor. He got up and quickly focused his barrel upon the pod that housed Salazar, but this proved to be fruitless. Salazar commented on the futility of his opponent's situation, as the largest vine began to pull back and open its mouth, revealing row upon row of twisted teeth. The agent swiftly dove to the ground below, narrowly avoiding a gruesome death. The floor was populated by countless plaga, scuttling about like children awaiting their feeding time. They all begin to lunge for Leon, who quickly unloads a round of his 9mm into the ensuing swarm. Leon dashes for the ladder. He pulls himself up, nearly forgetting about the demon that inhabits the top floor of this hell-house. Another tentacle is thrown Leon's way. He ducks under it this time, and instinctively fires a magnum round into the eye of the feeding tentacle. It goes limp, and Salazar blooms again, revealing himself in order to see for himself what had just happened. Leon doesn't hesitate; he fires his last magnum round into the chest of the corrupted castellan. Salazar lets out one final wail of pain as he and his plant wilt into the stone floor below. All in a day's work.
Silent Hill 2; Eddy vs. James (PS2, Xbox, PC) / James runs down the foggy, red hall. His heart is pounding with anticipation. It's not everyday that your only hope out of a dark labyrinth is a path located under your own grave. There is no sound, save for that of James's own footsteps on the concrete floor. A door at the end of the hall stands out as the only blue object around. However, this isn't the warm, soothing blue one usually comes across. This is a pale, deathly blue more familiar to a morgue, or meat locker. James's heart tells him that this is the only way out, so he grabs onto the freezing latch, and opens the door. Inside is a massacre, bodies are strewn all over the freezer, and in the middle stands Eddie. He's holding his gun, limply at the side. James is in complete shock at the the whole scene, and even more so at the perpetrator. Eddie looks up and begins to speak to James; from his speech it is clear that he has lost his mind. He keeps rambling on about how everyone was always mocking him, how they all laughed at him. He justifies his murders by saying that these people got what was coming to them. As he watches Eddie, James can clearly see that the color of the killer's face is changing. It is taking on a bizarre green pigment, almost like Eddie is already dead. James tries to tell Eddie that what he did was wrong, but Eddie quickly turns on him and tries to put his new found killer instinct to good use. He tries to aim his revolver at James, but his manic state of mind prevents him from getting a clear shot at him. James instinctively aims back at Eddie and puts a round in his shoulder. Eddie quickly flees to the safety of the next room, while James is left wondering what to do. I would write more, but I really don't want to spoil this one.
That's all I can write for now. I'll put the top 5 up tomorrow or the next day. Later...
10) The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King; Opening Stage (Xbox, PS2, Gamecube, PC) / I figured I'd start out light. The Return of the King is, hands down, the best movie-game of all time. No other game was able to capture the feel of the films they were based upon the way that this game did. From the opening stage where Gandalf rides onto the fields before Helm's Deep, littered with the bodies of fallen Uruk and Rohirrim. The air is filled with the dust of the earth and the battlefield is illuminated by the haunting, orange glow of the dawn. Gandalf is immediately surrounded by the hulking, ape-like figures of the Uruks. He is forced to parry their blows continuously while he searches for an opening in their offense. After dispatching several of the fiends, he is beckoned to the top wall by Legolas who, along with a handful of Rohirrim archers, is busy trying to hold off a swarm of Uruk who are speeding his way with their weapons drawn. The White Wizard hastily climbs the siege ladder, narrowly avoiding a flaming projectile that completely destroys it. He makes quick work of the ensuing horde with his staff. Without giving Gandalf the chance to breathe, Legolas hurries down to the lower level upon a grappling hook that was launched the previous night. Gandalf follows Legolas after felling another group of enemies. On the ground, Gandalf joins up with Legolas, Gimli, and Aragorn to fight through the mass of foes that still continue to fight on. After spotting a wagon full of explosives being dragged into their stronghold, Aragorn and Gandalf rush to the Uruks' still-functioning siege equipment. Firing a balista into the wagon, the explosives ignite and take out a good many Uruks in one final blow. So, that's how your first mission ends.
9) Silent Hill; Other-world Midwich Elementary Transformation (Playstation) / After gathering the two medals that fit into the sockets at the side of the Midwich Elementary School Clock Tower, Harry proceeds through the now open door. From outside, Harry could hear an eerie grinding noise that sounded less mechanical and more biological. Fear nearly overwhelmed Harry, causing him to hesitate. However, his resolve to find his daughter quickly brought him back to his senses. Harry knows that he must find Cheryl and bring her home, for he is her father and that's what he's there for. Inside the tower is a ladder, but it does not go up as one would logically assume. No, it goes down, into a deep, black hole. Harry knows that he has no choice in the matter, for his intuition is screaming out to him that this is the way to go to find Cheryl. He climbs the ladder, into the dark abyss below. At the bottom is a long, graffiti covered hall. The path ahead, lit only by his flash light, gives way to nothing but a litter strewn path into more dark enigma. Puzzlingly, an air raid siren can be heard from deep within the depths of this concrete warren, blasting away at the silence of the shade therein. Harry proceeds down the hall, only his footsteps and the maddening sound of the siren could be heard during this ordeal. After a minute of walking, Harry comes to the end of the tunnel, which gives way to a ladder that is nearly identical to the one he has just come from. Confused, he cautiously proceeds up the ladder, winding up on an identical platform, connected to an identical door. As Harry opens this door, he enters the mirror world of our own. A world that reflects the twisted nature of the evil in this world.
8)Mario 64; First experience with fully 3D control (Nintendo 64) / Up until Mario 64 introduced the control stick, 3D games were controlled by simple directional pads. This was an example of an old technology being used in tandem with new ones. I really don't have an actual narrative to go along with the entry the way I did with the previous two, and that is because this entry does not deal with a moment within the gameplay, but a moment in gaming history. It just fit to me.
7)Resident Evil 4; Salazar vs. Leon (Gamecube, PS2, PC) / Leon rushes through the door, barely concerned for his own safety anymore. He has his mission, and he intends to carry out no matter what the cost is. After all, if he is not willing to throw away his life to protect this girl, then what the hell is he there for? He stumbles out upon the walk-way, as that wormy Spaniard, who has been trying with all his power to put an end to Leon in the most horrible ways, sneers at him. He mockingly shrieks to Leon that Ashley has already been taken away to his master's island, a wicked smirk appears upon his face. The little tyrant knows something that Leon doesn't, and he is aware of it. Leon puts one foot forward and his hand on his gun; he is ready for anything. Previously the monster has thrown carnivorous insect men, vicious dogs, blinded beserkers, living suits of armor, his monstrous reptilian guard, hordes of zealots, and countless traps in his way. Yet despite this, Leon had survived. He understood that his foe was desperate and might reveal his trump card. Leon's intuition told him that Salazar was still hiding it, just beneath the surface. The tiny castellan spread out his arms and was absorbed into s massive plant that became animated, seemingly, at his command. A great, flesh-eating vine surfaced from the base as Salazar bloomed from a pod on top of the wall-encompassing being. Somehow, betraying the fact that Leon had seen far too much during his life, he was not surprised. Leon withdrew his magnum and fired into the flesh of the vine, causing no damage. Salazar openly mocked his competitor as he swung another, slightly smaller vine at Leon. The agent was struck and dropped to the floor. He got up and quickly focused his barrel upon the pod that housed Salazar, but this proved to be fruitless. Salazar commented on the futility of his opponent's situation, as the largest vine began to pull back and open its mouth, revealing row upon row of twisted teeth. The agent swiftly dove to the ground below, narrowly avoiding a gruesome death. The floor was populated by countless plaga, scuttling about like children awaiting their feeding time. They all begin to lunge for Leon, who quickly unloads a round of his 9mm into the ensuing swarm. Leon dashes for the ladder. He pulls himself up, nearly forgetting about the demon that inhabits the top floor of this hell-house. Another tentacle is thrown Leon's way. He ducks under it this time, and instinctively fires a magnum round into the eye of the feeding tentacle. It goes limp, and Salazar blooms again, revealing himself in order to see for himself what had just happened. Leon doesn't hesitate; he fires his last magnum round into the chest of the corrupted castellan. Salazar lets out one final wail of pain as he and his plant wilt into the stone floor below. All in a day's work.
Silent Hill 2; Eddy vs. James (PS2, Xbox, PC) / James runs down the foggy, red hall. His heart is pounding with anticipation. It's not everyday that your only hope out of a dark labyrinth is a path located under your own grave. There is no sound, save for that of James's own footsteps on the concrete floor. A door at the end of the hall stands out as the only blue object around. However, this isn't the warm, soothing blue one usually comes across. This is a pale, deathly blue more familiar to a morgue, or meat locker. James's heart tells him that this is the only way out, so he grabs onto the freezing latch, and opens the door. Inside is a massacre, bodies are strewn all over the freezer, and in the middle stands Eddie. He's holding his gun, limply at the side. James is in complete shock at the the whole scene, and even more so at the perpetrator. Eddie looks up and begins to speak to James; from his speech it is clear that he has lost his mind. He keeps rambling on about how everyone was always mocking him, how they all laughed at him. He justifies his murders by saying that these people got what was coming to them. As he watches Eddie, James can clearly see that the color of the killer's face is changing. It is taking on a bizarre green pigment, almost like Eddie is already dead. James tries to tell Eddie that what he did was wrong, but Eddie quickly turns on him and tries to put his new found killer instinct to good use. He tries to aim his revolver at James, but his manic state of mind prevents him from getting a clear shot at him. James instinctively aims back at Eddie and puts a round in his shoulder. Eddie quickly flees to the safety of the next room, while James is left wondering what to do. I would write more, but I really don't want to spoil this one.
That's all I can write for now. I'll put the top 5 up tomorrow or the next day. Later...
Monday, November 26, 2007
A response to Jedite's rant on Fanboys...
Yeah, I know, 4 posts today! I'm on a roll though! Anyway, last week made a quick rant about on Youtube and I thought that I'd make a quick response...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKjHQdLm2BY ( I wanted to post the vid but I wasn't able to)
First, let me say kudos for not going the cop-out route of just saying "all the consoles are good, so everyone chill out." You actually made arguments to support your position. Now, I do have to say that opening with a "No true Scotsman" fallacy was a bad move. Saying that fanboys are not true gamers isn't really going to convince anyone on that side to quit it man, it's just gonna get them more pissed off. You know these guys are like monkeys, they'll just start flinging excrement all over the place when they get mad.
Next, I do agree with you to an extent, no regular gamer should be asking for any system to fail because of the company who makes it. However, you have got to realize, some people may want a system to fail because they would see its success as having the potential to take gaming in the wrong direction. For instance, some may want the 360 to fail because they believe its continued success will result in a future Microsoft takeover of the industry with the console equivalent of windows being made the world standard. Others may wish the PS3 to fail as it represents the apex of specs determining console success and the belief that graphics should come before anything else. Still others wish the Wii to fail because they see it as the beginning of an age of appealing to the lowest common denominator in gaming, similar to the toilet humor comedy of film and the reality TV show on television. If someone truly believes that only a single console represents the direction they want gaming to go in (and this generation seems to represent that more than any previous one), than they have an obligation to root for one system, and hope the system that represents what they see as the wrong direction fails.
Now, if a console fails, it does not necessarily mean that no one will take its place. After all, after Sega collapsed, Microsoft arrived to take up the mantle of 3rd competitor. Back in the days of the 16-bit era, only two consoles were competing. Sure, there were many more, but no one really remembers the Turbo-Grafx or the Neo-Geo (outside of the arcade that is). At the end of the 8-bit era Nintendo was in control of a relative monopoly, and the gaming industry continued to grow and grow. If, say, Sony were to back out of consoles at the end of this generation, do you really believe that no one else would leap into their spot? How long would it be before Apple decided to make an iSystem, or Capcom, EA, or Ubisoft go first party and take all their IPs with them? As it is right now, with 3 equally competitive systems, the market is crowded. There is no more room for another system, and there have to be plenty of companies ready to jump into the increasingly more lucrative business of gaming.
Also, about what you mentioned about console exclusives; if a company were to fail, all of its viable exclusives would disperse with the teams who made them and would easily find work with another console. Say Microsoft fails, within a matter of weeks Epic would be bought up by another company or sign a deal with another console. Microsoft Game Works would also still be making games for the PC, and would likely begin making some games for the Wii, PS3, and whatever other console that jumps in to take Microsoft's place. If Sony were to stop making consoles, Insomniac and Naughty Dog would have no trouble finding work (hell, they're two of the best game studios around today along with Bioware, Epic, Bethesda, and Pandemic). Same with Nintendo if it were to go 3rd party, do you really believe that they would not continue to publish they're extremely profitable IPs?
In conclusion, you made a good rant, despite the fact that I didn't agree whole-heartedly. I do understand how you feel about console fanboys, but I must say that not all people who wish a console would fail are fanboys. I love your Vg Q and A's Jedite, so keep up with them man. Hope you read this man!
Joe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKjHQdLm2BY ( I wanted to post the vid but I wasn't able to)
First, let me say kudos for not going the cop-out route of just saying "all the consoles are good, so everyone chill out." You actually made arguments to support your position. Now, I do have to say that opening with a "No true Scotsman" fallacy was a bad move. Saying that fanboys are not true gamers isn't really going to convince anyone on that side to quit it man, it's just gonna get them more pissed off. You know these guys are like monkeys, they'll just start flinging excrement all over the place when they get mad.
Next, I do agree with you to an extent, no regular gamer should be asking for any system to fail because of the company who makes it. However, you have got to realize, some people may want a system to fail because they would see its success as having the potential to take gaming in the wrong direction. For instance, some may want the 360 to fail because they believe its continued success will result in a future Microsoft takeover of the industry with the console equivalent of windows being made the world standard. Others may wish the PS3 to fail as it represents the apex of specs determining console success and the belief that graphics should come before anything else. Still others wish the Wii to fail because they see it as the beginning of an age of appealing to the lowest common denominator in gaming, similar to the toilet humor comedy of film and the reality TV show on television. If someone truly believes that only a single console represents the direction they want gaming to go in (and this generation seems to represent that more than any previous one), than they have an obligation to root for one system, and hope the system that represents what they see as the wrong direction fails.
Now, if a console fails, it does not necessarily mean that no one will take its place. After all, after Sega collapsed, Microsoft arrived to take up the mantle of 3rd competitor. Back in the days of the 16-bit era, only two consoles were competing. Sure, there were many more, but no one really remembers the Turbo-Grafx or the Neo-Geo (outside of the arcade that is). At the end of the 8-bit era Nintendo was in control of a relative monopoly, and the gaming industry continued to grow and grow. If, say, Sony were to back out of consoles at the end of this generation, do you really believe that no one else would leap into their spot? How long would it be before Apple decided to make an iSystem, or Capcom, EA, or Ubisoft go first party and take all their IPs with them? As it is right now, with 3 equally competitive systems, the market is crowded. There is no more room for another system, and there have to be plenty of companies ready to jump into the increasingly more lucrative business of gaming.
Also, about what you mentioned about console exclusives; if a company were to fail, all of its viable exclusives would disperse with the teams who made them and would easily find work with another console. Say Microsoft fails, within a matter of weeks Epic would be bought up by another company or sign a deal with another console. Microsoft Game Works would also still be making games for the PC, and would likely begin making some games for the Wii, PS3, and whatever other console that jumps in to take Microsoft's place. If Sony were to stop making consoles, Insomniac and Naughty Dog would have no trouble finding work (hell, they're two of the best game studios around today along with Bioware, Epic, Bethesda, and Pandemic). Same with Nintendo if it were to go 3rd party, do you really believe that they would not continue to publish they're extremely profitable IPs?
In conclusion, you made a good rant, despite the fact that I didn't agree whole-heartedly. I do understand how you feel about console fanboys, but I must say that not all people who wish a console would fail are fanboys. I love your Vg Q and A's Jedite, so keep up with them man. Hope you read this man!
Joe
Some brief film reviews by me...
I made these on Facebook movies not long ago, and I think I'll periodically stick some of them here as more people are likely to see them here...
Rope
Review: This movie is wrongly labeled as a thirller, but the truth is that it is actually the smartest black comedy of all time!
5/5
Blazing Saddles
Review: Easily one of the funniest films of all time! It is truly stunning how Mel Brooks uses bigoted language to turn rascism into one of the funniest subjects you can put on film!
5/5
Evil Dead 2
Review: I love it, but it may not be everyone's favorite. Raimi and Campbell, in my oppinion, pull off one of the funniest films of all time. However, the problem with the film is that it might not appeal to everyone. The horror parts are sometimes so pure that they can over-power the comedy for some people. This film is, admittedly, very off-beat. The original Evil Dead is far more frightening, and The Army of Darkness is funnier. This leaves Evil Dead II in an awkward position in-between. Though the movie is genuinly funny, it can be rather violent which could turn some people off. Still, for what it's worth, the film is great!
4/5
The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King
Review: One of my all-time favorites!!! The movie actually manages to capture ancient war with more accuracy than other, more factual films like Kingdom of Heaven. Every shot drips with its own mood thanks to the digital grading that Weta employed. Viggo Mortenson feels like the true king of men, Elijah Wood is the reluctant savior of the world, Sean Astin actually became the caring and dutiful partner who saves the ring-bearer in his final, desperate hour of need, Ian McKellen oozes with knowledge and wisdom, and Andy Serkis has completely lost his mind. There isn't a single poor performance in the film! I couldn't give this movie a higher rating than 5, but I wish I could!
100/5
Titanic
Way over rated!! I just never saw what was supposed to be so appealing about this film. I mean, the design was excellent, but that's all I really liked about it. The love story felt far too sappy. the characters other than Jack & Rose felt rather underdeveloped, and the whole movie was just topped off with a coup de grace that I saw coming from a mile away.
2/5
The Seeker: The Dark is Rising
How about we don't seek it and say we did!!! Anyway, I took my younger brothers to see this and they enjoyed it. However, they're 12 and 11, I'm not!!! The movie is derivative, predictable, and dull in every sense of the word. The only good part is that I got to see Ian McShane again since I can't see him in Deadwood anymore. Oh Swearagen, where are you!!!!
1/5
Superman Returns
If Richard Donner's original 2 Superman films were the introduction of the character, Bryan Singer is the man who delves deep and tries to figure out what it all means. Singer does a great job on his first outing, giving the formerly stale Man of Steel a hint of humanity. There is also the parallels to the Christ of the Gnostic gospels which give everyone a little food for thought. This film and Peter Jackson's King Kong suffered from the same problem, both were ticketed as rote big budget action films, and both turned out to actually be character driven dramas about makor American cultural icons. Also like Jackson's King Kong, the film is loaded with aritstic and musical beauty. The music takes many cues from John Williams's original score, and the artistic style loads up on 1940's-50's art-deco. So, give it a shot, and remember that it's not an action film, it's a character drama.
5/5
Rope
Review: This movie is wrongly labeled as a thirller, but the truth is that it is actually the smartest black comedy of all time!
5/5
Blazing Saddles
Review: Easily one of the funniest films of all time! It is truly stunning how Mel Brooks uses bigoted language to turn rascism into one of the funniest subjects you can put on film!
5/5
Evil Dead 2
Review: I love it, but it may not be everyone's favorite. Raimi and Campbell, in my oppinion, pull off one of the funniest films of all time. However, the problem with the film is that it might not appeal to everyone. The horror parts are sometimes so pure that they can over-power the comedy for some people. This film is, admittedly, very off-beat. The original Evil Dead is far more frightening, and The Army of Darkness is funnier. This leaves Evil Dead II in an awkward position in-between. Though the movie is genuinly funny, it can be rather violent which could turn some people off. Still, for what it's worth, the film is great!
4/5
The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King
Review: One of my all-time favorites!!! The movie actually manages to capture ancient war with more accuracy than other, more factual films like Kingdom of Heaven. Every shot drips with its own mood thanks to the digital grading that Weta employed. Viggo Mortenson feels like the true king of men, Elijah Wood is the reluctant savior of the world, Sean Astin actually became the caring and dutiful partner who saves the ring-bearer in his final, desperate hour of need, Ian McKellen oozes with knowledge and wisdom, and Andy Serkis has completely lost his mind. There isn't a single poor performance in the film! I couldn't give this movie a higher rating than 5, but I wish I could!
100/5
Titanic
Way over rated!! I just never saw what was supposed to be so appealing about this film. I mean, the design was excellent, but that's all I really liked about it. The love story felt far too sappy. the characters other than Jack & Rose felt rather underdeveloped, and the whole movie was just topped off with a coup de grace that I saw coming from a mile away.
2/5
The Seeker: The Dark is Rising
How about we don't seek it and say we did!!! Anyway, I took my younger brothers to see this and they enjoyed it. However, they're 12 and 11, I'm not!!! The movie is derivative, predictable, and dull in every sense of the word. The only good part is that I got to see Ian McShane again since I can't see him in Deadwood anymore. Oh Swearagen, where are you!!!!
1/5
Superman Returns
If Richard Donner's original 2 Superman films were the introduction of the character, Bryan Singer is the man who delves deep and tries to figure out what it all means. Singer does a great job on his first outing, giving the formerly stale Man of Steel a hint of humanity. There is also the parallels to the Christ of the Gnostic gospels which give everyone a little food for thought. This film and Peter Jackson's King Kong suffered from the same problem, both were ticketed as rote big budget action films, and both turned out to actually be character driven dramas about makor American cultural icons. Also like Jackson's King Kong, the film is loaded with aritstic and musical beauty. The music takes many cues from John Williams's original score, and the artistic style loads up on 1940's-50's art-deco. So, give it a shot, and remember that it's not an action film, it's a character drama.
5/5
10 Best Film Villains of all Time (in my oppinion)
I was thinking to myself the other day about my all time favorite movie villains of all time. You know you've compiled you're own list before but never actually told anyone. So, I think I'll show mine to get the ball rolling here.
10. Saruman/ Christopher Lee (The Lord of the Rings Trilogy)
You know, you just can't beat Christopher Lee as a villain. He has a certain air of cunning and sophistication, not to mention that booming voice. Saruman was probably the best villain in the whole LOTR trilogy because of Lee's performance which seemed like Hitler-light. Just remembering him in the 2nd film speaking to the field of 10,000 Uruks before Helms Deep still gives me a bit of a chill. He also has the best Death scene of all the guys on this list, if you haven't seen the Extended Edition of the ROTK I order you to GO GET IT NOW!!!
9. Captain Barbossa/ Geoffrey Rush (Pirates of the Caribbean)
I had no real problem with Davy Jones, but he just wasn't on screen enough to fill Barbossa's boots. Barbossa was sharp, cunning, and extremely witty. His first exchange with Elizabeth outside of Port Royal proved to you two things...
1. Hey, this may be a pretty cool movie.
2. Hey, this dude is Boss!
"I am disinclined to acquiesce your request."
8. Dr. Rene Belloq/ Paul Freeman (Raiders of the Lost Ark)
Belloq isn't truly evil, hell he's not really that bad. He makes this list because he is like the dark version of Indy. He is curious to a fault, proud, resourceful, intelligent. We are introduced to him as he rips an idol Indy nearly died for right out of his hand at arrow point. Let's also add that he allies himself with the Nazis for personal gain and tries to steal Indy's girl. He never finds anything wrong with this either, Jackass! He of course has the second coolest death when his head explodes in a classic, strangely gruesome for a PG-13 movie ending.
7.Freddy Krueger/ Robert Englund (Nightmare on Elm Street series)
Few of the 80's slashers are actually memorable for any reason other than they had so many god damn movies. Do you really think people will remember Jason Vorhees in another 20 years? Was Micheal Myers any good past the original Halloween? The only one of these guys who had a personality and a feature that set them apart like the old Universal Studios Monsters was good ol' Freddy! His ability to pursue people in the dream world makes this monster believably unstoppable. Every time he comes back, you understand why. He's an immortal Dream Demon, and he's very creative too. He's also the only slasher who will openly mock you while he hunts you down!
6. Norman Bates/ Anthony Perkins (Psycho)
"Mother? Oh, Mother Blood!!!" Classic lines from a man with split personalities. Come on, you can't say after seeing this fucker pop out wearing women's' clothing you weren't shocked! This guy is still effective today the way he was in the 60's. Hitchcock created the most demented movie villain of all time. That final shot of him looking up during his "Mother's" voice over and grinning is Scary! Norman was pure Movie Magic!
5. Darth Vader/ James Earl Jones: David Prowse (Star Wars Trilogy)
Is there really anything to say? I think we all know why he's here. You may ask why he's so low though, and all I can say to that is... Damn Prequel Trilogy!!!
4. Hans Gruber/ Alan Rickman (Die Hard)
Die Hard was the last and best of the 80's slam-bang action films. One of the reasons was Bruce Willis as John McClain, and the other was Alan Rickman's infamous Hans Gruber. Hans of course was an infamous terror meister who took 30 hostages and killed 2 in the pursuit of some extra cash. To think that he poses as a Euro trash terrorist and makes ridiculous demands in the pursuit of $$$. Not to mention the great scene where he ventures out looking for McClain, poses as a hostage who slipped away, all in order to find out who John was and why he was there. He then slips away after an awesome fire fight, leaving John picking glass out of his feet.
3. Lex Luthor/ Gene Hackman: Kevin Spacey (Superman Series)
How can one man do so much damage in a world that is defended by an active God?! Who is the Great?!? Why, only Lex Luthor! The Greatest Criminal Mind on Earth!!! Lex has put the earth in Jeopardy not once, but three times! He is the greatest antagonist to a Superhero there could be, I don't care what you say! A mortal man with no powers other than his own wit managed to bring Superman to the brink of death, what more could you want! He has also been played by two of the coolest actors in American film, Gene Hackman and Kevin Spacey. I can't wait to see more of Spacey in the next Superman come '09, what will he do next?
2. Matthew Harrison Brady/ Frederic March (Inherit the Wind)
"Give me that old time religion" starts off one of the best Courtroom dramas of all time. A lot of you may be asking what "Inherit the Wind" was, all I can say is it's based on the Scopes-Monkey trial. Look, watch Brady go through his arguments and see if you don't here the "Intelligent" Design lobby today. Why Brady? Because he is an excellent speaker, and for a courtroom drama that means a lot. He is also not so much evil as he is misguided and stubborn. Frederic March was great in this, but if you can't find this one then rent the 1999 version with George C. Scott! You won't be disappointed.
1. Jim Taylor/ Edward Arnold (Mr. Smith Goes to Washington)
I LOVE THIS FILM! Jimmy Stewart is an outstanding actor, and so is Claude Rains. But what made this movie was it's ruthless business man villain. Jim is quite brutal, he will do whatever he has to in order to keep order in his state and keep the people on his side. That includes paying the cops to shut down rally in favor of Jeff Smith's filibuster, and even having his hired goons hurt the children who are running Smith's campaign. All of his actions lead up to one of the most moving endings in history. Frank Capra was a genius, see this film. I guarantee you will hate Jim Taylor as much as I do.
Please, read and respond.
10. Saruman/ Christopher Lee (The Lord of the Rings Trilogy)
You know, you just can't beat Christopher Lee as a villain. He has a certain air of cunning and sophistication, not to mention that booming voice. Saruman was probably the best villain in the whole LOTR trilogy because of Lee's performance which seemed like Hitler-light. Just remembering him in the 2nd film speaking to the field of 10,000 Uruks before Helms Deep still gives me a bit of a chill. He also has the best Death scene of all the guys on this list, if you haven't seen the Extended Edition of the ROTK I order you to GO GET IT NOW!!!
9. Captain Barbossa/ Geoffrey Rush (Pirates of the Caribbean)
I had no real problem with Davy Jones, but he just wasn't on screen enough to fill Barbossa's boots. Barbossa was sharp, cunning, and extremely witty. His first exchange with Elizabeth outside of Port Royal proved to you two things...
1. Hey, this may be a pretty cool movie.
2. Hey, this dude is Boss!
"I am disinclined to acquiesce your request."
8. Dr. Rene Belloq/ Paul Freeman (Raiders of the Lost Ark)
Belloq isn't truly evil, hell he's not really that bad. He makes this list because he is like the dark version of Indy. He is curious to a fault, proud, resourceful, intelligent. We are introduced to him as he rips an idol Indy nearly died for right out of his hand at arrow point. Let's also add that he allies himself with the Nazis for personal gain and tries to steal Indy's girl. He never finds anything wrong with this either, Jackass! He of course has the second coolest death when his head explodes in a classic, strangely gruesome for a PG-13 movie ending.
7.Freddy Krueger/ Robert Englund (Nightmare on Elm Street series)
Few of the 80's slashers are actually memorable for any reason other than they had so many god damn movies. Do you really think people will remember Jason Vorhees in another 20 years? Was Micheal Myers any good past the original Halloween? The only one of these guys who had a personality and a feature that set them apart like the old Universal Studios Monsters was good ol' Freddy! His ability to pursue people in the dream world makes this monster believably unstoppable. Every time he comes back, you understand why. He's an immortal Dream Demon, and he's very creative too. He's also the only slasher who will openly mock you while he hunts you down!
6. Norman Bates/ Anthony Perkins (Psycho)
"Mother? Oh, Mother Blood!!!" Classic lines from a man with split personalities. Come on, you can't say after seeing this fucker pop out wearing women's' clothing you weren't shocked! This guy is still effective today the way he was in the 60's. Hitchcock created the most demented movie villain of all time. That final shot of him looking up during his "Mother's" voice over and grinning is Scary! Norman was pure Movie Magic!
5. Darth Vader/ James Earl Jones: David Prowse (Star Wars Trilogy)
Is there really anything to say? I think we all know why he's here. You may ask why he's so low though, and all I can say to that is... Damn Prequel Trilogy!!!
4. Hans Gruber/ Alan Rickman (Die Hard)
Die Hard was the last and best of the 80's slam-bang action films. One of the reasons was Bruce Willis as John McClain, and the other was Alan Rickman's infamous Hans Gruber. Hans of course was an infamous terror meister who took 30 hostages and killed 2 in the pursuit of some extra cash. To think that he poses as a Euro trash terrorist and makes ridiculous demands in the pursuit of $$$. Not to mention the great scene where he ventures out looking for McClain, poses as a hostage who slipped away, all in order to find out who John was and why he was there. He then slips away after an awesome fire fight, leaving John picking glass out of his feet.
3. Lex Luthor/ Gene Hackman: Kevin Spacey (Superman Series)
How can one man do so much damage in a world that is defended by an active God?! Who is the Great?!? Why, only Lex Luthor! The Greatest Criminal Mind on Earth!!! Lex has put the earth in Jeopardy not once, but three times! He is the greatest antagonist to a Superhero there could be, I don't care what you say! A mortal man with no powers other than his own wit managed to bring Superman to the brink of death, what more could you want! He has also been played by two of the coolest actors in American film, Gene Hackman and Kevin Spacey. I can't wait to see more of Spacey in the next Superman come '09, what will he do next?
2. Matthew Harrison Brady/ Frederic March (Inherit the Wind)
"Give me that old time religion" starts off one of the best Courtroom dramas of all time. A lot of you may be asking what "Inherit the Wind" was, all I can say is it's based on the Scopes-Monkey trial. Look, watch Brady go through his arguments and see if you don't here the "Intelligent" Design lobby today. Why Brady? Because he is an excellent speaker, and for a courtroom drama that means a lot. He is also not so much evil as he is misguided and stubborn. Frederic March was great in this, but if you can't find this one then rent the 1999 version with George C. Scott! You won't be disappointed.
1. Jim Taylor/ Edward Arnold (Mr. Smith Goes to Washington)
I LOVE THIS FILM! Jimmy Stewart is an outstanding actor, and so is Claude Rains. But what made this movie was it's ruthless business man villain. Jim is quite brutal, he will do whatever he has to in order to keep order in his state and keep the people on his side. That includes paying the cops to shut down rally in favor of Jeff Smith's filibuster, and even having his hired goons hurt the children who are running Smith's campaign. All of his actions lead up to one of the most moving endings in history. Frank Capra was a genius, see this film. I guarantee you will hate Jim Taylor as much as I do.
Please, read and respond.
An interesting development in true gaming revolution...
http://kotaku.com/gaming/bioware/ea-want-mass-effect-dialogue-system-for-other-titles-317568.php
Admittedly, I don't keep up on gaming news the way I should, so pardon me that this news is almost a month old. I didn't know what to think about EA acquiring Bioware, and I know that many gamers are reticent to support the company who brought us Madden XXXX, a yearly update that still manages to sell a million fucking copies every fall. However, after reading this, I can't help but smile at the idea of Bioware's system of dynamic, interactive story-telling being adapted for more games. This is something that should have been done a long time ago, but has sadly fell by the wayside to make way for the melodramatic crap that makes it into any of Square's recent titles and the entire MGS series. Being able to choose how your character behaves and speaks, and having that effect the course of the story is the epitome of Virtual Reality. I have been saying this since Knights of the Old Republic, through Morrowind and Jade Empire, and into Oblivion and now Mass Effect. So while Nintendo releases a crummy controller attached to a Gamecube and calls it revolutionary, Electronic Arts will be busy taking cues from some true revolutionaries! Let's hope that EA goes through with these plans and that it's not all just talk.
Admittedly, I don't keep up on gaming news the way I should, so pardon me that this news is almost a month old. I didn't know what to think about EA acquiring Bioware, and I know that many gamers are reticent to support the company who brought us Madden XXXX, a yearly update that still manages to sell a million fucking copies every fall. However, after reading this, I can't help but smile at the idea of Bioware's system of dynamic, interactive story-telling being adapted for more games. This is something that should have been done a long time ago, but has sadly fell by the wayside to make way for the melodramatic crap that makes it into any of Square's recent titles and the entire MGS series. Being able to choose how your character behaves and speaks, and having that effect the course of the story is the epitome of Virtual Reality. I have been saying this since Knights of the Old Republic, through Morrowind and Jade Empire, and into Oblivion and now Mass Effect. So while Nintendo releases a crummy controller attached to a Gamecube and calls it revolutionary, Electronic Arts will be busy taking cues from some true revolutionaries! Let's hope that EA goes through with these plans and that it's not all just talk.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Best Console RPG's of all time (in my oppinion)
Because I don't have much else to do with the little free time I have, I sit around thinking. I was just pondering what I believe have been the best RPG's of all time. Why? Because I'm a complete Nerd!!! So, without further ado, my top 5 RPG's of all time...
5. Star Ocean: The Second Story (Playstation 1) : You know, back in the late 90's most J-RPG's were straight, old-school, turn-based romps with Anime characters pretending to be European Knights and Druids. If you remember those games on the Playstation and the Saturn, please raise your hand now. There was an exception to this, and it was Star Ocean! Yes, 3 was just okay, but the Second one was a revolutionary console RPG. It allowed you to move around the battle screen in real time while the computer controlled the other 3 characters based on your commands. The game was, at times, quite viscous to the player, featuring bosses with HP levels well into the upper hundred thousands! One optional boss named Isciella Queen had 5,000,000 HP and could travel at a seemingly ludicrous speed!!! She could also kill some characters with a single hit, even if they had 9999 HP! My point is, the game was revolutionary, challenging, and fun. It's rather hard to track down nowadays, but if you can find it, you will not be disappointed.
4. Suikoden II (Playstation 1) : Yeah I know, another obscure J-RPG, but I can't help it. Suikoden II was the early, high water mark of the series. This one makes it mostly for it's outstanding story. It revolved around two boys who are drafted into the army of the Kingdom of Highland. Late one night the camp is raided and they are set off on a journey together to find a way home. The first of the four acts ends with the one boy, by the name of Jowy, assassinating a key political figure in the opposing side's capital. As you can tell, it has been a loong time since I've played this one, so bear with me. The story unravels with the two boys, childhood friends, leading opposing armies against one another in a show down of literary scale. Looking back upon it, you would have thought the story came out of an ancient epic! The sad thing is that it's probably the hardest game on this list to track down. The last time I looked, they were going for around $120 on Ebay.
3. Final Fantasy III/VI (Super Nintendo, Playstation, Gameboy Advance) : To hell with VII Square, re-make Final Fantasy VI! It's truly amazing how fun this game is so many years after it's release in 1993! Cool story, interesting characters, great battles, it has the lot! You can find this one rather easy, so go knave, find it!!!
2. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (Xbox, PC) : This was the game I wanted an Xbox for, and I was not disappointed in the least when I picked it up! It was the first Western RPG I ever played, and since then I havn't looked at J-RPG's with the same fondness since! Creating a player and being able to change the gaming experience based on my actions proved to be amazing! Bioware created this masterpiece, and I might have to update this list when their next work of art, Mass Effect, comes out this fall! You gotta give a lot of credit to a group who managed to create a Star Wars game that didn't suck, but they were the first. Go get it!
1. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Xbox 360, PS3, PC) : Wow. So many choices, so much to do. I, really can't explain what this experience is like to you. This is the type of game that causes you to give up your social life. I, a Nordic, Nightblade who was born under the sign of The Warrior (See how fun creating a character is!), bid you to go buy this game, for it is boss!!!
Agree? Disagree? Do tell. What's your top five?
5. Star Ocean: The Second Story (Playstation 1) : You know, back in the late 90's most J-RPG's were straight, old-school, turn-based romps with Anime characters pretending to be European Knights and Druids. If you remember those games on the Playstation and the Saturn, please raise your hand now. There was an exception to this, and it was Star Ocean! Yes, 3 was just okay, but the Second one was a revolutionary console RPG. It allowed you to move around the battle screen in real time while the computer controlled the other 3 characters based on your commands. The game was, at times, quite viscous to the player, featuring bosses with HP levels well into the upper hundred thousands! One optional boss named Isciella Queen had 5,000,000 HP and could travel at a seemingly ludicrous speed!!! She could also kill some characters with a single hit, even if they had 9999 HP! My point is, the game was revolutionary, challenging, and fun. It's rather hard to track down nowadays, but if you can find it, you will not be disappointed.
4. Suikoden II (Playstation 1) : Yeah I know, another obscure J-RPG, but I can't help it. Suikoden II was the early, high water mark of the series. This one makes it mostly for it's outstanding story. It revolved around two boys who are drafted into the army of the Kingdom of Highland. Late one night the camp is raided and they are set off on a journey together to find a way home. The first of the four acts ends with the one boy, by the name of Jowy, assassinating a key political figure in the opposing side's capital. As you can tell, it has been a loong time since I've played this one, so bear with me. The story unravels with the two boys, childhood friends, leading opposing armies against one another in a show down of literary scale. Looking back upon it, you would have thought the story came out of an ancient epic! The sad thing is that it's probably the hardest game on this list to track down. The last time I looked, they were going for around $120 on Ebay.
3. Final Fantasy III/VI (Super Nintendo, Playstation, Gameboy Advance) : To hell with VII Square, re-make Final Fantasy VI! It's truly amazing how fun this game is so many years after it's release in 1993! Cool story, interesting characters, great battles, it has the lot! You can find this one rather easy, so go knave, find it!!!
2. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (Xbox, PC) : This was the game I wanted an Xbox for, and I was not disappointed in the least when I picked it up! It was the first Western RPG I ever played, and since then I havn't looked at J-RPG's with the same fondness since! Creating a player and being able to change the gaming experience based on my actions proved to be amazing! Bioware created this masterpiece, and I might have to update this list when their next work of art, Mass Effect, comes out this fall! You gotta give a lot of credit to a group who managed to create a Star Wars game that didn't suck, but they were the first. Go get it!
1. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Xbox 360, PS3, PC) : Wow. So many choices, so much to do. I, really can't explain what this experience is like to you. This is the type of game that causes you to give up your social life. I, a Nordic, Nightblade who was born under the sign of The Warrior (See how fun creating a character is!), bid you to go buy this game, for it is boss!!!
Agree? Disagree? Do tell. What's your top five?
Console War!
Hello y'all and welcome to my blog!
So, I've been watching these current consoles, and I've decided I wanted to say something about each of them.
PS3- This is the current underdog, and the reason is rather apparent. I've been a Sony guy for two generations now. I bought the PS1 and the PS2, as well as a ton of games for them. I loved Crash Bandicoot when it was made by Naughty Dog. I loved the Final Fantasy games, Ratchet & Clank, and God of War. I even bought that bore-fest Killzone (Halo-killer, yeah okay! Call us when you can color the enviroments something other than gray!). I loved SOCOM, I played it a lot. The Resident Evil and Silent Hill series are among my favorites. God, I'm gonna have a lot of fond memories of my PS2.
However, Sony went too far this time. $5-600 for a single console! Are you shitting me Sony!!! You don't even have any good exclusives, just a bunch of games that you can also get on the far cheaper 360. That's the other major problem, aside from the price, Sony doesn't have any good 1st party games or even regular console exclusives. Their only good exclusive to date is Resistance, though there are some recent additions this holiday season that warrant more than a look.
Even after watching both E3 and the TGS, I can't really spot many exclusives that would really make me want to buy the system. That's not good, because this generation seems to be rapidly moving away from Sony.
Now, not all is doom and gloom. The PS3 now has Heavenly Sword, Drake's Fortune, and the next Ratchet & Clank which could help this floundering giant float. However, I'm not sure it's going to be enough to pull the majority of Hardcore gamers from the 360. So, Sony could just end up like Sega and SNK this generation if it doesn't pull some fancy moves out of its magic bag.
Wii- Oh, it's just so much fun! Great fun, until a week passes by. Then you realize exactly how lame this thing is. It's extremely underpowered for one thing, and this is a serious problem. No level of Snerd love can change that fact.
A system with less power is not going to be able to render as vast a world as a more powerful one. The Wii could never run Elder Scrolls IV. Hell, I don't think it could run Elder Scrolls III!
The controller also gets old fast. It's really not as great as it was made up to be. The whole thing feels so gimmicky and lame. I keep wishing for some depth as I'm playing, but it never comes. Take Wii sports for instance; whether it's the fact that the game does all the work for you like in tennis or that the controls register the same move whether you make a full swing or just flick the remote like in the baseball game, the game babies you from beginning to end!
There is absolutely no skill involved in the play, and that's great for children or people who have never picked up a controller before. However, it's just terrible for people who actually treat gaming as a full-fledged hobby and want to be able to explore on their own and grow throughout the game.
The whole system is just completely over-rated in every aspect. The reason this thing even flew off the shelves in the first place is because the PS3 was too expensive and the 360 was dealing with the Red Ring of Death. When the media saw this, they latched onto it because they thought it was going to be the next big thing. So they hyped it up and made it a fad. The Wii has become an over-priced Furby! Yeah, I said it! The Wii sucks! The main reason it's doing so well is due to media hype! I swear to god, the next person I come across who repeats to me this now tired line that "the Wii is bringing the fun back to gaming" is getting punched in the fucking face! I mean it, there will be blood!
Hey, if you are actually considering buying this thing, I want you to think of this word when you see that box being placed in your hands, Powerglove. Maybe this one will work too, iToy. Revolution my aching ass, Tiger Electronics has been making these games for 4 fucking years now! You know the commercials.
Xbox 360- I guess Microsoft's biggest problem was the Red Ring of Death. This was the biggest factor in the 360 getting a score of 3 1/2 stars on Amazon. The whole incident poisoned the relationship between Gates and a good portion of the gaming community, and he's going to spend the rest of this generation making up for this. Another irritating problem with this system is the extremly loud fucking noise it makes when it's playing certain games! Christ, I just want to play Dead Rising without fearing that my 360 is going to blow up the damn house!
Aside from this, the 360 delivers where Nintendo claimed it was going to, and that's fun! The 360 is going to have the best games of all the consoles far into the foreseeable future, and that's a good reason to get this one over the others.
Plus, you get total connectivity to any device with a USB port, the whole customizable soundtracks option, and Xbox Live, the best online service around today! Not to mention the achievement system is actually pretty damn cool! So yeah, go with the 360! Of course, that's just my oppinion, I could be wrong...
So, I've been watching these current consoles, and I've decided I wanted to say something about each of them.
PS3- This is the current underdog, and the reason is rather apparent. I've been a Sony guy for two generations now. I bought the PS1 and the PS2, as well as a ton of games for them. I loved Crash Bandicoot when it was made by Naughty Dog. I loved the Final Fantasy games, Ratchet & Clank, and God of War. I even bought that bore-fest Killzone (Halo-killer, yeah okay! Call us when you can color the enviroments something other than gray!). I loved SOCOM, I played it a lot. The Resident Evil and Silent Hill series are among my favorites. God, I'm gonna have a lot of fond memories of my PS2.
However, Sony went too far this time. $5-600 for a single console! Are you shitting me Sony!!! You don't even have any good exclusives, just a bunch of games that you can also get on the far cheaper 360. That's the other major problem, aside from the price, Sony doesn't have any good 1st party games or even regular console exclusives. Their only good exclusive to date is Resistance, though there are some recent additions this holiday season that warrant more than a look.
Even after watching both E3 and the TGS, I can't really spot many exclusives that would really make me want to buy the system. That's not good, because this generation seems to be rapidly moving away from Sony.
Now, not all is doom and gloom. The PS3 now has Heavenly Sword, Drake's Fortune, and the next Ratchet & Clank which could help this floundering giant float. However, I'm not sure it's going to be enough to pull the majority of Hardcore gamers from the 360. So, Sony could just end up like Sega and SNK this generation if it doesn't pull some fancy moves out of its magic bag.
Wii- Oh, it's just so much fun! Great fun, until a week passes by. Then you realize exactly how lame this thing is. It's extremely underpowered for one thing, and this is a serious problem. No level of Snerd love can change that fact.
A system with less power is not going to be able to render as vast a world as a more powerful one. The Wii could never run Elder Scrolls IV. Hell, I don't think it could run Elder Scrolls III!
The controller also gets old fast. It's really not as great as it was made up to be. The whole thing feels so gimmicky and lame. I keep wishing for some depth as I'm playing, but it never comes. Take Wii sports for instance; whether it's the fact that the game does all the work for you like in tennis or that the controls register the same move whether you make a full swing or just flick the remote like in the baseball game, the game babies you from beginning to end!
There is absolutely no skill involved in the play, and that's great for children or people who have never picked up a controller before. However, it's just terrible for people who actually treat gaming as a full-fledged hobby and want to be able to explore on their own and grow throughout the game.
The whole system is just completely over-rated in every aspect. The reason this thing even flew off the shelves in the first place is because the PS3 was too expensive and the 360 was dealing with the Red Ring of Death. When the media saw this, they latched onto it because they thought it was going to be the next big thing. So they hyped it up and made it a fad. The Wii has become an over-priced Furby! Yeah, I said it! The Wii sucks! The main reason it's doing so well is due to media hype! I swear to god, the next person I come across who repeats to me this now tired line that "the Wii is bringing the fun back to gaming" is getting punched in the fucking face! I mean it, there will be blood!
Hey, if you are actually considering buying this thing, I want you to think of this word when you see that box being placed in your hands, Powerglove. Maybe this one will work too, iToy. Revolution my aching ass, Tiger Electronics has been making these games for 4 fucking years now! You know the commercials.
Xbox 360- I guess Microsoft's biggest problem was the Red Ring of Death. This was the biggest factor in the 360 getting a score of 3 1/2 stars on Amazon. The whole incident poisoned the relationship between Gates and a good portion of the gaming community, and he's going to spend the rest of this generation making up for this. Another irritating problem with this system is the extremly loud fucking noise it makes when it's playing certain games! Christ, I just want to play Dead Rising without fearing that my 360 is going to blow up the damn house!
Aside from this, the 360 delivers where Nintendo claimed it was going to, and that's fun! The 360 is going to have the best games of all the consoles far into the foreseeable future, and that's a good reason to get this one over the others.
Plus, you get total connectivity to any device with a USB port, the whole customizable soundtracks option, and Xbox Live, the best online service around today! Not to mention the achievement system is actually pretty damn cool! So yeah, go with the 360! Of course, that's just my oppinion, I could be wrong...
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