Wednesday, August 19, 2009
It's Here! Ex-HardcoreGamer.com
Well, it's here everyone. I have purchased the domain Ex-HardcoreGamer.com and from now on that is where you can see my latest posts and reviews. It's on a new server too, with WordPress instead of Blogger so it should be a major improvement over what I had. Feel free to check it out and know that all the old content was carried over as well. A new contest is coming soon so head on over and feel free to register and let everyone else know! Any questions or comments, feel free to let me know.
Major Update coming...
I know I keep talking about it, but it's almost here: Tomorrow I will be launching the new version of the blog for everyone to see. No update tonight because I've been hard at work trying to get everything up and running and fixing some last minute glitches. It's not totally complete, but enough where people can enjoy it. I promise it will keep evolving and I hope you like what I've done (with the help of a good friend, of course). Any questions, comments, whatever post a comment or IM me at XnocreativityX.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Xbox 360 Indie Games
I have been getting a lot of IMs with people asking me if I'll be covering the Xbox 360 Indie Games (formerly known as the Community Games). Don't worry everyone, I definitely WILL be covering those games. Now there are a TON to go through so it's going to be impossible to get through all of them, but I will try to do my best to get through a bunch. If there are any in particular you'd like for me to take a look at, let me know.
Review: Spider-Man Friend or Foe
Spider-Man: Friend or Foe (Xbox 360) Review 8-18-2009
In these times of economic struggle, my friends and I sometimes find ourselves looking for things to do on the cheap. A buddy of mine wanted to do a co-op game together, but without spending too much money. Looking through the local Best Buy we saw Spider-Man Friend or Foe at the $15 price point and it had 2 player local co-op. We decided to pick up despite the bad reviews and figured we could have some fun with it and in the end we were right.
Now don't get me wrong, this is far from a great game and it has lots of issues I will go over in a minute, but in the end we had a fun 2 player co-op brawler that didn't go on for too long and earned us some achievements along the way. The story is rather simple, there is some mind control aliens out there and if you beat the villains, they get angry that they were tricked so they help you. Makes no sense, and obviously made for kids, but what brawler has a good story anyway? This game is very similar to the Lego Star Wars games in the sense that you can go at it single player with an AI teammate, or 2 player co op and as you kill enemies you collect chips similar to how you collect Lego pieces. These chips are used to buy upgrades for your player. Spider-Man is obviously the main character so he has the most upgrades available and extra moves, but as you unlock the other teammates you can upgrade them as well. While fun to unlock more moves (and they do break up some of the monotony of the combat) a lot of times you stick with the basic moves. Unfortunately, a lot of the extra moves cannot be used on the larger enemies and bosses, which makes them somewhat pointless, which is a shame.
Some other negatives and that since this game is definitely made with kids in mind as the audience, it is definitely on the easy side. It seems they really took that Lego Star Wars copying even further with that, whereas you can't really “die” you just lose a few chips in which you can always earn more. There is also a lack of variety in the enemies (similar to how the 80s and 90s brawlers were made). They are mostly just color swaps to reflect the new location you are in, but their attacks and movements are all the same, even for the bigger guys. The only change in characters are the super-villains that you fight and later join you. The lack of variety there is made evident when you play as them though, as you will see how they have a lot of the same moves, even when it comes to the co-op double team moves. Some may say that the short completion time is a downside, but I can argue that it's longer than other brawlers and if it were much longer it could get even more monotonous. I find that the game is best played in short bursts anyway.
I played the Xbox 360 version, so I was able to get an easy 1000 points playing though this game. Most are just going through the game, with a few that you get for unlocking everyone and all their moves. They have other versions for other systems that are all the same game. I have not played them, but PS2 version is basically the same with graphics not as good (although the Xbox version isn't all that great to begin with) and obviously no achievements. The PS3 version is identical graphically but has no trophies since it was released before Sony implemented them and made them required for all games.
Bottom line: game is fun for kids, maybe to play with your kids or younger cousins, people looking for a fun semi-old school brawler, or achievement whores. If you fall into one or more of these categories, it's worth checking out for the bargain prices you can find it for. Amazon has it available for $20 for most systems, with the PC version being less than $13. You can go third party merchants to get it even cheaper. It is a poor-man's Lego Star Wars, but some fun can be had with it on the cheap.
In these times of economic struggle, my friends and I sometimes find ourselves looking for things to do on the cheap. A buddy of mine wanted to do a co-op game together, but without spending too much money. Looking through the local Best Buy we saw Spider-Man Friend or Foe at the $15 price point and it had 2 player local co-op. We decided to pick up despite the bad reviews and figured we could have some fun with it and in the end we were right.
Now don't get me wrong, this is far from a great game and it has lots of issues I will go over in a minute, but in the end we had a fun 2 player co-op brawler that didn't go on for too long and earned us some achievements along the way. The story is rather simple, there is some mind control aliens out there and if you beat the villains, they get angry that they were tricked so they help you. Makes no sense, and obviously made for kids, but what brawler has a good story anyway? This game is very similar to the Lego Star Wars games in the sense that you can go at it single player with an AI teammate, or 2 player co op and as you kill enemies you collect chips similar to how you collect Lego pieces. These chips are used to buy upgrades for your player. Spider-Man is obviously the main character so he has the most upgrades available and extra moves, but as you unlock the other teammates you can upgrade them as well. While fun to unlock more moves (and they do break up some of the monotony of the combat) a lot of times you stick with the basic moves. Unfortunately, a lot of the extra moves cannot be used on the larger enemies and bosses, which makes them somewhat pointless, which is a shame.
Some other negatives and that since this game is definitely made with kids in mind as the audience, it is definitely on the easy side. It seems they really took that Lego Star Wars copying even further with that, whereas you can't really “die” you just lose a few chips in which you can always earn more. There is also a lack of variety in the enemies (similar to how the 80s and 90s brawlers were made). They are mostly just color swaps to reflect the new location you are in, but their attacks and movements are all the same, even for the bigger guys. The only change in characters are the super-villains that you fight and later join you. The lack of variety there is made evident when you play as them though, as you will see how they have a lot of the same moves, even when it comes to the co-op double team moves. Some may say that the short completion time is a downside, but I can argue that it's longer than other brawlers and if it were much longer it could get even more monotonous. I find that the game is best played in short bursts anyway.
I played the Xbox 360 version, so I was able to get an easy 1000 points playing though this game. Most are just going through the game, with a few that you get for unlocking everyone and all their moves. They have other versions for other systems that are all the same game. I have not played them, but PS2 version is basically the same with graphics not as good (although the Xbox version isn't all that great to begin with) and obviously no achievements. The PS3 version is identical graphically but has no trophies since it was released before Sony implemented them and made them required for all games.
Bottom line: game is fun for kids, maybe to play with your kids or younger cousins, people looking for a fun semi-old school brawler, or achievement whores. If you fall into one or more of these categories, it's worth checking out for the bargain prices you can find it for. Amazon has it available for $20 for most systems, with the PC version being less than $13. You can go third party merchants to get it even cheaper. It is a poor-man's Lego Star Wars, but some fun can be had with it on the cheap.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Update - Tonight's Review Coming Soon
Sorry everyone, redownloading all my VC and WiiWare content is taking FOREVER.... plus I got accepted into the MAG beta and having issues with the updates downloading. Oh, and I've been working on the redesign/relaunch of the site :) So a lot going on behind the scenes here, and I promise you all that you are going to love it. Things are going to be a lot better REAL soon. Despite all that, I will still make sure to post a review tonight to keep the content coming.
Post Vacation Update 2 - Movie Review: Midnight Meat Train
Midnight Meat Train Review 8-17-2009:
Midnight Meat Train came out during the Lionsgate higher-ups changeover and was just dumped in theaters with little promotion. For probably the only instance I can think of for a “major” release, it was actually premiered at many “dollar theaters” also known as the “second run theaters.” This was a major factor in it's poor opening weekend gross. I think the other factor... It sucked.
Post Vacation Update - Movie Review: Valkarie
Valkarie Review 8-17-2009:
The lastest from director Bryan Singer (and the 3rd to my count that deals at least partially with Nazis) is Valkarie which recently came out on DVD and Blu-Ray. Away on my vacation we were looking to rent a movie and this was one that everyone was looking forward to seeing. This review is based on the DVD since that is all we had access to while away, unfortunately I cannot comment on the qualities of the Blu-Ray version. In the end, I was the only one who really enjoyed it, with my fiancee being the 2nd best of it being "ok." This is not for everyone, especially for those looking for an action movie.
Valkarie is based on the real life events of Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg and his plan to take out Hitler and regain congrol of Germany. It was the last of 15 attempts on Hitler's life, and happened a mere 9 months before Hitler ultimate commited suidicide. I knew nothing of the events beforehand and I was gripped throughout the entire movie about what would happen next. I am sure some artistic liberties were taken with the story so I do not know how close it is to fact, but I know that it got me interested enough that I will seek out some documentaries on the subject to compare (and will update review accordingly). While the others I watched it with felt the movie dragged, I kept wanting to see what would happen next and I was just amazed to see what people would go through to try and stop someone ruling them so harshly. It was most interesting of all to see that not all Nazis were how we portray them here in the US, and I'm shocked that despite it being based on fact that more people didn't complain as they did with the John Cusak movie Max. In that movie it showed a young Adolf Hitler as a struggling artist, and since he was not shown as a monster, people were in an uproar. Maybe it was because it was not Hitler himself and the Nazis instead.
As mentioned before, this is not an action movie. While there are a couple scenes such as the opener where you see how Tom Cruise's character loses his hand and eye, it is more about plotting and setting up the effort to take him out. The actual scene involving the bombing, it was more about suspence than action. The movie is an even 2 hours and while others felt it dragged, I felt it went by quickly and so I have to say that if you're looking for a good drama depicting real life events that interest you, this is a great movie to watch. If you're expecting a Saving Private Ryan or something along those lines, you will not find it here. Tom Cruise gives a great performance no matter what you think of the guy and the directing by Singer is also top notch.
Watching the DVD on a standard TV with the TV speakers I have to say the image was very clear and the sound came through well and was mixed well. It did not have any of the typical "turn it up for dialogue, turn it down for action and music" that can be heard on other DVDs. Again, it was not my usual setup and I will try to rent the Blu-Ray in the future so I can really compare. Being a rental it was just the first disc which has no extras to speak of, but there is a 2 disc special edition available.
Fans of singer and war history give it a look, I really enjoyed it.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
My First Contest
UPDATE 12:16 AM - Wow wow wow... So many IMs :) Sorry folks but the contest is over and we have a winner. I've actually passed 800 now, so I'm super pumped. Don't make this your last visit to the site though, expect more contests and discounts at my store coming your way along with the reviews. Thanks to everyone that participated.
UPDATE 11:43 PM - Holy crap, I shouldn't underestimate all of you... we're over 700 now, which is awesome. The review update tonight is being delayed because my Wii is considered a new system and so I had to redownload all my Virtual Console and WiiWare titles, keeping me busy (otherwise I would have seen we hit 700 much soooner!!). I promise a review will be up tonight, just can't say when. So, now here is where the winning comes in.... First person to send me a message on AIM or XBox (again, it's XnocreativityX) will get the 1600 MS Points. I can either mail you the card or e-mail you the code, it's up to you but we can work those details out when I hear from you. Now don't let this stop you from checking my site or referring other people... This is only the beginning for this site and I will be doing plenty more contests.. Thanks again for everyone making this such a success.
Ok everyone, I talked about it before, so here it is: my first contest for the site. Traffic has slowed down while I was away, and I can't blame you all, since well, I said that there really wouldn't be any updates.... but I'm back, and the updates will resume. We are still way ahead of where I thought I'd be at this point, but I'm going to be greedy :) We are currently at 635 impressions, so let's try to get to 700! Start visiting more often (reviews will be posted later tonight), start telling your friends and get them to come as well. When we hit 700 I will post and the first person to contact me will get 1600 MS Points. If the winner does not have an Xbox 360 I can always do PSN, Wiipoints, or maybe an Amazon.com gift card, I'll figure it out when the time comes.
I'd also like for people to post comments more too, I haven't had too much activity there at all. Comment on my reviews and let me know what you think, comment on the contest and see if you like it or if you'd rather a different kind of contest. I want to build a good community so that I can start doing other features that are more community related.
Ok, that's it for now... keep visiting and spread the word, if we get to this fast enough I will do more contests more often :) Good luck!
UPDATE 11:43 PM - Holy crap, I shouldn't underestimate all of you... we're over 700 now, which is awesome. The review update tonight is being delayed because my Wii is considered a new system and so I had to redownload all my Virtual Console and WiiWare titles, keeping me busy (otherwise I would have seen we hit 700 much soooner!!). I promise a review will be up tonight, just can't say when. So, now here is where the winning comes in.... First person to send me a message on AIM or XBox (again, it's XnocreativityX) will get the 1600 MS Points. I can either mail you the card or e-mail you the code, it's up to you but we can work those details out when I hear from you. Now don't let this stop you from checking my site or referring other people... This is only the beginning for this site and I will be doing plenty more contests.. Thanks again for everyone making this such a success.
Ok everyone, I talked about it before, so here it is: my first contest for the site. Traffic has slowed down while I was away, and I can't blame you all, since well, I said that there really wouldn't be any updates.... but I'm back, and the updates will resume. We are still way ahead of where I thought I'd be at this point, but I'm going to be greedy :) We are currently at 635 impressions, so let's try to get to 700! Start visiting more often (reviews will be posted later tonight), start telling your friends and get them to come as well. When we hit 700 I will post and the first person to contact me will get 1600 MS Points. If the winner does not have an Xbox 360 I can always do PSN, Wiipoints, or maybe an Amazon.com gift card, I'll figure it out when the time comes.
I'd also like for people to post comments more too, I haven't had too much activity there at all. Comment on my reviews and let me know what you think, comment on the contest and see if you like it or if you'd rather a different kind of contest. I want to build a good community so that I can start doing other features that are more community related.
Ok, that's it for now... keep visiting and spread the word, if we get to this fast enough I will do more contests more often :) Good luck!
I'm Back!
I have returned from vacation and my Wii has returned from Nintendo as well. I wrote a bunch of reviews while I was away so expect the usual constant updates as I had before. Also, my Wii is working again, but they couldn't save my save data, so I have to restart all my games which means I'll be replaying a lot of older stuff to unlock things again. This means that I will be reviewing some older Wii games too. Updates will either resume tonight or tomorrow.
Just a reminder to everyone that I am XnocreativityX on AIM, Twitter, Steam, PSN, and Xbox Live and my Amazon Store is www.amazon.com/shops/xnocreativityx
Just a reminder to everyone that I am XnocreativityX on AIM, Twitter, Steam, PSN, and Xbox Live and my Amazon Store is www.amazon.com/shops/xnocreativityx
Friday, August 14, 2009
Coming home soon!
The vacation is almost over everyone, but don't think I was just sitting idle this passed week. I did have some downtime that I spent writing a bunch of reviews and I also watched a few movies and TV shows with the family. And, of course, with all that travel time I played a lot of PSP so there will be more reviews coming as well. We're on our way to 700 "page impressions" too (I'm told that's what the kids these days call it, and "hits" is so 1997) and I couldn't be happier. Expect that major overhaul to come very soon, I just don't want to launch it before it's ready. In the meantime I will gladly post index pages to be at the top after every review so you can easily navigate to them.
Also of note, my Amazon Store is back up and running, so hop on over and check to see if there is anything you want there. Again, the address for it is http://www.amazon.com/shops/xnocreativityx and make sure to message me if you found it from this site so we can work out some deals such as free expedited shipping!
EDIT: I'll add a graphic soon, but for now, those interested in following me on Twitter can do so at http://www.twitter.com/xnocreativityx I will post whenever there is an update on this site or my amazon store.
Also of note, my Amazon Store is back up and running, so hop on over and check to see if there is anything you want there. Again, the address for it is http://www.amazon.com/shops/xnocreativityx and make sure to message me if you found it from this site so we can work out some deals such as free expedited shipping!
EDIT: I'll add a graphic soon, but for now, those interested in following me on Twitter can do so at http://www.twitter.com/xnocreativityx I will post whenever there is an update on this site or my amazon store.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
To Simplify Things a Bit...
We passed 500 hits!! I know the content is getting to be a lot, so to simplify things a bit I figured I'd make a list of the different reviews I have so you can see them and click them to go directly without reading the "wall of text." After I redesign the site it will be easier to get to things, but this is something that's temporary and easy for me to do while I'm away on vacation.
Video Game Reviews:
Wanted: Weapons of Fate (PS3) - This was my first review, and I do make mention of Xbox 360 and PC versions.
Marvel vs. Capcom 2 (XBLA) - This review is for the recent release for the Xbox 360. Will be updated when the PS3 version comes out.
Bit.Boy (WiiWare) - One of the worst games I've ever played, especially on WiiWare.
Samurai Warriors: State of War (PSP) - This is now available for download from the Playstation Store, and surprisingly enjoyable for fans of the series looking for something on the go once they get passed the differences from the console version.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time Reshelled (XBLA) - The first time I got a review out on the day something was released, something I enjoyed quite a bit, especially multiplayer. Most other reviews seem to be rather negative and fans loving the original are not happy with the remake. Ah well, I'm just one man.
Movie Review:
Hatchet - Available on DVD and NetFlix Instant (how I watched it). My first movie review, more will follow.
Video Game Reviews:
Wanted: Weapons of Fate (PS3) - This was my first review, and I do make mention of Xbox 360 and PC versions.
Marvel vs. Capcom 2 (XBLA) - This review is for the recent release for the Xbox 360. Will be updated when the PS3 version comes out.
Bit.Boy (WiiWare) - One of the worst games I've ever played, especially on WiiWare.
Samurai Warriors: State of War (PSP) - This is now available for download from the Playstation Store, and surprisingly enjoyable for fans of the series looking for something on the go once they get passed the differences from the console version.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time Reshelled (XBLA) - The first time I got a review out on the day something was released, something I enjoyed quite a bit, especially multiplayer. Most other reviews seem to be rather negative and fans loving the original are not happy with the remake. Ah well, I'm just one man.
Movie Review:
Hatchet - Available on DVD and NetFlix Instant (how I watched it). My first movie review, more will follow.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Going on Vacation
I know, I know, I've only been up for a week and here I am going on vacation. Depending on Wi-Fi availability where I am I will still try to post stuff whenever I can, but also expect me to use that time to really get to fixing some of the things that people have been sending me feedback on in the last week. For one, I have downloaded WordPress and I'm going to mess around with that and try to get something going that is much easier to read and not just a "wall of text" as people have described it. I will try to get it so the main page is just a list of the "teasers" and then you can click for the full article from there. I am also looking into options for screenshots and maybe even video.... so expect a lot of changes soon.
I also want to thank everyone for making this a sucess. I planned on posting a "thank you" when I hit 150 hits.... I was at 120 yesterday and figured I'd keep an eye out to see when it went up, but to my surprise I just checked and it's up to 328!! This is so much more than I expected this soon, especially since I haven't had a chance to do much advertising. Look, I know it's still small numbers, but my site is small right now. I hope that I can get some of these updates and upgrades out soon enough so that number can keep growing. Keep that feedback coming!
I guess for those that may have questions as to HOW to contact me, you have my PSN ID as well as my Xbox Live Gamertag, feel free to add me. XnocreativityX is the name for both. Also, you can contact me on AIM at XnocreativityX, I always have that connected on my phone. You can also check out my Amazon Store at http://www.amazon.com/shops/xnocreativityx and contact me through there.
See you all when I get back!
I also want to thank everyone for making this a sucess. I planned on posting a "thank you" when I hit 150 hits.... I was at 120 yesterday and figured I'd keep an eye out to see when it went up, but to my surprise I just checked and it's up to 328!! This is so much more than I expected this soon, especially since I haven't had a chance to do much advertising. Look, I know it's still small numbers, but my site is small right now. I hope that I can get some of these updates and upgrades out soon enough so that number can keep growing. Keep that feedback coming!
I guess for those that may have questions as to HOW to contact me, you have my PSN ID as well as my Xbox Live Gamertag, feel free to add me. XnocreativityX is the name for both. Also, you can contact me on AIM at XnocreativityX, I always have that connected on my phone. You can also check out my Amazon Store at http://www.amazon.com/shops/xnocreativityx and contact me through there.
See you all when I get back!
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Review: TMNT Turtles in Time (XBLA) 8-6-2009
TMNT Turtles in Time Reshelled (XBLA) Review 8-6-2009
“Ow, my toes!”
Just remember that quote, you'll be hearing it a lot if you play this game.
It is the 25th Anniversary of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, so there is going to be all kinds of stuff Turtle related being released. First up is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time Reshelled. WTF is that you ask? Well, TMNT: Turtles in Time was the sequel to the original TMNT The Arcade Game. It was based on the cartoon series that was on at the time, not the comics, although it did have a couple characters that were in the movie TMNT 2: The Secret of the Ooze. The original arcade game made it to XBLA so it was only a matter of time for the sequel to come out, especially since the original arcade game is still to this day one of the best selling XBLA games. This time though, instead of a port we are getting a full remade game.
Although Konami made the game original, Ubisoft are the current TMNT license holders and they had Ubisoft Singapore prepare this game. This was the first game this particular group worked on, but that's not a comment on the quality. I did not see Konami's name anywhere in the credits, so I'm guessing the remake was part of some sort of agreement they came to. They completely redid the graphics to be in fully 3D and you have a bit more control over what your character can do. It is still the basic 80s/early 90s arcade style brawler though. Move around, just, attack. It can also be played up to 4 player cooperatively. In the original game you could only attack in 4 directions (up, down, left, and right) but now you can do it in 8 directions, now including the diagonals. Other than that, the gameplay remains pretty much the same. Another change, and one that some fans may not be happy with, is the voices have all been redone as well. The classic cartoon voice actors are no longer in the game, and the results aren't very good. I am sure this is another legal issue, but it is still a shame to see (well, hear) happen. The music has been redone as well, and I have seen many posts online of people complaining of this concern, so if that is something you care about, you will not be happy. This is something that did not bother me at all, but felt since many complained I would post about it.
As with most games of that era, it is not a very long game, but you can expect a lot of cheap attacks and deaths. This was because their main purpose was to keep those kids pumping quarters in everytime they died so that they could keep playing. With this being a new version though, you no longer have unlimited continues as you would in the arcade (if you had enough quarters, that is). Now you start off with 6 lives and once they are out, that's it. If you are playing co-op and you lose all your lives, you do come back the next level if the rest of your team survive.
The 4 player mode can be done with any combination of players either on the same console or online. My time online was spent with friends of mine that I had invited to play and there did not seem to be any noticeable lag. There would be a lot going on at once at times, but if ever you lose where you are, you can just press the left trigger to locate your turtle. I played it 2 and 3 player, but not 4 player yet, but had a lot of fun each time, and I can still see myself enjoying playing it again and again. There is always the challenge of trying to get a better score than the last time or at least just laughing it up with some friends while you play together. Another nice feature that I was glad to see is the fact that right in game there is an option to press the X button and automatically invite all members of your Xbox Live Party to the game you have created. This made things a lot easier with a lot less menus to navigate. It would be nice if more games would use this since the Party feature has been available for quite some time now, and it's especially refreshing to see that it was an XBLA game supporting this.
At 800 MS Points ($10) this is steeper than most arcade classics on the system, but about on par with ones that get remade (such as Bionic Commando) so it is nice that they did not release it at their original intended price point of $1200 points ($15). You can beat the game in around a half hour or so, but it is a great game to play 1-4 players and can be played again and again if it is the kind of game you enjoy. Younger gamers, or people just more used to games with a bit more length, story, and depth may tire of it though. This is game 3 of the Summer of Arcade, so again, if you get every game, MS will give you 800 points. If you need more points, I have some in My Store at a discounted rate and can even e-mail you the code directly so you get the points right away (and I obviously will not charge for shipping then either).
I will update this review if I can get a hold of the original game again so I can give a better description of the differences. I also believe that there is a PSN version coming out, in which case I will also update for any differences between XBLA and PSN. Will also update on achivements/trophies.
My First Movie Review: Hatchet
Hatchet review 8-6-2009
I am going to make this one short and to the point. The tagline for this movie is “Old School American Horror.” What this line translates to is “80s style slasher movie.” If this means nothing to you, or you don't like what it means, do not bother with this movie. If that makes you happy, believe it, watch it, and enjoy it. Simple as that.
It's like most slashers of the 80s, starts off with the first half being for laughs and boobs, and then the 2nd half is a bunch of young people getting chased and picked off one by one. These deaths result in various types of gore effects. Watch it Unrated and see even more gore. Yes, there is a story, but it's not why you're watching it. Just watch it if you care.
You're also treated to nice cameos from Robert Englush (Freddy Krueger for those that don't know), Tony Todd (Candyman, various others), and an unmasked Kane Hodder (THE Jason) although he is the killer in makeup and prosthetics for the rest of the movie.
I also have to admit that part of my love for the movie too is that one of the characters is seen wearing a Newbury Comics shirt, which is a chain nearby where I live (mostly in Boston area).
Netflix has it available now Instantly, you can click here to see the page. It is no longer in HD as it was before, it is now a part of their “Starz Play” which is the usual lesser quality. If you don't know what I mean, most movies on Watch Instant are DVD quality (unless they are in HD, of course) and then the Starz Play movies are below that, with a more fuzzy and washed out look. It is the Unrated version. If you don't have NetFlix and you buy movies, it's available for less than $10 on Amazon.
A sequel is in the works, and I for one am greatly looking forward to it. Again, the bottom line, if you like slashers see it, if you don't, why are you still reading this review?
I am going to make this one short and to the point. The tagline for this movie is “Old School American Horror.” What this line translates to is “80s style slasher movie.” If this means nothing to you, or you don't like what it means, do not bother with this movie. If that makes you happy, believe it, watch it, and enjoy it. Simple as that.
It's like most slashers of the 80s, starts off with the first half being for laughs and boobs, and then the 2nd half is a bunch of young people getting chased and picked off one by one. These deaths result in various types of gore effects. Watch it Unrated and see even more gore. Yes, there is a story, but it's not why you're watching it. Just watch it if you care.
You're also treated to nice cameos from Robert Englush (Freddy Krueger for those that don't know), Tony Todd (Candyman, various others), and an unmasked Kane Hodder (THE Jason) although he is the killer in makeup and prosthetics for the rest of the movie.
I also have to admit that part of my love for the movie too is that one of the characters is seen wearing a Newbury Comics shirt, which is a chain nearby where I live (mostly in Boston area).
Netflix has it available now Instantly, you can click here to see the page. It is no longer in HD as it was before, it is now a part of their “Starz Play” which is the usual lesser quality. If you don't know what I mean, most movies on Watch Instant are DVD quality (unless they are in HD, of course) and then the Starz Play movies are below that, with a more fuzzy and washed out look. It is the Unrated version. If you don't have NetFlix and you buy movies, it's available for less than $10 on Amazon.
A sequel is in the works, and I for one am greatly looking forward to it. Again, the bottom line, if you like slashers see it, if you don't, why are you still reading this review?
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
PSP Review: Samurai Warriors: State of War 8-4-09
I'd like to start off by thanking everyone for all the feedback. I am taking everything into consideration and hope to have a lot of changes in the near future. I'm messing around with different software to try to get a better look. Someone suggested WordPress so I'm going to try that first. I will keep you all posted. Now onto your regularly scheduled programming...
Samurai Warriors PSP review 8-4-2009
Why am I reviewing a game that is over 3 years old? Well, it was just released as a downloadable title on the Playstation Store a few weeks ago and that is when I picked it up. With the PSP Go on the horizon there are going to be many more games released for download, so expect to see games from different release points. The game is $14.99, roughly the same price as buying it new from a third-party seller on Amazon so it's not expensive. So how is the game on the PSP?
For those that don't know, Samurai Warriors is a spin-off series of the Dynasty Warriors series. While Dynasty Warriors took place in China, Samurai obviously takes place in Japan, but the games are pretty much the same. Mash buttons and kill lots of guys to build your guy up and go to another level where you mash buttons and kill lots of guys. Not a whole lot to it, and it hasn't really progressed much in the years since Dynasty Warriors 2 on the Playstation 2. For some this is good, for some it's bad. I can't speak for you, but personally I love the simplicity since it reminds me of the old-school brawler/hack-n-slash games of yesteryear.
Now I was just referring to the console games, on PSP it's a bit of a different story. Instead of just running around a massive level killing the guys, it is broken up into smaller sections as you take turns on an overhead map. I wouldn't consider this a turned based strategy game by any means, but that's what it feels like at first. After you move to your designated square you are given something along the lines of “kill as many guys as you can in 60 seconds” or “kill the Major.” Based on your performance in this bite sized battles you will earn a number of spaces you can move, much like rolling a higher number on a die in a board game. Do better, move further. This actually adds a bit of strategy to the game, and as I mentioned, makes it better for something you are playing on the go so you aren't stuck in the middle of a fight always whenever you may need to shut the game off. At first I hated this concept, but as I got used to it I learned to love it and found myself losing hours of my time unlocking more guys and leveling up my guys more and more. There are quite a few characters to unlock and there is both a story mode and a free mode. The story in the console versions was done through cut scenes, but this one is done through text only. I would knock points off for this if it weren't for the fact that I really just don't care about the story and end up skipping anyway. I want to get to the mass killing! Yes, I sound like a psychopath with that statement, but if you've ever played these games, you'd know what I mean.
Another aspect in the console versions that was great was doing 2 player co-op. Sadly, this is missing from this version of the game. I did not get to try out the multiplayer for myself as I do not know anyone else with the game and it does not support game sharing, but upon reading reviews on IGN and GameSpot it does not sound like I am missing much. It sounds like there is very little actual interaction between players and it's more like you are just playing at the same time trying to get a better score. Sounds boring to me, even if it does support 4 players.
Graphically this game was rather impressive to me for a PSP game. The “Warriors” games are not the best graphically, but they do pack a lot of guys on screen and keep things running smoothly. While there are not as many on screen in this version as the Xbox 360 version, that is to be expected due to the major difference in hardware power. The draw distance is also much shorter, but it's about what I expected from the PSP, especially a game that was released over 3 years ago.
My last complaint is the control. For the most part it works well, but there are times that your guy gets turned around and the camera doesn't swing around. There is no right analog stick on the PSP so there is no way to control it (some games let you use the d-pad if you're using the analog to control the guy, but in this game it let's you use both, so no camera control.). The only way to get the camera to swing around is to hit the block button (left shoulder button). This works ok for the most part, but when you're in the middle of a combo it will not work and that includes your special attack. What's worse is that sometimes the game acts like enemies do not exist if they are not shown on screen even if they show up on the map.
In the end, as I said before, I found myself really getting hooked on this game and playing for hours at a time and always wanting “one more battle” and “just level up just one more time.” Which is the sign of a game that is enjoyable, especially for the nice price of $14.99. Now once I've unlocked all the guys, beat the story mode with all of them, I can still play free mode for a bit but I will most likely be done with this game and want to move onto the next game, but that is still a long way away. I won't be able to sell it since it's a download, but I think I can live with that considering how much use I will get from it. Bottom line: don't let the change in gameplay scare you away if you're a fan of the series, try it out and have some smashy fun on the go.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Review: Bit.Boy
Bit.Boy (WiiWare) Review 8-3-2009
“That game was mostly a joke.”
“Too bad the joke was on us.”
This (short) conversation basically sums up how my friend and I felt about Bit.Boy after playing it. It is a game released on Nintendo's WiiWare service for 600 points ($6).... I want my $6 back.
The premise was cool enough, you are a creature from the 128-bit era (aka, now) and a monster from the 4-bit era uses a time machine to steal all your friends and bring them back with him. You have to go through levels in each generation of gaming to get all your friends back and get back home. There are 5 levels per “bit.” Each area does a good job of reproducing what made that generation identifiable. The 4-bit is basic colors and level design to take after something found on the original Atari 2600, then something you'd find on NES, then SNES, etc. It even goes so far as to have “long CD load times” for the 32-bit era. This last “feature” was funny at first, but gets really annoying when you have to do it for all 5 levels for the 32-bit era.
As for the actual gameplay though, it makes it tough actually wanting to get through each generation. To describe the gameplay easily, picture Pac-Man. Now picture having to only collect the power pellets and not each pellet. By this I don't mean to get to attack when collecting them, just that there are that few to get each level. That's right, you have to dodge enemies to rescue about 4 or 5 friends per level. That's it. You do have an attack that circles around you to kill enemies, and it is limited so you don't just mash it, but you barely have to use it. The game IS 2 player, which may sound like it would make it more fun, but instead it makes it worse since you can just split up and rescue twice as fast. I went through the entire game (long “load times” included) 2 player in about 30 minutes, if that. When doing 2 player and you attack it also has both players attack for some strange reason too. The other thing that makes it boring is that the gameplay does not change for each generation, it is the same boring gameplay, and just changes the way it looks. The only addition to the gameplay is when it becomes 128-bit they add motion control by flicking the controller up you can jump over logs. There are no bosses either, once you beat the last level of a generation it's just “hey, enter your initials on the high score board” and “game over” and you can choose to start the next generation. Very “wash, rinse, repeat.” Even after you beat the game, the credits have you play through the game all over again at a faster speeds with 999 lives and 999 attacks. The credits don't last long enough and it just loops until you get sick of it. We kept thinking that maybe, just maybe something would happen if you went through the whole game again. Luckily with the extra attacks and speed it did not take anywhere near as much time.
There are two choices for how you control the game. The one that they push for is the “joystick” method that has you hold the Wii remote vertically like you are holding an old joystick from the Atari 2600 and move it around that way. While this is a cool idea, and not one new to the Wii (Metal Slug Anthology comes to mind) it does not work particularly well and also does not make sense for any level other than the 4 bit ones. I had multiple issues where I'd be controlling it without issue, and then out of nowhere my guy would stop moving and it wouldn't start again until a random time afterwards. I tried positioning the controller in various ways to try to remedy this, but none seemed to work. This lead me to use control option #2, hold it like an NES controller. Just like the Virtual Console games, you hold it sideways, use the d-pad to move, and the 1 or 2 button to attack. This lead to the experience feeling even more bland since, as mentioned before, there is no motion control and no real excitement to the gameplay.
So the bottom line is don't waste your $6, it could be spent on something so much better on the WiiWare service, something that gives so much more replay value (to reiterate, this has ZERO). My Wii died shortly after beating this game, it is currently sent to Nintendo for repair. I don't blame it for not wanting to be used anymore after that crap. Stay far away.
PS – This game is not at all related to the Bit.Trip games, so do not be fooled by that. Those games are amazing, and I will post reviews for that upon return of my Wii from Nintendo.
“That game was mostly a joke.”
“Too bad the joke was on us.”
This (short) conversation basically sums up how my friend and I felt about Bit.Boy after playing it. It is a game released on Nintendo's WiiWare service for 600 points ($6).... I want my $6 back.
The premise was cool enough, you are a creature from the 128-bit era (aka, now) and a monster from the 4-bit era uses a time machine to steal all your friends and bring them back with him. You have to go through levels in each generation of gaming to get all your friends back and get back home. There are 5 levels per “bit.” Each area does a good job of reproducing what made that generation identifiable. The 4-bit is basic colors and level design to take after something found on the original Atari 2600, then something you'd find on NES, then SNES, etc. It even goes so far as to have “long CD load times” for the 32-bit era. This last “feature” was funny at first, but gets really annoying when you have to do it for all 5 levels for the 32-bit era.
As for the actual gameplay though, it makes it tough actually wanting to get through each generation. To describe the gameplay easily, picture Pac-Man. Now picture having to only collect the power pellets and not each pellet. By this I don't mean to get to attack when collecting them, just that there are that few to get each level. That's right, you have to dodge enemies to rescue about 4 or 5 friends per level. That's it. You do have an attack that circles around you to kill enemies, and it is limited so you don't just mash it, but you barely have to use it. The game IS 2 player, which may sound like it would make it more fun, but instead it makes it worse since you can just split up and rescue twice as fast. I went through the entire game (long “load times” included) 2 player in about 30 minutes, if that. When doing 2 player and you attack it also has both players attack for some strange reason too. The other thing that makes it boring is that the gameplay does not change for each generation, it is the same boring gameplay, and just changes the way it looks. The only addition to the gameplay is when it becomes 128-bit they add motion control by flicking the controller up you can jump over logs. There are no bosses either, once you beat the last level of a generation it's just “hey, enter your initials on the high score board” and “game over” and you can choose to start the next generation. Very “wash, rinse, repeat.” Even after you beat the game, the credits have you play through the game all over again at a faster speeds with 999 lives and 999 attacks. The credits don't last long enough and it just loops until you get sick of it. We kept thinking that maybe, just maybe something would happen if you went through the whole game again. Luckily with the extra attacks and speed it did not take anywhere near as much time.
There are two choices for how you control the game. The one that they push for is the “joystick” method that has you hold the Wii remote vertically like you are holding an old joystick from the Atari 2600 and move it around that way. While this is a cool idea, and not one new to the Wii (Metal Slug Anthology comes to mind) it does not work particularly well and also does not make sense for any level other than the 4 bit ones. I had multiple issues where I'd be controlling it without issue, and then out of nowhere my guy would stop moving and it wouldn't start again until a random time afterwards. I tried positioning the controller in various ways to try to remedy this, but none seemed to work. This lead me to use control option #2, hold it like an NES controller. Just like the Virtual Console games, you hold it sideways, use the d-pad to move, and the 1 or 2 button to attack. This lead to the experience feeling even more bland since, as mentioned before, there is no motion control and no real excitement to the gameplay.
So the bottom line is don't waste your $6, it could be spent on something so much better on the WiiWare service, something that gives so much more replay value (to reiterate, this has ZERO). My Wii died shortly after beating this game, it is currently sent to Nintendo for repair. I don't blame it for not wanting to be used anymore after that crap. Stay far away.
PS – This game is not at all related to the Bit.Trip games, so do not be fooled by that. Those games are amazing, and I will post reviews for that upon return of my Wii from Nintendo.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Review: Marvel vs. Capcom 2 (XBLA) Review 8-2-2009
It is week 2 of Microsoft Summer of Arcade and this week's game is Marvel vs. Capcom 2. This is the classic 3 on 3 tag fighter from the arcades previous released on Dreamcast and later on the original Xbox and Playstation 2. For those that don't know it pits characters from the Marvel Comics universe against characters from various Capcom games such as Street Fighter, Mega Man, and Resident Evil. You pick teams of 3 to fight and you can tag team members in and out or call them in for a quick assist. It has an easy to pick up play system with easy special moves and combos.
This version is the same gameplay wise as the Dreamcast version but everything is unlocked right away, for better or worse. A big part of the Dreamcast version was to play the game and earn points to use in the shop to unlock more characters, alternate colors for characters, and stages. While that fun is gone in this version, it means you can jump right into the fights with everyone and enjoy.
There are a couple other differences than its Dreamcast cousin as well. First of all the backgrounds are now in full HD since they were made in that resolution to begin with. This means that they look the best they ever have, but unfortunately the sprites have not been redone so while they always have looked worse than the backgrounds, now they look even worse. There are a few filters that you can use to try to make them look a bit smoother but don't expect anything like BlazBlue or Street Fighter HD Remix. Everything is also 16x9 (widescreen) now for the backgrounds but the gameplay still remains in the original 4x3 setup. What this means is gameplay has not changed, you will not be able to completely move to the outter edges and attack animations will cut off at the sides. It is nothing major and one would be hard pressed to notice it for the most part.
The major addition to this version is the online play. With this addition you may be happy all characters are available so you can jump right in. As with most online games on the 360 there are player matches as well as ranked matches and the player matches host lobbies with up to 6 players. As with most fighting games there was some lag at time but if you link up with someone with a good connection you can get some great fights going.
Overall this is a great 2D fighting game to keep you playing for sometime and is well worth the $15 asking price especially when you consider the Xbox and PS2 versions were going for $80 on eBay recently. To add to value of sorts, if you get all games released during the Summer of Arcade you will get 800 points back. This is week 2, with last week being 'Splosion Man (review coming soon) so they are on their way to making that a worthy deal. The rest of the games coming out seem to be worth it from what I've read, but expect full reviews as they are released. If you'd like to pick up some Microsoft Points at a slight discount, feel free to check out My Store and I can just e-mail you the code if you'd like to save on shipping and get the code faster.
I will update the review once the Playstation 3 version is out so I can compare. I will also add info on achievements/trophies.
This version is the same gameplay wise as the Dreamcast version but everything is unlocked right away, for better or worse. A big part of the Dreamcast version was to play the game and earn points to use in the shop to unlock more characters, alternate colors for characters, and stages. While that fun is gone in this version, it means you can jump right into the fights with everyone and enjoy.
There are a couple other differences than its Dreamcast cousin as well. First of all the backgrounds are now in full HD since they were made in that resolution to begin with. This means that they look the best they ever have, but unfortunately the sprites have not been redone so while they always have looked worse than the backgrounds, now they look even worse. There are a few filters that you can use to try to make them look a bit smoother but don't expect anything like BlazBlue or Street Fighter HD Remix. Everything is also 16x9 (widescreen) now for the backgrounds but the gameplay still remains in the original 4x3 setup. What this means is gameplay has not changed, you will not be able to completely move to the outter edges and attack animations will cut off at the sides. It is nothing major and one would be hard pressed to notice it for the most part.
The major addition to this version is the online play. With this addition you may be happy all characters are available so you can jump right in. As with most online games on the 360 there are player matches as well as ranked matches and the player matches host lobbies with up to 6 players. As with most fighting games there was some lag at time but if you link up with someone with a good connection you can get some great fights going.
Overall this is a great 2D fighting game to keep you playing for sometime and is well worth the $15 asking price especially when you consider the Xbox and PS2 versions were going for $80 on eBay recently. To add to value of sorts, if you get all games released during the Summer of Arcade you will get 800 points back. This is week 2, with last week being 'Splosion Man (review coming soon) so they are on their way to making that a worthy deal. The rest of the games coming out seem to be worth it from what I've read, but expect full reviews as they are released. If you'd like to pick up some Microsoft Points at a slight discount, feel free to check out My Store and I can just e-mail you the code if you'd like to save on shipping and get the code faster.
I will update the review once the Playstation 3 version is out so I can compare. I will also add info on achievements/trophies.
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