E3 Wednesday Good, Bad, and Ugly

Hello all! 

I thought that I would add to my good, bad, and ugly.  After all you can never have too much ugly! 

More Good!

Monolith Soft's RPG so far known as X.  This is an RPG for the Wii U that really looks impressive.  Not much is known about the game, but given Monolith's track record this really should be a good game. 

A new Contra was teased! 

The Bad:

Castlevania Lords of Shadow 2- Why can't anyone wear a shirt?  Really!? 

The Ugly:

Microsoft's stance about requiring a high speed internet connection- If you can't get internet, just buy an Xbox 360 instead!  Thanks Microsoft! 

E3: The Crazy Gamer's the good, the bad, and the ugly

For non video game fans this week is just another week.  For those of us who love video games this week is one of the best!  E3 (the Electronic Entertainment Expo) showcases the newest video games for the upcoming year.  Here is my good, bad, and ugly from the show so far. 

Oh!  Make sure you check out www.ign.com, www.gameinformer.com, www.gamespot.com, and www.kotaku.com for coverage of the E3 event from different perspectives.

The Good:

Super Mario 3D Land for Wii U.  This game is one part Super Mario 3D Land from the 3DS (a great game!) that adds elements of Super Mario 2 (i.e. players can play as Toad, Princess Peach, and Luigi) as well as Mario.  Up to 4 players can play at once!  My wife and I will be playing this!

Donkey Kong Country: Tropic Freeze- This is a Wii U sequel to the Wii platformer Donkey Kong Country Returns.  I love side scrolling games, and this one looks like a trip that really shakes up the formula for side scrolling games.  This game also has in person multiplayer so my wife and I will be playing this one this holiday season as well.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds- This is a direct sequel to A Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past which is one of my favorite games of all time.  This is enough to justify a purchase but it also seems to be an old fashioned top down adventure game with a bunch of new features.

Playstation 4's Price and lack of online DRM.  Playstation 4 will not need to be online all the time, it will not require a daily check in, and is a full $100.00 cheaper then Xbox One.  I would buy one but there are not any games that I want in the launch window.  Still, when I do upgrade it will be to PS4.

Final Fantasy XV:  I have always been a fan of  what I saw for Final Fantasy Versus XIII, but the game never came out and info became scarce.  It turns out that Versus XIII has in fact become Final Fantasy XV, so that is exciting to me.

The Bad:

When the Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker was released for the Game Cube data miners discovered the game had code for two unfinished dungeons.  I was hoping that Nintendo would announce that these dungeons would be finished and included in the new remake, but alas they didn't.  Sad face! 

No Star Fox, or Metroid.  I'm sad for this, but then I ask myself: "How many games can I play at once?"  If everything comes out all at once then I won't be able to enjoy all of them.  Now I still have games to look forward to!

No Dragon Quest VII remake announced for US release.  Guess I'll have to hope, or learn Japanese...

The Ugly:

Microsoft Xbox One

So let me get this straight, I have to pay a hundred dollars more for a console I don't actually own, with features I don't actually want with games that Microsoft gets to tell me what to do with?  I don't think so! 

They didn't show a single game that was exclusive to the Xbox that I was interested in.  Sorry Xbox, but you don't offer anything I want.

Crazy Gamer's official Xbox One stance

Hello all.  Today I will give you my opinion on the...

Specs:

The specs of the system seem powerful...though no game was shown that really showcased the systems power. 

I for one care more about what developers are able to do with artificial intelligence and user interfaces.  I want organic dialogue that changes based on how I want to play my character.  I hope one day that conversation trees are replaced with something more natural.  I also hope user interfaces become less heavy handed.  Maybe this generation will offer that?  We will see.

The controller:

I like the controller, I think I prefer it to the Playstation 4's controller.  I will withhold my final judgment until I can actually handle them.

The new Kinect:

I was unimpressed with the original Kinect.  On the surface it could be interesting, but the Kinect was never used in a good way.  The only game that I thought used the Kinect in a good way was Mass Effect 3 where you could give vocal commands to your companion characters and could use your voice to change weapon load outs.  This was limited a bit too much by the technology at the time but maybe this new Kinect will allow developers the ability to better integrate these features into games and to design new uses.

However...

My overactive imagination takes over.  Suddenly I meet George Orwell in a café. 

"So Crazy Gamer," he asks "Tell me about the future."

"Well George, we have a lot of cool things now.  We have cars that can run on electricity, we have the internet which is a bunch of computers connected together to create this online space we can all use.  Have you ever heard of videogames George?"

"Well... no Crazy Gamer I've never heard of those.  What are they?"

"Well there is this new Xbox One game system and it has this Kinect device that has a bunch of cameras that watch what you do, for the game.  And, remember that internet that I explained before, well the Kinect can transmit your data to the internet for anyone you want to view."

"That sounds awful!  The government can't use this internet can they?"

"Of course they can George."

"So they could see what you're doing in your house?"

"I guess, but Microsoft promises I can tell the Kinect to not listen to me."

"So Crazy Gamer, you're telling me that now Big Brother really can be watching?

"I don't think so, my big brother has a Playstation."

"Take me back to my time please.  And may God have mercy on your soul."



Anyway, I know I'm overreacting but I can't help but find the idea of a device that can watch and listen to everything I do and upload it to the internet unpalatable.  Microsoft assures us that we can decided just how much it can listen to and watch but what happens when a suspected terrorist, or a person that is suspected in a crime have an X Box One?  Will it be legal to get a warrant to be able to watch people?  Can Microsoft override our privacy settings?  How secure is Microsoft's servers in the first place?  Could they be hacked by a third party?  These are troubling ideas, and might be a deal breaker.

Xbox Live, Xbox TV, etc, etc

I don't want to pay for an additional online service.  Sorry Microsoft. 

I couldn't care less about the Xbox television connection (I have satellite, which may or may not be able to take advantage of these features) or any of the other "awesome," social features. 

Xbox One needing to connect to the internet.

This is another feature that shouldn't bother me, but does.  I have a fairly stable broadband internet connection and I don't buy a lot of used games.  Still, I feel that I should be able to do whatever the hell I want with the stuff I buy.  Microsoft assures us that the Xbox One only needs to connect to the internet once a day and that this is going to allow us access to all kinds of cool things, but it just smacks of them wanting to control how I use my Xbox,which begs the question, is it my product at all?  If I have to pay $400.00 dollars or more it damn well outta be! However I really don't think Microsoft agrees and that's a problem, at least for me.

The Games

I have no idea as no pure Xbox One next gen only games were shown.  We saw some games, but these games are also coming out on the current generation consoles.  New features are promised, but nothing was shown.  Microsoft is promising 15 new games, but outside of Forza, and Halo, and Oblivion, nothing was shown and none of those franchises interest me. 

My verdict:

Barring a massive influx of cool RPG's only available on Xbox One, the Crazy Gamer says- thanks but no thanks Microsoft.

Crazy Gamer's take on the X Box 720

Hello true believers!

Crazy Gamer here to talk about the next Xbox!

Microsoft has announced that they will unveil the new Xbox 720.  Even though this unveiling is almost a month away I figured I'd give my opinion on the rumors that are circulating the interweb.

Rumor one:  The new Xbox will have an eight core processor.  My take... seems powerful, but I need to see games. 

Rumor two:  The new Xbox will allow you to "DVR," your game play and share it online.  Also you will be able to upload achievements and what not to social media.  My take... couldn't care less.  I don't want to share my gameplay with others.  I suck and I'm sure you have better things to do than watch it. 

Rumor three:  The new Xbox will use Windows 8.  My take... I get the impression this is supposed to be a selling point.  I've never bought a system based on its operating system and although I don't have the hatred some have for the OS it would never make me want to buy a system. 

Rumor four:  The new Xbox will have two purchase options.  One will be $500 dollars, the other will be $300 but will require a two year subscription to Xbox Live (thought to cost anywhere from $9.99 to $14.99 a month).  My take... $500 dollars is out of my price range.  As for $300 dollars plus a subscription... sorry, I don't play games online, I don't want to play games online, I don't want any of the social garbage that is offered, I don't care about avatars or any of the like.  As I see it, the $300 dollar model is really at minimum a $540.00 model, yeah... I'll pass.

Rumor five: The new Xbox will require an always on internet connection.  My take... considering that my internet connection can be...sassy to say the least I don't want to spend $500 dollars for a system that I may or may not be able to play reliably based on my internet connection.  I'm sure this has nothing to do with getting rid of used games and DRM (digital rights management) and is just for all that wonderful social crap that I don't want. 

I have an Xbox 360, but unless rumors 2, 4, and 5 are false, I will not have the next Xbox. 

Sorry Microsoft. 

Crazy Gamers take on the Playstation 4

A few weeks ago Sony showed the first pictures of the Playstation 4 controller and some tech demos for various projects that could become future titles.

Sony promises that the system will be ready for an end of the year release for a "competitive," price. 

So you ask:

"Crazy Gamer, what do you think?"

Don't worry young one, you shall have my answer.  That answer is... Meh.

"What do you mean Crazy Gamer?"

It means that so far nothing gets me excited about the system.  Let me explain in greater detail. 

First, here is an image of the system.

You're probably asking yourself, "Wait a minute, is the Playstation 4 a portable system?"

Nope, it'll hook up to your TV just like the Playstation 3.  However, Sony has not shown what the system itself looks like.  This isn't a big deal since I don't buy video game systems based on their looks (it's whats on the inside that counts!) I do find it strange. 

As for what's in the system... it sound impressive.  It has an 8 core processor, Radeon graphics engine, 8 GB GDDR5 Memory.

Plus the standard stuff Its got Blu-ray, high end Ethernet, bluetooth, HDMI and all those other typical items like USB, and a hard drive of a to-be-determined size.

I'm also pretty sure that the Playstation 4 will walk your dog, do your taxes, and monitor your caloric intake. 

Anyway, it sounds very powerful.  I'm not a spec person so I have no idea how powerful this is compared to a high end gaming PC, but it sure does seem to be very powerful. 

What leaves me unimpressed is the software.  Of all the announced software only the Witcher 3 seems interesting to me.  Assassin's Creed 4 will come out around the time that the system launches and Ubisoft claims that the Playstation 4 version will have exclusive content but I haven't seen anything to suggest that it will be just a prettier version of the game. 

So, until I see compelling software I will be passing on the PS4 for this year.  This isn't to say that I would never get a Playstation 4, rather I will wait until some strong software forces me to buy one. 

Don't buy EA digital games!

My earlier post discussed the big issue going down with EA Games Sim City.  While related this goes beyond just the game Sim City.

Don't buy digital games from EA.  I can't stress this enough!  People who have bought digital copies of Sim City and who are unhappy about shelling out sixty dollars for a product that does not work have a rude awakening coming:

EA will NOT refund digital purchases of Sim City.  If you bought a physical copy you can get a refund, but EA does not refund digital games.

Consider this buyer beware.  My opinion on digital games is well documented, and you can disagree with me, but please do not buy digital products from EA. 

Image of the EA CEO dancing with the devil in the pale moonlight:

Oh wait!  The CEO of EA is a man...

Let that be your warning.

I don't want to say I told you so...

Regular readers will know that I HATE games that require a constant online connection.  While this is needed for online multiplayer games but this idea has increasingly weaseled its way into single player experiences.

EA Games is the publisher of Sim City announced that the game would release on March 5th and would require a persistent online connection, even for the single player experience.  EA claimed that this wasn't for DRM* (digital rights management) purposes but because of all these awesome features such as leader boards, community interaction, and more. 

Fast forward to today March 8th. 

Sim City has released.  However, unless you are either very persistent or very lucky (or perhaps both) you still aren't playing the game.  Gamers that are able to play are reporting that they are constantly being disconnected.  As this is an online only game, being disconnected means you aren't playing.

You can get a run down of the full story from a better source than me here:

http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/03/08/simcity-burning-a-warning-to-microsoft-sony-and-all-publishers-on-the-dangers-of-always-online-drm

EA has tried to fix this problem, by getting rid of every feature that they earlier claimed was the "real," reason they wanted the game to be always online. 

The bottom line is, this is all about DRM, and that seems unfair that players have to suffer. 

*DRM is a fancy term that is all the rage today.  In the olden days when you bought a game it was yours and you could do anything you wanted to with it.  Today DRM means that the publisher of the game owns it and when you buy a copy you are purchasing the right to be able to play it but you don't own anything. 

What the Crazy Gamer is looking forward to in 2013

Hello all, I hope the holidays treated you well!

With the arrival of the new year I thought I'd take a minute and tell you what I'm looking forward to playing in 2013.


1. Ni Nu Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch- PS3

This is a RPG from the famed developer Level-5.  Here are some screens:

As a kid I loved cartoons and Wrath of the White Witch is like playing a cartoon!  If you like RPG's then you owe it to yourself to check this out.


2.  Fire Emblem: Awakenings 3DS

Fire Emblem is Nintendo's brutally difficult turn based strategy franchise.  For years the series offered intense strategic challenge, but was hampered by ugly graphics and features that hadn't been updated for decades.  This spring that is set to change as this is looking to have a graphical overhaul and a bunch of new features.  Comes out in early February.

3.  Castlevania Lords of Shadow: Mirror of Fate 3DS

This is the 3DS follow up to 2010's Castlevania Lords of Shadow.  Unlike that title, this goes back to the series roots with a modified side scroll style.  I thought Mercury Steam's first foray into Castlevania was brilliant and I think this will be the same.  This is released in early March.


That's it folks!  I've only included games that I know have a solid release date.  As for other games that don't have solid release dates, I look forward to Luigi's Mansion 2 for 3DS but that's about it. 

Until next time folks!

Ranking The Dragon Quest Games New

Sorry for the delay once again fellow viewers.  I apologize that I don't keep up as well as I should.  Of course if you wanted to pay me for my blog...

Anyway, where were we?  Oh yeah!  I was ranking one of my favorite series of videogames; the Dragon Quest (Dragon Warrior) games.

Before I get started, I want to remind my faithful viewers that I enjoy all these games.  Just because one of the games had to be last, that doesn't mean the game isn't good. 

Got that?  Good!

Dragon Quest 6- Nintendo DS

Dragon Quest 6 was released in Japan for the Super Nintendo (Super Famicom) in the early 1990's but those of us in the United States had to wait until early 2011 for its release!  Dragon Quest was never as popular in the US, even the ever popular Final Fantasy series were niche titles then, which caused Dragon Quest 5 and 6 to see very late release in the US.  Was it worth the wait?  Of course it was!

You play a farm boy who lives a simple life but when you go on a trip for the Town mayor you slip into a different world.  In this world you are invisible but it seems to mirror your own in many ways.  Needless to say you find your way back home but as you come of age and look for work you run into a guy who seems so familiar to you but you don't know why.  The two of you work together for the king who never sleeps and before you know it you find out that the world you are living in is a dream! 

The game has two primary mechanics, the first of which is your ability to go between the real world and the dream world.  The worlds are similar but not identical and your actions in one world can have serious and unexpected ramifications in the other.

The other mechanic is the job system.  You apply to different jobs and learn different skills from these jobs.  Seems simple at first, but persistent players will be rewarded because if you master different combinations new jobs open up for you to try.

The game offers a long, challenging quest that you owe yourself to play if you like roleplaying games.  Its only serious weakness is that it followed the brilliant Dragon Quest V.

Ranking the Dragon Quest Games 2

Crazy Gamer here to count down the quality of the Dragon Quest games.  Here is part 2.

7.  Dragon Warrior 2- NES

Dragon Quest 2 (Dragon Warrior 2 here in the US, see my Dragon Warrior one entry for explanation) expands upon and improved upon the original in many important ways.  The story is far more complex, you have multiple characters, and the monsters you face have grown in number, type, and ferocity.  In a lot of ways Dragon Quest 2 and not the original is the grandfather of the roleplaying game.  So why does the game rank so low?  The biggest problem is that Dragon Quest 2 has largely been lost to time.  Released in 1988, in the US, the game last saw re issue as a Game Boy Color game in the mid 90's but otherwise has remained in obscurity.  The fact remains that the latter games accomplish what Dragon Quest 2 did well while looking better.  Still I recommend the game highly for those of you looking for a challenge, and who don't mind the archaic graphics. 

6.  Dragon Quest 3- NES

Dragon Quest 3 (again it was called Dragon Warrior 3 here in the states) adds another element to the series that gamers today in 2012 expect as standard, job specific skill sets.  At the outset of the game you the player are asked to create a party to adventure with from a series of classes that are common today but not so in 1990 when the game saw release.  Soldiers, wizards, priests and more were available to name and equip as you fought once again to save the world. 

By today's standards the story is weak, but it features a second world that you must rescue, however the second world throws you for a loop as it is the game world from the original Dragon Quest.  It turns out that Dragon Quest 3 is a prequel to the original and you are Erdrick the legendary hero mentioned as the savior in the first game.  This was very cool to discover for those who loved the first game so much. 

The game is lower on the list because once again the later games expand upon this concept and have better visuals and stories.  That said, players should pay respect to the game that created the rpg conventions so prevalent in later games.  Dragon Quest 3 also benefits from a more recent re issue on the Game Boy advance, go find it if you are looking for a challenge. 

Ranking the Dragon Quest games

One of the first console role playing game series ever released was a little series called Dragon Quest.  Now, almost 25 years later, Dragon Quest has released nine games here in the US and ten games in Japan.

I have a great affinity for this series, so I will rank them

9.  Dragon Warrior- NES

First released here in the United States in the mid 80's; this game was for many fresh faced role players (including myself) their first foray into how awesome it could be to play games with a story. 
By today's standards Dragon Warrior is simplistic with only one character, a very basic game system, and a very very paper thin story, but in the mid 80's we were transported to a kingdom under siege from the evil Dragon Lord.  Only my little blue avatar (no not that one!) stood in the way!  But, as is so often the case when you start out you stand no chance of defeating the Dragon Lord so you must fight your way up by improving your stats and equipment until you can meet the Dragon Lord in single combat.  In order to get stronger you must explore dank caves, dark forests, and haunted towns, hunting down mythical equipment as you fend off fiendish monsters. 

Role playing games today are highly interactive novels these days with amazing graphics, fully voiced dialogue, and moving scores.  But the only reason games have gotten so amazing is because games like Dragon Warrior sparked the imagination of thousands. 

I rank Dragon Warrior in the lowest spot because each game is an improvement over it in the series.  Even Dragon Warrior 2 is leaps and bounds more complex than the original.  This still a transcendent game. 

Note:  Dragon Warrior is known as Dragon Quest everywhere else in the world.  I did not in fact go crazy by billing my ranking of the Dragon Quest series and then begin with a game called Dragon Warrior.  Apparently their was a show trademarked Dragon Quest here in the US in the 80's so Enix couldn't call the game by its Japanese title.  Today that trademark has expired and games are now released as Dragon Quest.  Sorry for the confusion. 

8.  Dragon Quest VII- Playstation

Dragon Quest VII is my least favorite Dragon Quest game.  I rank it higher than Dragon Warrior only because it improves greatly on the limitations of the original.  However, by 1997 when this game was released the series had not grown as much as it could and the series lagged behind its competitors in almost all respects. 

The game itself is fine.  The story is fine, the game play is fine, the characters are fine, the music was fine and the graphics were poor.  Enix had not grown the series like they should and in a few years they would merge with Square to the betterment of the company and the series.

Dragon Quest VII is not a bad game, but it failed to use the PlayStation's technology in any meaningful way and its average story was not enough to carry it.

Tune in next time for the next two games on my list.

Clashes in Style: East vs. West in videogames

Video games as an industry have been evolving for decades now.  Once upon a time every new game came from a Japanese publisher and although localized for an American audience their aesthetic was by and large an eastern one.  

As time has progressed this has changed.  More and more games are created in the West and thus has begun a clash in stye between the East and the West.

Today many gamers despise the Eastern art style and feel that the Western art style is superior.

I disagree, but before you grab your gun let me explain why.


First: The difference

Western games typically have male protagonists with slab like muscles.  Usually they are older, scarred, tough, and frequently have a military background.

Common also is a protagonist who is ruggedly individualistic or who is part of a small band of likewise muscular, scarred, and toughened individuals.

Here are some popular examples:

From Gears of War

Sometimes the humanity is completely taken away as in Master Chief here

Don't worry if you like Fantasy games more.  We have beef cake there as well.

Apparently steroids are very popular amongst western game hero's.

Now the East:

Eastern art style game hero's are often younger, sometimes much younger, than their western counterparts.

Generally they are thinner and more effeminate.

They are also known for their very bizarre hair styles which frequently are very spiky.

Here are some examples.

Above is the main character from Square Soft's magnificent Secret of Mana

Even more reverent is Crono from Chrono Trigger

One of my favorite characters is Edgar Figaro from Final Fantasy VI.  He lacks the flamboyant hair but is still a young, slight built hero.

Now you have seen some of the differences between Eastern art style hero's versus their Western counterparts.

I personally prefer the Eastern art style.

I am not a football player.

I am not a marine.

I do not use steroids.

That said the East isn't perfect either

I don't get shirtless low rise jean style males.  I don't get drawing men so effeminate that I can't with a glance tell if he is supposed to be male.

The East style, in my opinion, however has much greater variety in character "types," for lack of a better word.

The West is a bit too obsessed with bald, steroid laced, he men for my liking.

But guess what!

There is an even better alternative!

Commander Shepard can look like anyone you the player wants.  My Shepard no doubt looks very different from yours.

I wish game companies would spend more time giving players tons of different options for creating characters instead of tacking on some lame muliplayer experience.


 

Variety the spice of life

A quick post today.

First person shooters, I'm told, are at the cutting edge of fresh ideas and innovation.

Here are three images from three different first person shooter games.  Can you pick out the one that hasn't been released yet?

Innovation?

Fresh Ideas?

If you say so.

(Source: Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3, Black Ops 2, and Battlefield 3)

Fans vs. Fanboys

Today the specifics of the Wii U launch were unveiled. 

For those of you who are not in the know the Wii U is the successor system to the Nintendo Wii that came out back in 2006.  Reports are mixed but the systems specks are believed to be either slightly less powerful than the current PS3/ Xbox 360 systems or slightly more powerful than those systems.

I, the Crazy Gamer, will be getting a Wii U.

I hear you cry "Why?"

The new Xbox and PS4 will be so much more powerful!

You must be a fanboy!

Thus this posts title.  I am a Nintendo Fan.  I freely admit it.  I'm not ashamed.

But a Fanboy?  No, I am not, but you might just be. 

Am I just dealing with semantics here?  We have a fan and we have a fanboy.  What's the difference?  For many the only difference is the added word boy in the second word.

Ahem, I shall illuminate you. 

I bring you light, where once their was only darkness. 

Okay, that was obnoxious.  I'll stop.

Still with me? 

Oh good!

We all know what a fan is.  Somebody who enjoys something.

Here is my official (Websters got nothing on me!) definition of a fanboy

Fanboy: Noun- One who likes a particular thing so strongly that they must vehemently attack anyone who has a different opinion or different preferences.

So first, how do I prove that I am not a Nintendo fan boy?

I was a Nintendo child of the 80's.  My wonderful parents bought me a Nintendo Entertainment System in 1988 and I haven't looked back since.

This may lead you to believe that I am a Fanboy.

However.  I have also owned various PCs, a Dreamcast, PS1, PS2, PS3, and an Xbox 360.  I have enjoyed all of these systems.  Today I play PS3 the most, but I partake in and enjoy games for each system. 

I like games.  I like particular games.  The system doesn't matter.  It's the games!

While I play PS3 the most, I have had many countless enjoyable experiences on the 360, the Wii, and the PC. 

Will I get a PS4 or Xbox 720?  Probably.  The games will decide that for me. 

Now for the fanboy part.

Here is a very... um... passionate "Fanboy"

These are his words not mine.

I'm sorry but Assassin's Creed III is to awsome for the wii U it dosen't deserve it Assassin's Creed has been X-box,and Playstation exclusive it dosen't really belong on a Nintendo system Nintendo's titles should be a new mario game, a new Zelda,or starfox,or maybe a new F-Zero(haven't seen one of those in ages)etc not Batman Arkham city and assassin's Creed III those are hardcore games for hardcore systems the only hardcore Nintendo systems Ive seen is their ds's/3ds's adn the Wii no Wii U but Wii I know I'm hating but Assassin's Creed is just too cool 4 Nintendo.

Nuf said

Back to me!

This was posted on a game website showing Assassin's Creed III for the Wii U. 

If you don't want a Wii U don't buy one.

I don't like Justin Beiber, guess what? I don't buy his stuff.  I don't troll around music websites writing about how stupid he is. 

A fanboy is different from a fan, in my opinion, because they feel it necessary to attack things that they don't like. 

I will buy a Wii U because I want to play New Super Mario Brothers Wii U, Rayman, and Nintendo Land.  If Xbox 720 or PS4 offer games I want to play then I'll get those.

For all you Fanboys, just chill out and enjoy the games.

Oh and what the hell is a hardcore gamer anyway?  Stay tuned to see if I am one or not.

Games I'm looking forward to

Here are the games that I am looking forward to for the fall and winter.  I hope that you will check them out!  I don't think you'll be disappointed.


Resident Evil 6

I 'liked' Resident Evil 5 and from what I've seen of RE 6 I think it will be an improvement.  You should check out the demo on PSN or Xbox Live.


Next on my list is the quasi historical Assassins Creed 3

I was nervous when I first heard rumblings that the developers were moving the series to the time period of the American Revolution.  Colonial America did not seem an appropriate backdrop for the par core style of Assassins Creed.  However, after seeing countless images and video I can say that I am very excited about this third game.

Now, if only a historian would research piles of hay and its impact on society.

Lego Lord of the Rings

Some people despise the Lego games.  I think they are fun to play with a buddy or a spouse.  My wife and I played Lego Batman together and it was great fun (except when she as invincible Superman "accidentally," killed me. 

They might not be the deepest games in the world, but they are fun!


Starcraft 2: Heart of the Swarm

If you like real time strategy games then Blizzard's masterpiece is still the best of them all.  From the finely tuned competitive multi player (which I don't play but I understand is quite good) to the master crafted single player campaign, it's still tops. 
Though it's any ones guess as to when it will actually be released.


Wrath of the White Witch

Please, I beg you, play this game if you like RPG's.  Level 5 has created a playable cartoon.  You owe it to yourself to see it in action.  Those who like to take part in the "Are video games art," debate then this can be one awesome piece of evidence that video games are art. 
It comes out early next year.  Please, please give it a chance! 


Torchlight 2

I don't have a picture for this one.  This is only available on Steam which sucks but I still want play this game.

Am I just too old?

Am I too old- A mobile phone game opinion post?

How about that for a long unwieldy title for my blog post?

Let me tell you a story!  Don’t worry, it’s relevant to my overall topic, I promise!

My grandmother on my dad’s side of the family refused to own and wouldn’t even use a microwave.  She had an oven; in her mind she had no use for the newfangled contraption.  Of course if I wanted to help her out while cooking I could use it, she had no problem letting me get my hands dirty with the modern techno sorcery, but not her, oh no!  It wasn’t a generational thing either, my mother’s parents used the microwave and other modern technology just fine (except for the computer but that’s a different article).  As near as I could tell my grandmother simply didn’t like modern technology.

As a youth I didn’t understand.  It made no sense.  Why would you not use the quickest most efficient means for accomplishing a task?  I made a vow, then and there, that I would not become like my grandmother.  If I couldn’t appreciate a new technology at least I would make myself familiar with it and never malign it.

Fast forward to present day.

You thought I forgot didn’t you?

I don’t “get” the modern fascination with cellphone games.  At first I just thought, “stupid kid crap, they just don’t have long enough attention spans.  It’s all that Facetwitter, or Youbook, and texting nonsense, grumble, grumble.”

But then, like a once dormant volcano, a catastrophic explosion shot an inescapable question into my mind.

Was it really that the technology is stupid?  Or am I just too old to “get it”.

Had I broken my vow?

Had I become just as guilty as my grandmother all those years ago?

NO!

I had to fight it; I had to figure out just where this hate came from before it was too late.

My findings might just shock you.

Perhaps the problem is that I just don’t like portable games?  I sure hope not!  I have a Nintendo 3ds and before that I had (still have) a DS and a PSP.  Before them I had members of the previous iteration of handhelds. 

The bottom line is that I like portable games just fine.  While I prefer to sit down at home and play games on a big screen, I have enjoyed and am enjoying portable games.  Look at my previous article about New Super Mario Brothers 2 if you don’t believe me.

In research for this article I played some popular cellphone games.  It wasn’t screen size which isn’t much smaller and in some cases is slightly larger than the portable systems screens that I just mentioned. 

I will say that I didn’t like all the touch screen controls.  My stupid hands take up too much of the small screen, though part of that is because I’m a lefty who writes “over the top,” but after time I’m sure I would become defter in my handling.  So that’s not it.

Perhaps it’s the types of games?  In researching I look into the variety of games and they were quite large.  There were puzzle games, strategy games, tower defense games, along with more traditional games. 

I have always broken the types of games I play into three categories:

1.        Story games- Games I play because I want to know the story and how the story plays out.  Typically these are RPG’s and are my favorite.

2.       Accomplishment games- Games in which I want to accomplish something.  Usually beating the game, but not always.  Mario games fall into this category.

3.       Time waster games- Games I play because they are addictive and I have nothing better to do or play.  These are short games that are played over and over. 

Over the years I have played countless games in all of the above categories.  While I prefer story games, I actually play less of these than the other because of the time investment that they require.  Most of the mobile phone games fit into the third category, but then so would Mario Kart and I’ve played tons of that over the years. 

It was as I looked over this list and considered the games I have played recently that the answer hit me.

Here are the games I’ve played since January:

Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (1)

Final Fantasy X-2 (1)

Diablo III (2)

Lego Batman 2 (2)

Transformers Fall of Cybertron (2)

New Super Mario Bros 2 (2)

Do you see it? 

Let’s go back the previous year:

Batman Arkham City (1)

Disgaea 4 (2)

Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1)

Mass Effect 2 (1)

Assassins Creed 2 Brotherhood (2)

Assassins Creed 2 (2)

Dragon Age 2 (1)

Do you see?

Despite what I thought, I really haven’t played any games that I would label as a three.  I’m so excited!  I’m not too old; I just don’t have any time to waste!

So I discovered the truth!

You may be asking, “But Crazy guy I work and have a family, I still have time to play waste games.”

Good for you!

I’m sure if I played fewer story games I could fit a lot of level 3 games into my schedule.  I prefer to have a story, I just do. 

Until Next time!

Fall of Cybertron Review

Review: Transformers Fall of Cybertron

Starscream: Who dares disrupt my coronation!

Megatron: Coronation?  This is bad comedy.

Starscream: Megatron is that you?

Megatron: Here’s a hint!

Megatron turns into a cannon and blows Starscream away

Ah… memories… you are so good to me!  Transformers Fall of Cybertron brings plenty of good memories and combines them with fun gameplay.  Crazy Gamer recommends the game highly!

But enough with the vague platitudes, I’m not running for office here!  Let’s get to the nitty gritty and I’ll describe in detail while I feel you should play this game.

For those of you who don’t know Transformers Fall of Cybertron (from here on FoC) is a third person action game by High Moon Studios.  The game is available for PS3, X-box 360, and PC, I played the PS3 version but as near as I can tell all versions have the same features.

Graphics- The graphics are top notch for the current generation of systems.  Animations are crisp and I especially appreciate that all the transformation animations were different.  Optimus Prime transforms in a business-like manner whereas Jazz is flashy and Megatron is intimidating. 

Environments are good, not great.  There are a lot of industrial areas as one would expect from a game that takes place on a robot planet.  Still, I wish there was a greater variety of environments.  I almost wish they had taken the game a few steps further to prehistoric Earth in order to add some more environments.  Still it doesn’t take away from the enjoyment of the game.

Gameplay- At first I was worried.  Unlike the previous game in the series War for Cybertron in which you were allowed to choose the Transformer that you play as, FoC has dedicated chapters in which you play a specific Transformer. 

Like most kids of the 80s I have my favorites and I want to be able to play as them.  I was scared, what if I had to play as Thundercraker or… shudder Arcee? 

When I saw the list of playable Transformers I was assuaged a bit, but why would I want to play Cliffjumper if I could play as Prime?  I soon learned however that everyone is worth playing.

Prime plays like a general; he even gives you the ability to call down artillery in the form of Metroplex’s huge guns.  When you play him you’re the hero, saving the day for the autobots all over Cybertron.

Cliffjumper is a little guy and if you’re not careful you’ll get yourself shot to pieces, but he can cloak and get into tight spots.

Jazz plays flashy with a grapple ability that has him zipping all over the place.

Starscream is a back stabber, he cloaks like Cliffjumper but unlike Cliff who uses his ability to get around tight spots, Starscream sneaks up on enemies to gut them from behind.

When the Combaticons “merge for the kill,” into Bruticus you feel unstoppable.  I had the overwhelming desire to go on a rampage and for a bit I lost track of my mission. 

Megatron makes you feel like a badass and his scenario recreates in part the coronation of Starscream from the 1986 animated movie.

The bottom line is that all the scenarios are different and all are fun to play. 

Now a few critiques

I wish Soundwave would have had more to do.  You play as him very briefly in the beginning of Megatron’s chapter and I wish I could have played him longer.  Soundwave ejects his disks (Rumble, Frenzy, and Laserbeak) to do his bidding and I think a really cool chapter could have been designed around him.  Maybe it’ll come in the form of DLC.  Also, I wonder where Ravage and Ratbat were.

Grimlock- Every other Transformer in the game can transform at will by pushing the left analog stick in except for one and that one is sad to say Grimlock.  Instead you accumulate rage points from killing decepticons.  On one hand I can understand why the developers decided to do this.  Transformed Grimlock an avatar of destruction who crushes all underfoot or with swings of his tail and if that wasn’t enough he can also breathe fire.  Why would I want to not have him transformed and therefore why have his untransformed version at all?  I understand High Moon, I really do.  I just wish I could maul decepticons as a mechanical T-Rex at my leisure.  I’m selfish that way.

The game boasts 13 chapters.  Finding most (near 80%) of the hidden stuff and playing through the entire campaign will take you a dozen or so hours.  The game has plenty of content and it’s a testament to the awesome experience that High Moon has given me that makes me greedily want to have more to play.  I do wish that upon replaying a chapter that you could choose what Transformer you play as.  In some cases this would require limiting the options (Grimlock wouldn’t fit in Cliffjumper’s chapter, but Bumblebee would).  This would allow us the chance to play some of the cameo characters such as Ironhide or Ratchet.  Maybe some worthwhile DLC will come out that will allow this.

The only area that I would label the game weak in is the weaponry.  Perhaps weak is too strong of a word, rather the variety is lacking.  No, that isn’t it either.   How about this; there are a lot of choices but not all of the choices are viable or as viable as they should be.  There are about a dozen stock primary weapons available from the get go and another half dozen that can be unlocked throughout the campaign.  Of these I found that I only used three with any regularity.  The heavy weapons are even worse of the few that are in the game only two stood out.  Hopefully this will be addressed in future DLC.

Sound- FOC’s music didn’t stand out, nor was it loud and obtuse either.  It does its job, so I have no complaints here.  For a game such as this I don’t need a moving score, just one that does not annoy me. 

Should you just plug in your mp3 player then?  No!  The voice work is very good.  I would label the voice work in the top five for the entire generation.  Peter Cullen reprises his role as Optimus Prime and he as usual does a fantastic job as does Gregg Berger who reprises his role as Grimlock.

However some new talent is also present.  Nolan North does a great job with Cliffjumper.  He plays him with a slight inferiority complex which long time Transformers fans will appreciate considering that characters history.

Fred Tatasciore plays Megatron and at first I was sad that Frank Welker didn’t play him.  I wrongly thought that Welker had voiced Megatron in War for Cybertron but I was incorrect.  Megatron was played by Fred in that game also.  Fred is perhaps most famous for his line in Assassin’s Creed II where he plays Italian noble Mario Auditore with the famous line; “It’s a me Mario!” Anyway I digress; the bottom line is that he does a very sinister Megatron.

The voice work is great throughout.  There are no weak roles here.

One problem does surface however.  The in games “chirps,” come in at various volume levels.  Sometimes they are hard to hear, other times they are louder than ambient noise.  It isn’t a deal breaker, but it is a bizarre occurrence in an otherwise polished game.

Other issues:

I’ve had a few issues of the game freezing.  Hopefully future updates will correct this.