Game: Daxter
Platform: PSP
Price: $39.99
Developer: Ready at Dawn Studios
Yes, my friends. I recently received my first game for my sexy black beast (PSP). And what a doozie of a game it is! Daxter has graced my PSP with his presence, and it is one heck of a visit. I heard that it was one of the best games for the handheld, and for good reason.
Graphics: beau-ti-ful. This is one of the games that showcases the awesome power of the PSP. Half way between Jak 1 and Jak 2, they are amazing. Character models are well done, and the numerous areas throughout the game contain the little touches that make it seem "real".
The water effects a pretty standard for the PSP, nothing special, but adequate. This is one of my few gripes about the game. When you aren't out in the main square, the frame rate is silky smooth. But when you get too much action on screen (namely superfluous stuff like hovercars overhead and the like) it starts chugging. Luckily it only happens in the main square of the city, where you spend very little time.
Controls: top notch and tailored for the PSP. Analog nub to move, shoulder buttons to swivel the camera left and right, it makes sense. It didn't take me long to get into the controls, and once I did, it was like second nature.
Gameplay: Fun. Daxter becomes a bug exterminator. Throughout the game, you get an electric fly swatter (which is very handy), a spray canister, and a flamethrower (!!) and sonic grenade attatchment. The standard platforming schpiel is here. While not exactly revolutionary, it is damn fun.
Be warned, the levels aren't your standard five-minute PSP fare. Daxter is more in line with its console brethren, and the level design shows. Earlier levels only take a few minutes tom complete, but the later ones can take twenty minutes. Fret not, weary reader, as you can save halfway through a level. But, even these long levels couldn't save the gam from the handhelds one flaw. Namely, the game was too short. I would've loved to spend more time in Daxter's world, but this was not to be so.
:Spoilers begin here, so watch your step!:
Story: sensible. Taking place in the later months of the two year lull between Jak 1 and 2, Daxter manages to land a job as a bug exterminator. The Metal Heads from the second two games have released a infestation of metal head bugs into the city as a precusor to the real metal head infestation. Daxter meets several characters from the other games, as well as some new ones.
:Spoilers end here, so go ahead and breath again:
Overall, Daxter is a gem of a game, one PSP owners will be glad they picked up. While not perfect, it is a great platformer that any PSP owner should pick up. Trust me, you'll love it.
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Wake me up when November ends.
Why? Four Words: Half Life 2: Episode 2. (So it was three, sue me!). When Valve software announced the trio of Half Life episodes, gamers were in shock and awe. I mean, come on, who doesn't want to go back to City 17 and kick some more combine ass? Apparently, millions of PC gamers, that's who.
HL2:E1 was critically acclaimed, and sold tons of copies. While around only 6 hours of gameplay, gaming magazines everywhere consistently gave it high reviews. They praised it's action, as well as it's implementation of so-called "single player co-op".
But enough about Episode: 1. With it's announcement, Valve announced that it would be part of a trio of episodes. We all knew Episode 2 was coming, but we didn't know what a punch it would bring. Recently, Valve announced that, not one, but three games would make their way into Episode 2. Of course, the PC gamer in me nearly was giddy with glee.
Game one: The episode 2 story. Continuing where episode 1 left off, gamers are going to be treated to a new forest setting, as well as vehicles and a new enemy. Hunter synth, to be exact. Also, Gordon gets a new weapon. Apparently it's a "strider buster" that weakens a strider and lets the player take out the strider easier.
apparently, the gravity gun gets a new sort of ammunition. Don't ask me, I don't get it either. The new vehicle is a two-seater dunebuggyish vehicle. One seat drives while the other is a gunner. Sounds great to me. Just so you guys don't freak out, Alyx lives at the end of epidsode 1.
Game numero dos: Team Fortress 2. Imagine, if you will, a Pixar movie, mashed together with a plethora of classes, mixed together with some strategy. Enticing? It should be. Sequel to a Quake mod, remade into a Half Life mod, came out of left field, and smacked the gaming world in the face. Many expected this game would never some out. This game was on the list of games that would never come out , one step below Duke Nukeum Forever.
And finally, the game that has me the most excitedL Half Life 2 Portal. Take the portal system from Prey, and design a game around it. Makes me real excited. If you haven't seen the video of the game in action, you are dead to me. Check it out at: http://youtube.com/watch?v=if3Qv2tHyfA&search=portal
Found it? Good. See why I am so excited about this game? Besides the fact that this idea is revolutionary, it has so much potential for fun. Did ya see the part where the player was falling through the portals indefinitely? What about the part where he opened a portal, went through, made another one, and slingshot himself to an opposing ledge? Sound like fun?
My one concern about Episode 2 is price. Ep. 1 was $20, and came with the single player game, as well as HL2: Deathmatch, and HL: Deathmatch Source. Personally, I wouldn't bat an eye parting with $40 for this lovely package. I'm betting it'll be either $20 or $30.
Cannot' wait till December. Well, I'll be in a 6 month cryogenic stasis. Somebody wake me up when Episode 2 comes out. Later!
HL2:E1 was critically acclaimed, and sold tons of copies. While around only 6 hours of gameplay, gaming magazines everywhere consistently gave it high reviews. They praised it's action, as well as it's implementation of so-called "single player co-op".
But enough about Episode: 1. With it's announcement, Valve announced that it would be part of a trio of episodes. We all knew Episode 2 was coming, but we didn't know what a punch it would bring. Recently, Valve announced that, not one, but three games would make their way into Episode 2. Of course, the PC gamer in me nearly was giddy with glee.
Game one: The episode 2 story. Continuing where episode 1 left off, gamers are going to be treated to a new forest setting, as well as vehicles and a new enemy. Hunter synth, to be exact. Also, Gordon gets a new weapon. Apparently it's a "strider buster" that weakens a strider and lets the player take out the strider easier.
apparently, the gravity gun gets a new sort of ammunition. Don't ask me, I don't get it either. The new vehicle is a two-seater dunebuggyish vehicle. One seat drives while the other is a gunner. Sounds great to me. Just so you guys don't freak out, Alyx lives at the end of epidsode 1.
Game numero dos: Team Fortress 2. Imagine, if you will, a Pixar movie, mashed together with a plethora of classes, mixed together with some strategy. Enticing? It should be. Sequel to a Quake mod, remade into a Half Life mod, came out of left field, and smacked the gaming world in the face. Many expected this game would never some out. This game was on the list of games that would never come out , one step below Duke Nukeum Forever.
And finally, the game that has me the most excitedL Half Life 2 Portal. Take the portal system from Prey, and design a game around it. Makes me real excited. If you haven't seen the video of the game in action, you are dead to me. Check it out at: http://youtube.com/watch?v=if3Qv2tHyfA&search=portal
Found it? Good. See why I am so excited about this game? Besides the fact that this idea is revolutionary, it has so much potential for fun. Did ya see the part where the player was falling through the portals indefinitely? What about the part where he opened a portal, went through, made another one, and slingshot himself to an opposing ledge? Sound like fun?
My one concern about Episode 2 is price. Ep. 1 was $20, and came with the single player game, as well as HL2: Deathmatch, and HL: Deathmatch Source. Personally, I wouldn't bat an eye parting with $40 for this lovely package. I'm betting it'll be either $20 or $30.
Cannot' wait till December. Well, I'll be in a 6 month cryogenic stasis. Somebody wake me up when Episode 2 comes out. Later!
Thursday, July 13, 2006
I hate BitTorrent.
I officially hate BitTorrent, it's official. Put it on record. I cannot stand using it. Please just let the entire torrent system die and give me a direct download, thanks.
I don't know how people can stand BitTorrent. The whole system is just plain stupid. You download the file(s) from other "seeders" on the net who already downloaded the same file. You basically download the file over a series of days from multiple seeders.
Better hope that you have any seeders for the torrent you're trying to download. Cause if Joe Schmoe over in Australia doesn't feel like seeding for the file, don't expect to see that file, well, ever. You won't believe how many torrents I try to download, only to realize that NO ONE IS SEEDING IT! So much for ever seeing the video podcast I wanted to see, or listening to the latest installment of the YTMND Soundtrack...
Why would you want to wait around for several DAYS, waiting for the torrent to download? Why? Nobody on the internet has the patience for that. I know I can't wait that long. If I want the latest episode of Naruto, or the latest CD from System of a Down (never download illegally kiddies!), why would I download it off somebody's computer 2kb per second? I would much rather download it at 256mb per second off of a website. I like seeing things today versus a week from now.
Sure, there may be some files that would be hard to put up for direct download. Not too many file hosting sites will willingly host your CD collection you're posting on the net for others to illegally download. But there are some out there that host whatever you want, with out batting an eye (or a subpoena, for that matter). If you really want your undubed Naruto fix, or a illegal copy of Weird Al's poodle hat, you could try, oh I dunno, BUYING IT? Hop on the bus, everything isn't free. Things actually cost money.
BitTorrent just sucks. It's slow, inconvenient, and usually illegal. If I want to download something, I'll take a direct download over BitTorrent anyday.
I don't know how people can stand BitTorrent. The whole system is just plain stupid. You download the file(s) from other "seeders" on the net who already downloaded the same file. You basically download the file over a series of days from multiple seeders.
Better hope that you have any seeders for the torrent you're trying to download. Cause if Joe Schmoe over in Australia doesn't feel like seeding for the file, don't expect to see that file, well, ever. You won't believe how many torrents I try to download, only to realize that NO ONE IS SEEDING IT! So much for ever seeing the video podcast I wanted to see, or listening to the latest installment of the YTMND Soundtrack...
Why would you want to wait around for several DAYS, waiting for the torrent to download? Why? Nobody on the internet has the patience for that. I know I can't wait that long. If I want the latest episode of Naruto, or the latest CD from System of a Down (never download illegally kiddies!), why would I download it off somebody's computer 2kb per second? I would much rather download it at 256mb per second off of a website. I like seeing things today versus a week from now.
Sure, there may be some files that would be hard to put up for direct download. Not too many file hosting sites will willingly host your CD collection you're posting on the net for others to illegally download. But there are some out there that host whatever you want, with out batting an eye (or a subpoena, for that matter). If you really want your undubed Naruto fix, or a illegal copy of Weird Al's poodle hat, you could try, oh I dunno, BUYING IT? Hop on the bus, everything isn't free. Things actually cost money.
BitTorrent just sucks. It's slow, inconvenient, and usually illegal. If I want to download something, I'll take a direct download over BitTorrent anyday.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Politics and Videogames, oil and water.
Or, Why Hillary and Joe need to STFU.
Yes, what a tried and true subject, violence (and sex!) in Videogames, and what the politicians are doing about them. Thank you Jack Thompson, thank you Hillary Clinton, and you Joe Lieberman, for seriously messing things up. Travel back with me, to a simpler time. San Andreas had just been released, fans gobbled it up. Selling faster then hotcakes, it became one of the biggest games of 2005.
Then, a shock. A programmer had managed to unlock hidden content, which was never meant to be shown to the public. The Hot Coffee mod, as it would later come to be called, reopened to debate of violence and sexual content in videogames. Why, several years earlier, Mr. Lieberman led a crusade against such games as Mortal Kombat. His crusade helped to create the ESRB, and things died down for a time.
But, thanks to Rockstar (or that programmer, however you look at it) it would seem the battle for PR has begun again.
Senators Clinton and Lieberman would ban videogames if they could get away with it. Why? I think you know the answer. Videogames has become a hot-button issue lately, and those two want as much good PR they can get. If you were a politician, wouldn't you? So, instead of worrying about something important, they go on attacking vieogames, just like they did with the movies way back in the day.
M is Mature, Ao means adults only. But where does the line get drawn? The thing San Andreas has taught us, is that you can have all the blood spilling fun you want to and still maintain a M rating, but heaven forbid you add a little sexual content (bodies with out private parts dry humping each other, in this case) and you get an Ao.
That's the problem with our culture. There is a huge double standard for sexual stuff in the media.
Senators Lieberman and Clinton have begun their crusade, submitting piece after piece of legislature aimed at blocking or restricting the sale of Mature rated videogames to minors. Well, seeing as most retailers won't sell a M rated game to a minor already, there isn't much more that can be done.
And besides, if you limit a child's exposure to any sort of violence or sexual content until they turn 18, there's a little thing called culture shock. If you slowly introduce the violate content to a child (all the while building the ability to tell right from wrong and reality from virtual reality), kids are more able to cope with the world around them.
I don't have all the answers, but I do have a bunch of questions.
Yes, what a tried and true subject, violence (and sex!) in Videogames, and what the politicians are doing about them. Thank you Jack Thompson, thank you Hillary Clinton, and you Joe Lieberman, for seriously messing things up. Travel back with me, to a simpler time. San Andreas had just been released, fans gobbled it up. Selling faster then hotcakes, it became one of the biggest games of 2005.
Then, a shock. A programmer had managed to unlock hidden content, which was never meant to be shown to the public. The Hot Coffee mod, as it would later come to be called, reopened to debate of violence and sexual content in videogames. Why, several years earlier, Mr. Lieberman led a crusade against such games as Mortal Kombat. His crusade helped to create the ESRB, and things died down for a time.
But, thanks to Rockstar (or that programmer, however you look at it) it would seem the battle for PR has begun again.
Senators Clinton and Lieberman would ban videogames if they could get away with it. Why? I think you know the answer. Videogames has become a hot-button issue lately, and those two want as much good PR they can get. If you were a politician, wouldn't you? So, instead of worrying about something important, they go on attacking vieogames, just like they did with the movies way back in the day.
M is Mature, Ao means adults only. But where does the line get drawn? The thing San Andreas has taught us, is that you can have all the blood spilling fun you want to and still maintain a M rating, but heaven forbid you add a little sexual content (bodies with out private parts dry humping each other, in this case) and you get an Ao.
That's the problem with our culture. There is a huge double standard for sexual stuff in the media.
Senators Lieberman and Clinton have begun their crusade, submitting piece after piece of legislature aimed at blocking or restricting the sale of Mature rated videogames to minors. Well, seeing as most retailers won't sell a M rated game to a minor already, there isn't much more that can be done.
And besides, if you limit a child's exposure to any sort of violence or sexual content until they turn 18, there's a little thing called culture shock. If you slowly introduce the violate content to a child (all the while building the ability to tell right from wrong and reality from virtual reality), kids are more able to cope with the world around them.
I don't have all the answers, but I do have a bunch of questions.
Thursday, July 06, 2006
The One Party Game To Rule Them All
Here's one idea that I've been harboring for a long time. When I say party game, one immediately conjures up images of Mario Party games once past. With up to 4 players, one could easily waste away hours upon hours of time making ones way around the game board, obtaining items, and playing minigame after minigame.
What if I were to tell you that a new series of party games is in town? One that this blogger believes eclipses the entire Mario Party series. It's name? Halo. What, not what you were expecting? Think about it! What do you play when everything else is boring? What do you pop in the good ol' XBox if a few friends come over?
Take a deap breath, It's gonna be okay. Once you've recovered from such a bold statement, read on for why I think Halo is one of the best party games to come out in a while.
Halo is what it is. A fun, potentially challenging (try legendary and tell me it isn't damn near impossible) First Person Shooter. Bungie's knowledge of this genre served them (and Microsoft) very well. What started out as a 3rd person RTS style game, quickly grew and evolved into a flagship title for the XBox gaming console. But enough on the background. If you don't know what Halo is, you must've been living under a rock or something. Even the "real" news has done a few stories on Halo:CE and it's sequel.
It's the summer time, and nothing says summer like sitting around the house playing videogames, (sarcasm folks). But it turns out that that is what I'm spending most of my summer doing: playing videogames. Sometimes to break up the monotony of playing with myself (pun intended), I'll call up my bud Brad, and ask If I can come over.
If my buddy Brad isn't intent on showing me a new game he's recently added to his collection, we'll usually result to Halo 2. See, one part of Halo's appeal is the fun multiplayer. From assault, to CTF, to slayer, there is just tons of stuff to play! Any gamer knows that there is a huge potential for fun. Whatever your gaming style, weither stealthy Ninja type, or Rambo shoot-it-if-it-moves style, you're bound to find a custom gametype for you. If not, it's easy to create your own.
Which brings me back to my main point. Custom gametypes really helped Halo stand out from the crowd. You could customize to your hearts content. Wanna play a game of Snipers? Sure, you can do that. Wanna give everyone overshields? Fine by Bungie. Wanna just mess around and try out some glitches? If that's your cup of tea, go ahead.
See, it's this customization that makes me believe that Halo has become on of the best selling, biggest party games ever. You can see it all over XBox Live. Custom gametypes abound: zombies, tower of power, frogger, the list goes on. And you don't even have to be on Live to enjoy these custom games.
Another reason that Halo has become a party game, is the system Link aspect. Who needs to spend $50 to play with up to 15 strangers you don't know? The real joy is getting a group of guys together, hooking several XBoxes up, and fraggin' it up with 15 others. Ever want to reach through the TV and chock that spawn camper? Now you can rib your friends, and he might actually stop, unlike that ahole over Live you'll never see again.
Halo is pretty accessible too. Every XBox owner has it. Just go over to your friends and he's liable to have it. The controls are pretty sensical, and easy to learn. The shield system adds another safety net, allowing noobs a chance to get used to the game play. Easy controls, intuitive game play, custom gametypes=Halo is the best party game ever.
What if I were to tell you that a new series of party games is in town? One that this blogger believes eclipses the entire Mario Party series. It's name? Halo. What, not what you were expecting? Think about it! What do you play when everything else is boring? What do you pop in the good ol' XBox if a few friends come over?
Take a deap breath, It's gonna be okay. Once you've recovered from such a bold statement, read on for why I think Halo is one of the best party games to come out in a while.
Halo is what it is. A fun, potentially challenging (try legendary and tell me it isn't damn near impossible) First Person Shooter. Bungie's knowledge of this genre served them (and Microsoft) very well. What started out as a 3rd person RTS style game, quickly grew and evolved into a flagship title for the XBox gaming console. But enough on the background. If you don't know what Halo is, you must've been living under a rock or something. Even the "real" news has done a few stories on Halo:CE and it's sequel.
It's the summer time, and nothing says summer like sitting around the house playing videogames, (sarcasm folks). But it turns out that that is what I'm spending most of my summer doing: playing videogames. Sometimes to break up the monotony of playing with myself (pun intended), I'll call up my bud Brad, and ask If I can come over.
If my buddy Brad isn't intent on showing me a new game he's recently added to his collection, we'll usually result to Halo 2. See, one part of Halo's appeal is the fun multiplayer. From assault, to CTF, to slayer, there is just tons of stuff to play! Any gamer knows that there is a huge potential for fun. Whatever your gaming style, weither stealthy Ninja type, or Rambo shoot-it-if-it-moves style, you're bound to find a custom gametype for you. If not, it's easy to create your own.
Which brings me back to my main point. Custom gametypes really helped Halo stand out from the crowd. You could customize to your hearts content. Wanna play a game of Snipers? Sure, you can do that. Wanna give everyone overshields? Fine by Bungie. Wanna just mess around and try out some glitches? If that's your cup of tea, go ahead.
See, it's this customization that makes me believe that Halo has become on of the best selling, biggest party games ever. You can see it all over XBox Live. Custom gametypes abound: zombies, tower of power, frogger, the list goes on. And you don't even have to be on Live to enjoy these custom games.
Another reason that Halo has become a party game, is the system Link aspect. Who needs to spend $50 to play with up to 15 strangers you don't know? The real joy is getting a group of guys together, hooking several XBoxes up, and fraggin' it up with 15 others. Ever want to reach through the TV and chock that spawn camper? Now you can rib your friends, and he might actually stop, unlike that ahole over Live you'll never see again.
Halo is pretty accessible too. Every XBox owner has it. Just go over to your friends and he's liable to have it. The controls are pretty sensical, and easy to learn. The shield system adds another safety net, allowing noobs a chance to get used to the game play. Easy controls, intuitive game play, custom gametypes=Halo is the best party game ever.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
