Late start to 2010

Wow, amazing how a new year can start to fly by. With the following things happening: finding a new place to live, addressing a lawsuit, interviewing for new jobs, preparing for a wedding and taking on a larger role at work; it's no wonder it took me until now to make my first post of 2010.

Here's a windwo into what I'd like to cover on here in the early part of 2010.
- Continue the Zelda journey (currently playing zelda 1 and Phantom Hourglass)
- My personal review for HALO 3 ODST (just got it and loving it)
- Review for NBA Live 2010
- Discuss updates for online enabled games
- Talk about new industry trends & advertising (Did anyone see the 1 minute Mass Effect 2 commercial during this past weekend's big football games???)

That's my short list and I hope to expand across different game franchises as 2010 progresses. I can see doing a Metroid series, a Gran Turismo series, etc. Let the Nerds know if you have any special requests for articles. I hope you're all having a great 2010!

~Brayn (the staff "writer")

WII-nner is Revealed!

Howdy all! Here's the follow up to my ultimate console post. I have to make this quick because work is actually busy on New Year's Eve, go figure.

My personal favorite for consoles from my previous post is the Nintendo Wii. This console has everything that I love. Great new games, fun controls, great muliplayer, online functionality and backwards compatibility.

While the Wii is king, I have to say the console I use the most is my Nintendo DS. As I've gotten older this little hand held might as well be a friend on the train. It does a great job of allowing me to take a break from work, and also has nice web surfing and home brew applications which keep things interesting. Plus the touch screen controls is a great new twist on gaming for me.

An honorable mention should go to the PS3. It has all the same features as the Wii, but better graphics and online play. It also has the built in blu-ray, which was a main draw for buying it in the first place (for me). While the price was high, it has come down. This is a great choice for those who want 1080p graphics.

The stinker on this list is the xbox 360. Not only does Microsoft feel the need to charge you to play online they also can't make a console that works. I just got mine back from repair (RRoD) and I got a cute form letter and a whopping 1 month's free subscription to xbox live. That'll make up for the 5 weeks and poor customer service it took for me to have my console back. Bravo.

Well, as promised this is my last post of 2009. I hope you've all enjoyed our inaugural year. Please keep checking us out in 2010. The more readers we get the more reviews we'll be able to put up, and all the opinions and gaming stories will continue. Happy New Year!

Obscure games and why I love them Part 1 - Tokyo Extreme Racer

Happy New Year's Eve everyone! In the past week one of my postings allowed me to reconnect with my best college roommate of all time, from way back in 2000-2001. He mentioned to me a game that I haven't thought of in years: Tokyo Extreme Racer Zero. This game was actually TXR 2 (in Japan) and #3 was released here in the US as well. Both of these games owned my soul in the early part of the 2000's. And while these games received very solid critic reviews, very few people have actually heard of them, and fewer still have ever taken the time to play them. So as the first decade of the 21st century starts to close I want to take you on an extreme trip down memory lane.

The TXR series is predicated on street racing. As a kid from LA street racing was everywhere once the Fast and the Furious movies hit theaters. This game is set on the highways of Tokyo, with different segments of the city being unlocked, and each section has crews of "rivals", or enemies you must race and defeat. Now this is where TXR takes an interesting approach to racing. Every race is a one on one battle and each driver gets a health bar, just like a fighting game. Your bar decreases when you are trailing during the race. The farther you are, the faster it decreases. If you hit objects (walls, opponent, other cars, etc) you lose chunks of health. The bigger the collision, the more health you lose. You win when your opponent runs out of health. As with most racing games you win money for winning races (a lot like real street racing, if you're so bold as to bet on yourself). Money can be used to upgrade your current ride, or buy a new one all together. Each car is customizable, and TXR3 the body upgrades also increase performance, unlike TXR Zero.

All this adds up to a racing game that is a street racing/RPG/fighting hybrid. It sounds really confusing at first, but it's a very easy concept to grasp, and it's really quite addictive. I found this game during my Initial D days. For those who don't know, click here to learn more the arcade classic that was Initial D. I've always been a car nut and as my old roommate can attest, I spent hours and hours customizing my new cars, or beating rival after rival in an attempt to become racing king of Tokyo. One of my favorite parts of this game was just how detailed the customization could become. I would spend time wondering what kinds of headlight colors my car should have, matching body kit pieces, or even designing my own custom paint job in TXR3.

While I own a decent sized game library, I actually complete very few of the games that I own, simply because they become boring, I get a new game, or life forces me to focus on things other than games and I forget to pick them up again later. This was not the case with TXR. I finished both of these games, and it took quite a while. In the end, I slept easy knowing I was king of the highway. Even if most people never even knew there was a race going on...

Have you ever heard of ARG's?

Ok, so this is my second post of today but I had to put this up. Have any of you readers heard of Alternate Reality Games, ARG's? My old college roommate read my first post of today and IM'ed me. While chatting, he mentioned this to me and told me about ilovebees (don't be fooled, let the page load and start clicking on the odd looking links), an ARG prior to Halo2. This sounds AMAZING! What a great way to take the idea of D&D but turn it into something that introduces you to new people, places and ideas. How awesome is this. I almost want to see if we can throw one of these together on our own. Such a great idea. Thanks Ninja Murphy!

PS- I have NO IDEA what this picture has to do with anything, but it showed up in my image search on google for "ilovebees." Go figure...

The search for the ultimate system - One man's adventure

Hello readers,

Our recent poll received 3 votes (our highest ever!). As a result I will be writing a general piece of which video game system is the ultimate system. This will of course spark controversy and I'm happy to provide such entertainment to our two readers (ok, so one vote from the poll was mine...). Here goes:

What makes a gaming system great? Graphics? Games? Other functions? I'm going to start by naming off my the qualifying systems (in my mind) for best consoles of all time, along with a list of reasons why I feel they are worth mentioning. Then, at a later date I will reveal my choice for #1. Here are the combatants: the PS2, the Nintendo DS, the PS3, the xbox 360, and the Nintendo Wii.

Let's go in order. The PS2 is a system that even in 2009 has outsold it's next gen counterpart, the PS3. When this system debuted in 2000 it became an instant hit in both the US and Japan. In fact, it was so popular for that holiday season my older brother stood in line for a day, PAID 3 of his friends to show up the morning of the release and buy one (one per customer!) and then they flipped them online for over 4x the purchase price! Now if that doesn't say demand, I don't know what does. But here's why the system is so great. First, it offered stellar graphics (at the time), a huge library of games (over 2400 games), backwards compatibility (played ps1 games) AND it doubled as a DVD player. Remember when DVD's were new and super expensive? Put all this together, coupled with meager online capabilities, as well as a later released hard drive
and this system has a lot for it's modern price tag of under $100.00 USD. Throw in the fact that some of my favorite games were either debuted or playable on this system (Gran Turismo series, Grand Theft Auto III, Dark Cloud series, etc) and there's a reason I still have my PS2 despite owning a PS3. Now if only there were a way to enhance the graphics for my new HDTV I got for x-mas...

Next in line is the Nintendo DS. As I've gotten older I've found that I don't have as much time to sit and play console games at home as I used to. The whole having a social life, working extra hours, getting married in 2010, etc has really cut into my free time (not that I'm complaining). However, there is this annoying 1.5 hours a day I spend on a train to and from the office. What should I do with said time? Read a book? Learn a new skill (through books and/or instructional materials)? Of course not! I'm going to spend it playing games. The DS is a perfect tool for such trips. I have played more Pokemon on CalTrain than a 5th grader at recess (go ahead, mock me if you must, but my monsters are better than yours!). The DS has a huge library of titles (over 1000), built in wifi game sharing, a web browser you can buy, and a TON of home brew/hacking options that every game nerd will love. Mix in the backwards compatibility with GBA games and you're all set. Portability along with great special features makes this console one of my personal staples.

Third on the list is the PS2's big brother, the PS3. This console has as similar suite of options to the PS2, expect more modern, along with some new tricks that are free and functional! The PS3 comes with a hard drive (either 20, 40, 80, or 120 GB). Early models have backwards compatibility with both ps1 and ps2 games, watch out for new consoles that do NOT contain this feature (if you want to play your old games). The PS3 also has FREE online network play, a store where you can download games and/or accessories, something Microsoft will gladly charge you for on the xbox 360. The PS3 also has SD card slots which allow you to store pictures, video and other fun media, AND the PS3 can run Linux as its OS for those of you that are so inclined. Oh, and it has a blu-ray player, which for some people is a great thing (LIKE ME!!!) It also has wireless controls (now with rumble, why wasn't this on the launch??). The PS3 has suffered from a lack of signature Sony only titles thus far, though there are several good series (Resistance, God of War, etc) currently available only on the PS3. While the system continues to grow into its niche, there is a lot to like is this near computer console, and the price has finally come down a bit to manageable levels.

Next on the list is the PS3's rival, the xbox 360. Despite coming out before the PS3, the xbox 360 has a number of features that cost extra (like playing online), AND is missing the built in function of a next gen video player (HD-DVD). Now the 360 does have an amazing game library, built in component cables for HD gaming, wireless controls, and a 20GB hard drive. In addition, Microsoft has some KILLER exclusive titles (Halo series, PGR, Forza, etc) along with great online network capabilities, provided you're willing to pay for online play. My biggest point of contention isn't charging customers for extras like online gaming or wireless connectivity, it's about producing a console that WORKS. That's right, the red ring of death. All xbox 360 owners know and fear these 3 little lights. In fact, a recent poll I read said that 54% of owners have experienced this sort of issue. I have also been a victim, while my roommate will now be sending his back for a SECOND time. He used to work at EA and a co-worker sent his back SEVEN times to be "fixed." Instead of fixing the problem, Microsoft simply patches the over heated portion of your mother board and returns the defective system to you, so it's only a matter of time before it fails again. What great customer service. There have been so many problems with RRoD that Microsoft has been forced to increase manufacturer warranties to 3 years beyond the date of manufacture. You might be able to read between the lines, but how many other consoles on this list have this problem? Think it'll affect my judgment of the 360? Yeah, I thought so...

Our last entry is the Nintendo Wii. For starters I want to admit I thought the Wii's motion controls were a joke when it first came out. I never thought I'd enjoy having to wave my arms around or wiggle my wrists to get characters to run around my tv. Boy was I wrong. I played Wii Sports ONCE and I went out and bought a system that week. I would've bought it the next day, but Nintendo kept supply very low the first year of release. The Wii has a lot to like about it. It has great exclusive titles (Mario Galaxy, New Mario Wii, Mario Kart, etc) in addition to special motion control exclusive versions of Resident Evil 4, Cabella's Big Game Hunter and Call of Duty. While the Wii doesn't have the best graphics of the modern consoles, the controls make it much more fun to play certain types of games. In addition to new games, the Wii has the Virtual Console online where you can purchase classic Nintendo games. As is a theme with me, backwards compatibility makes this a much better value, though you have to buy the old games, you can't play your old cartridges (but you can play Game Cube games, which is a huge plus for me). The combination of online classic games and fun to play new games makes this a great buy. The sub par graphics and horrible online play for Wii games knocks this console back a bit. If you're playing with a group, this is the best console on the market, hands down (pun intended). For Nintendo it's always been substance that make its games great, and the Wii continues this tradition. Graphics aren't the only thing and Nintendo's motion controls have been copy catted and will soon be ported to competing consoles from Sony and Xbox 360.

So that is my list for best consoles to date. This article is not meant to discount any unlisted favorites, like the SNES, the N64 or the lowly Sega Genesis (I owned one). Please read this and leave some feedback for which ones you enjoy most and we'll see if your opinions line up with mine. I will make my last post of 2009 the answer the question: Which console is king?

The Quest

Ok, so I've decided to issue a new challenge to myself for 2010 (a little early, I know). In reading a recent Game Informer article about the top 200 games of all time I decided I want to play through the original Zelda title for the NES. To do this I am purchasing the Zelda Collector's Edition disc for the Game Cube. I will play this on my Wii system and see if I can get through the whole game (I have no clue if you can save or not). Since this collector's disc comes with 4 Zelda games my goal is to play through the entire Zelda franchise, up through Twighlight Princess.

Should be interesting, to say the least. The follow up posts will probably be far apart, but I will try to do this none-the-less. I anticipate a great trip down gaming memory lane and I hope to have a new found appreciation for Zelda in the process.

Gran Turismo Time Attack Challenge Review

Alright race fans, the demo's been out since last Thursday. Have you had a chance to play it yet? I have, and I have to say it's kind of a mixed bag for me. Let's start negative and then end with the positive because overall I'm very excited about GT5.

While there are few glaring negatives with this game, the demo has some inherent flaws and they are most likely due to the fact that this demo is tied to high level prizes. First, there is no hood view for your vehicle, so it's chase, cockpit or bumper and that's it. A bit disappointing, but I am almost 100% sure this will be addressed in the full version of the game. The game still has the red flashing gear indicator, which has been appropriately pointed out by forum posters as more of a hindrance than a help. There is also a troublesome issue involving the use of a controller versus a steering wheel. If using a 6 axis control the TCS for the normal tuned 370Z is set to 7 and is VERY good at slowing down your lap times. While using a wheel the TCS is completely off, and thus comes as a rather large shock if you've been using a control (this happened to me). This demo has the tires set to N3 for the normal tuned 370Z which makes steering downright difficult as you have to feather the throttle and be sparing with braking if you're not going straight.

All these driving control issues make it much more simulation, but probably more difficult than I care to experience. I guess there is a bit of arcade racer in me still (see arcade vs sim post in the archive). I never realized just how difficult GT can be when set to Professional physics. I never bothered to change this setting in the last two versions of the game and as such my skills aren't up to snuff. Driving the normal 370Z honestly feels like driving on ice, but then again having a lead foot doesn't help, so take that comment with a grain of salt.

Ok, enough of the bad, on to the good. This game looks fantastic! The same way that COD MW2 looks awesome, GT5 looks to be on par. The textures and sense of speed are downright sensational. I love how the car bounces a bit across the track. This makes you feel like you have a direct connection to the road, instead of driving on a perfectly flat piece of ice. Sounds are spot on (I've seen several 370Z's up close, some at high speeds) and sound effects are stellar as well. The models for the cars are typical Polyphony (obsessive detail), along with the cockpits. The use of online leader boards kept me trying for a few hours over this past weekend, but the highest I ranked was in the top 1600 in the USA (not too impressive).

In watching my ranking I found that you can watch the leaders' lap replays, which makes it easy to find a good driving line. I recommend turning the ideal driving line off so that you can find your own best way around the track. I left this feature on (it places a blue dotted line on the road so you know where the ideal driving line is) and it actually hindered me as I tended to react to it, rather than plan my next corner.

All in all this is a great demo, but it does have its short comings. I am confident most of these will be addressed in the full version on the game. One major issue I have though is car count. There will be over 900 cars in this game, but 800 of them are already spoken for. 800 will come from Gran Turismo PSP, a game I own and have reviewed here. While 800 sounds like a lot, there are really only around 500 or so because several hundred are literal repeats of the same car. An example is the Mazda 6. It is called the Mazda 6 in North America, but called the Mazda Atenza overseas. Both copies of the car are in GT PSP and their stats are IDENTICAL. Essentially they put the same car in twice, named it something different and changed nothing. I certainly hope this lazy trend doesn't continue in GT5, and I'm relatively confident that it won't. Again, good demo, great visuals, solid driving and lots of replay value until GT5 releases in 2010. The clock is ticking Polyphony...please don't let your fans down.