First and foremost, this game is very addicting. At first I had no intentions on buying Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2 but after playing the demo for 5 minutes I was instantly hooked. In the video, I did not speak on the multiplayer aspect of the game because I have yet to play it. There's a lot of people complaining that there is no online multiplayer but I am quite okay with that decision to leave it out.
The greatest addition to the game overall would have to be the implementation of the leaderboards. Each game type has its own leaderboard which shows the ranking of your friend list. Once you choose the game type you want to play, the person on your list with the next highest score will be displayed in the right hand corner always giving you something to shoot for. This may sound like a small change but if you're a competitive person like myself, this will keep you playing way beyond the 10 minutes you set aside for the game. A A...that's all it takes to get back into a new game.
So if you haven't done it already, pick this game up. read more
Ever since Apple and Sega showed off Super Monkey Ball, game developers have been flocking in packs to the iPhone as a viable device for game development. This strange phenomenon boggles my mind. As a gamer, you'd think I'd be all for companies making games for my beloved iPhone but that couldn't be more wrong. Now I'm not against all iPhone games, some are actually quite entertaining for those moments in which you have a little time to kill. There is a market for some great casual games to be had here, the type of games that can be played in 5 to 10 minutes chunks. However I am against the people who actually believe that the iPhone will rival systems like the Nintendo DS or Playstation Portable for the mobile gaming market. There's 3 HUGE reasons that I think this will just not happen and I would like to share my thoughts with you today.
3. Lack of buttons
Yeah I said it, lack of buttons. Now I know what you're thinking, "it's just going to challenge developers to think of a unique way to use the touch controls and the accelerometer." I laugh in your face for thinking such things. You and I both know exactly what's going to happen: developers are going to get fed up and ask for an add-on controller that you can plug into the phone. You can pretend it's not going to happen all you want, but it's coming. There's only so many "rotate the phone to steer" games one can take.
2. Battery Life
Calling, browsing the internet, fetching your various emails, and listening to music puts a strain on the battery life of the iPhone. Playing games would totally cripple the battery life of the phone. Maybe I'll just carry a spare battery. Oh wait, YOU CAN'T CHANGE THE BATTERY YOURSELF!!! I don't want to sacrifice my precious battery life for a few moments of gaming on the go. If I get the itch to play a game on the fly, I'll just whip out my Gameboy Micro or something.
1. The Nintendo DS
If you want to jump into the mobile gaming scene, you have to talk to the big boys at Nintendo. If you're one of the 80 billion owners of a DS, chances are you won't be purchasing any games on your iPhone. The DS is a beast to be reckoned with and I don't see anyone tapping into this market anytime soon.
I hope a developer proves me wrong and a "must have" game comes out for the iPhone but I don't see that happening. I'm sure we'll see some cool innovations of the touch interface in games and a decent implementation of the acceleramotor used for soemthing other than steering, but I just don't know if it will be great enough to pull people away from the DS read more
I've already talked about the awesome vintage game store here in Orlando in a previous blog, so I won't go into details about how awesome the store really is. I've also shared with my fellow comrades that Mr. Wilson hooked me up with a Dreamcast not go long ago and how I really wanted Grandia II for it. I know I can pick up the game for the PS2, but when I want something, I go out and get it!
So today after worked I decided to stop by my favorite store and see what new merchandise that had come across. The ladies of the store are amazing and always remember my name when I come into the door. They also knew that I've been searching for a copy of Grandia II for quite some time. Imagine my surprise when she tells me that they have a copy of the game and have been holding on to it for weeks until I came back. NOW THAT'S CUSTOMER SERVICE!! Needless to say I jumped up and down like a kid in the candy store and quickly whip out my cock, I mean credit card to pay for it.
But before I pay for it....
Fuck...yes
She whips this out. Yes boys and girls, that a mint condition copy of Shenmue II for the Dreamcast. Most of you have never seen this game let alone played it on your Dreamcast. This copy was never played because the owner didn't have a Dreamcast and was given the game from a uncle who lived in Japan. All I need to do is get my hands on a Utopia disk and have at it! It also has an English translation so I'm all set to go!
I also picked up a new Official Dreamcast controller and a red Gameboy Pocket before leaving the store. Now excuse me while I plow through Grandia II and actually finish the game this time. read more
I think the most exciting thing to come out from E3 this year, regarding the Xbox 360, was hands down the announcement of the Xbox Experience.
For those of you who don't know, the way you interact with the current dashboard will be overhauled into a brand new user interface. With the addition to redoing the interface, you will now be able to create avatars to personalize your identity on Xbox Live. The avatars will be used for various things and other stuff Nintendo wish they would have thought of.
the marketplace was in need of a huge make over
While I could careless about the avatars, I think the new look of the dashboard is amazing. Yes, I said it, AMAZING! As most gamers, I love getting new stuff and this re-imagining is like getting a new piece of hardware. Not only will it clean up the bloated Marketplace, but it's going to give Xbox 360 users a new way to interface with their console. Granted it' will still serve the same purpose as it does now, but it will feel brand new and refreshing.
I like the fact that the avatars are there for people who want to use them and it seems like they won't be something that is mandatory. I do think it would be awesome if Microsoft could somehow give you accessories or clothing for your avatars for completing such things like, oh I don't know, getting achievements? I hope they implement a system that awards you stuff and not only points when you get achievement in games. It would actually give achievements a new meaning besides the large epeen that I throw of my shoulder from time to time. Imagine having a avatar who wields a Lancer from Gears of War 2. How awesome would that be? You are correct, only awesome if I could use the Lancer to cut other avatars in half.
what it looks like when it's time to play a game
I have always looked forward to the 2 times a year when Microsoft adds more functionality to the dashboard and was disappointed when they foregone this Spring's update. Lucky for me, we are getting something bigger, better, and more exciting. I look forward with open arms to the new update and hope I'm not alone in my enthusiasm.
As Sony continues to play catch up with Microsoft in the online arena, today you can now bring your PSN ID where ever you go...on the internet. We now have an official way to display our PSN ID, avatar, and About Me section on various profiles around the net, but it still leaves us wanting for more. As of right now, I don't think there's a way to see the current games that you are playing nor a way to see all the trophies you may have gained. I hope Sony implements both of these features in the very near future.
If this interest you, go link up your PSN ID here. read more
5. Mr. Tyler has hot daughters and they clearly didn't get their looks from him. I don't know if it's because I have the Wii Version or because I play the game when I'm really tired but he's a pretty scary man to look at. But at least he's not as scary as Super Jaw
...and yes, I said daughters.
4. I thought I like Aerosmith way more than I actually do. Turns out the only song that I really enjoy by them is Dream On. The other is that song from Armageddon but whatever...
3. GH: Aerosmith is a genre of music rather than a nice sampling of everything rock. Which sucks, plain and simple. I'm not saying the music sucks but I am saying that playing songs in the same vain of each other over and over again blows.
2. They actually ramp up the difficulty quite nicely this time around. I can actually finish Hard in this game! Maybe they figured only old women would be playing this, so they went ahead and dumb the difficulty down a little so grandma wouldn't have a stroke trying to get past that stupid METALLICA SONG!!!! (I'm sorry, I'm projecting again)
1. If you're not a huge Aerosmith fan, this game isn't for you. I'm sure everyone knew this but it can't be restated enough. I own it because my girlfriend loves Guitar Hero and we play it together. It's fun playing it with her but there's no way I'd play this game on my own. Save up your pennies kids and just get the gift that keeps on giving: Rock Band.
Actually, if you don't own anything but the Wii, you might have to settle for this. Hopefully E3 will bring some good news to you in monogamist console relationships. read more
Thanks to Mr. Wilson I once again own a Dreamcast. I sent him over a R4DS and in return he sent me a box full of crap that so happen to have a Dreamcast in it. I hope you enjoy this random video. When I get bored I make videos and this is the product of that boredom.
Look, I like movies. I like movies a lot. Most of my disposable income either goes to games or movies, so I tend to keep my eye out for new movies that are coming out. Most of you know that an anime styled Batman has been in the works and will be arriving July 8th. After watching this taste, I am stoked and have already pre-ordered the Blu-Ray from Amazon.
Also, I wish Destructoid had a movie section because I think movies go hand in hand with games. To the powers that be, how can we get this ball rolling? Just saying. Then I would only have to visit one site in the morning to get all the news I care about.
Cliff Notes: My girlfriend is awesome and tried to buy us new games for the Wii. Nintendo likes money and whores itself out, allowing shitty games like Game Party to grace the platform. I'm getting GH: Aereosmith because my girlfriend wants to buy it. Also, Cocks.
I knew eventually I would be effected by the epidemic that Nintendo has caused with its insertion of the Wii into the mainstream video game culture. I knew there would come a point in the relationship my Wii and my girlfriend have, where Wii Sports would no longer satisfy her appetite. It was only a matter of time...
After beating Metriod Prime 3: Corruption, I retired my Nintendo Wii to my girlfriend's house because there was nothing else that I wanted to play on it and she loves playing Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. I only have one guitar for the Wii so what usually ends up happening is she plays one song then I play one song. It's great, she's getting into gaming, we are spending time with each other, and life is perfect.
It was perfect until yesterday...
I have the type of girlfriend who calls you to say she's going to Best Buy and ask you if you need anything. I usually say no but yesterday I decide to simply reply, "Yes". Imagine my surprise when I get home to not one but two games! I quickly snatched the games out of the bag only to be confronted by Game Party and Cooking Mama: Cook Off. I KNOW these games are bad, you know these games are bad, but a loving girlfriend, wife, or mother would have no idea that a game called Game Party would be horrendous.
Now at this point, the games are still wrapped and ready to be taken back to Best Buy for anything else. I decided to give Game Party the benefit of doubt; it couldn't possibly be that bad right? Oh my friend, that couldn't be further from the truth. If I had the option of getting punched in the nuts every hour on the hour for the rest of my life or play Game Party, I would have one swollen pair of nuts. After only 30 minutes of playing everything the game had to offer, my girlfriend turned to me and asked when Guitar Hero: Aerosmith was coming out. She was just as amazed as I was of how crappy this game was. She was so put off by the game that she is taking Cooking Mama back today and using the credit to get the new Guitar Hero game.
Remember when the "Seal of Approval" from Nintendo actually meant something? What ever happened to that. I know that all platforms have their share of craptacular games and this is nothing different. My problem is that the Wii has way more crappy games than decent ones. There's no way in hell Game Party should have been allowed to see the light of day. Hopefully I can find something else besides Guitar Hero for the girlfriend and I to play together. Suggestions anyone? read more
As many of you know, I'm a sucker for limited or special editions of pretty much anything, so it's no surprise that I picked up the Limited Edition God of War Entertainment Pack this Tuesday. To think that I put off playing God of War: Chains of Olympus just in order to buy this package when it came out is beyond me.
I'm surprised how much the little changes Sony made to the PSP changed the way playing games on the system feel. I hated the "analog" nub on the original model and left my PSP collecting dust on my bookshelf. The nub on the new model feels 10 times better and I find myself using it as my default rather than switching the controls to the D-pad. They also made all of the buttons stand out a little more, so you can actually feel feedback when you press down on them.
Gone are the days of my hands cramping up after a 10 minute session with my PSP because the new slim design fits nicely in my gigantic hands. Also, the inclusion of an option to put your PSP on a TV is a nice addition. I think the biggest and best change for me is the fact that I can charge the damn thing through a USB cable now. I can finally retire the ridiculous cables that came with the system.
If you're thinking about upgrading your current PSP, I'd say do it without any hesitations.
If they made special edition condoms, I'd probably buy those too read more
