So the other day I came on here and posted a few blog posts in a row. I had skimmed the rules so I sorta overlooked one small detail about posting. What transpired over the next few hours was nothing short of amazing. I became a Destructoid sensation just barely after joining. I felt pretty privileged to have gotten so much attention all at one time.

Seriously, I'm a petty writer just looking to expand my audience. Whether you like it or not, or like me or not, all because I screwed up is up to you. I'm not upset or even angry at the whole thing, but it did make me smile though. If you weren't here for it then just look forward to a few blog posts a week and some random opinionated stuff.



I hope to hear from you guys soon - good or bad. I enjoy either. Just the thought you'd spend time typing words out in my direction is enough for me to realize that you do care :)

Collaborations. You see them in music, in movies, but now it seems games want to be like the cool kids too.

Kojima to Castlevania.



Some franchises can only go so far on the same recipe until they burn out. MegaMan for instance. (Inafune didn’t get the memo apparently). However, I’m glad to see Konami realizing this with their Castlevania series. All the games have always been great, nearly every one, but 2D Metroidvania styled gameplay can only take you so far. Give us something new and fresh! If there’s anyone who can do it, it’s Hideo Kojima.

Team Ninja to Metroid.



And Metroid. Yeah, we did get Metroid Prime a ways back, which was a huge change for the legendary 2D sidescrolling series, and it was phenomenal, but after 3 games of the exact same thing it get’s a bit dull. Nintendo knows how much Metroid is worth, because at the moment it’s practically one of its only franchises that stars someone with a gun-like weapon shooting stuff. And if you haven’t noticed lately, the “hardcore” fans like that.

Handing over a triple A title like that isn’t Nintendo’s style. Everything is for the most part always kept in house, but I’m happy to see them trust Team Ninja to make something brand new and unexpected. Well, not really unexpected. We all know what we’re getting when you put a female into a Team Ninja game… bouncing chests. But then again the “hardcore” like that too, right?

What will we see next? Sonic handed over to Retro Studios? Haha… wait… that might not be a bad idea.

E3 is still going on, but yesterday morning we were treated to what seemed to be the best E3 had to offer right from the get go.

Microsoft’s press conference was full of hits: Modern Warfare 2, Alex Wake, and even an announcement of the Metal Gear franchise finally making its way to Microsoft. But the show stopper didn’t involve Hideo Kojima. Rather it was a secret project, only sort of known beforehand. Sure we knew that some sort of motion controller was going to be announced. Info on some sort of camera device was known already, but to what degree was anyone’s guess. We were then introduced to Project Natal.

What is Natal you ask? A camera to be honest. And at first I wasn’t impressed with what they were using it for. A short clip that made me think I was watching a Nintendo commercial was played, and all it did was seem to show off a ton of casual games. Simplistic games, such as imaginary racing wheel, and imaginary gameshow, and imaginary karate. Oh, I forgot one. A kid that looked like he belonged on Home Improvement was wailing his arms as a monster on screen to demolish a city.

If I was in the audience I think it would’ve felt a bit reminiscent of Nintendo’s Wii Music reveal. It was awkward to watch really. However, at the end of the video we saw a bit more practical uses for the device, and that peaked my interest a bit. Video chat, voice commands for the console, a gesture based dashboard, and facial and voice recognition. It reminded me a bit of what we all felt the future would be like when we were little kids. Y’know, being able to say “Console On”, or “Play Movie”, and have it actually listen to you.



Once the video and demo was over I didn’t think there was much else that could be said. And as we thought we had seen it all, Peter Molyneux was introduced to bring us one more look into the device. He talked for a bit and then played a video. He explained that what we were about to see was what Lionhead studios had done so far on Project Natal with only a few months.


What we see here is absolutely nothing short of magical.

Molyneux explains that this has never been done, and that this is by far the Pincas of what he has tried his entire life to achieve. I sat there stunned at what I just saw. I was speechless because this was far beyond video games. This had potential to be used for real life applications. Imagine autistic children being able to communicate using this “toy”, those with psychological communication problems could definitely benefit from this too. It could be the beginning of something new altogether. Something not yet imagined in movies, books, or games. This demo alone is why I believe Microsoft had the best show. You see it no longer was about profits, or who was better between the big 3. When they revealed Molyneux’s game it was art, it was beauty, and it was the future at our fingertips.

Take a minute to soak that in.

P.S.

Obviously the game is barely in its infancy, since it’s only been in production for a few months, but let’s just hope that this isn’t another promise that Molyneux can’t deliver. However, I feel that after watching that demonstration, many people will be inspired to try similar things. Maybe not in the line of gaming, but perhaps in other aspects of day to day life.

The PSP Go. It’s smaller, shinier, and new. What’s it do? Who’s it for? But most importantly, what does it say about Sony’s upcoming plans for their gaming division? With no UMD drive all of its games are going to digital media – meaning no more discs. What does that say to the mainstream? And how will they be able to tell the difference between the PSP-3000 and the PSP GO?

So no, you won’t be able to play your already bought PSP games on it, but you could say the same of the DS and old Gameboy games. This would make sense except for the fact that you’re going to be selling it alongside the PSP. What will happen when a kid asks for one of these puppies for Christmas, or for their birthday? This is where I see Sony wanting the old PSP to still be sold, but isn’t this a bit confusing to the consumer, especially with parents? But you could make the argument that parents are accustomed to this new iTunes world, however will they be made aware of it by the upcoming ad’s for this new handheld?

The DSi is noted as an upgrade to the already established DS Lite. It has the capabilities of downloading games straight to its memory, but that’s not its sole way of playing games. I’m all for digital downloads being the next step in gaming distribution, but I’m not sure that people are ready for it yet. That’s why I favor Nintendo’s game plan more right now. It doesn’t confuse buyers by giving them two systems with practically the same name with two entirely different purposes. The DSi gives you the ability to download games, which slowly introduces digital transfers, but it doesn’t force you to. Xbox live introduced the idea, the Wii has brought it to the mainstream with the Virtual Console, and now Sony wants to make it a one way street.

I do understand the magnitude of going digital though. Digital downloads stop piracy, leaks, and adds profits by cutting out distribution costs from packaging and shipping. It cuts out the middle man in stores like GameStop and Eb Games, and also does away with used game sales that hurt publishers. In other words the gaming world will be revitalized and renewed when everything goes digital. Consoles no longer heat up due to running discs, 3rd party parts would not be necessary for building DVD drives/Blu Ray drives, and consoles would, in the long run, be smaller and cheaper. This is all good news, but only when the world is ready for it.

Apple invested in the iTunes Stores nearly a decade ago, and now they are number one in the department. And that time it was quite the gamble, with the internet less used than it is now. So I suppose that it seems like the perfect time to strike for gold if you’re Sony, but how will your usual PSP consumer see it? Now I know the Ipod became a household name after being introduced, and that was in a less digital world than we are in now, but the Sony/PSP market isn’t targeted for the tech savvy or nerdy – which are usually the first to adopt new tech.

Honestly, from my own perspective, it’s difficult for me to visualize the casual PSP owner connecting his PSP to the PSN, typing in his credit card to sign up, and then downloading his titles from there. But then again maybe the “PSP Go” is meant for the not so usual PSP gamer, and if that’s the case they better woo them with better games then they have now. And the problem with that is that most of those types of people already own a PSP, and they can already download games to their old PSP’s via memory sticks. So what exactly is the Go for then? I’m suspecting they’re trying to tap into Apple’s Iphone/touch App audience. Simple and fun games are what’s in right now, and by the tone of what the rep talks about in the Qore interview, that’s what they are trying to do. By offering tv shows and music they are giving people an alternative to the Iphone/touch.

Can Sony can bring a revolution in digital distribution into the gaming world – the same way Apple did to music? Hell, if there’s anyone who can attest to the power of digital media it’s Sony. The word before “iPod” was “Walkman”, and look what happened to that. So if Sony knows a thing or too, its that Digial Distribution is in fact the way of the future, but are gamers ready for that? Only time can tell, as well as the sales of the PSP Go!

I posted the recent commercial of Punch Out the other day and noticed something. Little Mac says he lost the title belt 15 years ago, however in the new Wii game he’s listed as 17 years old. What gives?

So Punch Out came in the mail the other day, just a day after I completed the new Bionic Commando on 360. I was more than excited and for good reason too. The newest iteration of the franchise is beautifully crafted: bringing to life old characters, remixing well known musical themes, and being able to present an old favorite to new and older fans in a brand new way. But how does it play?



Well, the game is nearly identical to the original in terms of gameplay. You watch out for certain body language from your opponents to tip you off on what their next move is going to be - whether this is a facial expression, bodies flashing yellow or red, or a sound effect all depends on who you’re facing. Duck, dodging, and punching all work the same way, but now there’s an added twist mixed in there. If you watch carefully at a character’s movements and hit them at the right time you gain a star. This gives you an option of using a Star Punch, which you could say is your special move. The severity of the hit depends on how many stars you’ve racked up, with three being the most you can have.



As for the boxers themselves… personalities shine with voice acting, animation, and fighting styles. You never truly get bored from going through the circuits and getting to the top. And once you’re done with the main game itself there are added modes to keep you busy. Exhibition puts 3 conditions to each fight, which you must meet to get something special in the end (I won’t ruin what it is). Title Defense mode is unlocked after you finish the game the first time around. In this mode you must defend your title from the same bunch whom you defeated, but there’s a catch: they are now much tougher – you can think of it as hard mode.

In the end Punch Out for the Wii isn’t a remake, but an entire new experience. There are different control schemes for those who want to try it with the Wii’s waggle capabilities, but there is truly only one real way to play Punch Out: NES style. So if you think your reflex skills are quick and sharp then give the game a shot… it’s quite a knock out.

Originality. That's what separates the greats from the rest of the pack. Hundreds of games come out annually, but only a handful are mentioned when you list the ones you actually sat down to play. The Bionic Commando series is chalk full of originality. The first game took away your jump ability and forced you to use your bionic arm to grapple and swing from where you are, to where you want to be. You could say this was a bit of a departure from the run and jump mechanic that made gaming so popular with the Italian plumber.

I still remember laying my hands on the first Bionic Commando on the NES when I was a wee lad. The game was pretty challenging for a 5 year old to say the least, but fun as heck! The bionic arm of course was the selling point - allowing you to grab ledges to swing yourself to other platforms and rooftops, all the while using your other arm to shoot at enemy soldiers.

After 20 years of nothing really good coming from the Commando line, we finally got ourselves Bionic Commando: ReArmed on Xbox Live and PSN - a remake of the original, but with 2.5 updated graphics and a much better storyline this time through. I recommend anyone who is into old school side scrolling to pick this up right away. It brings everything that the original had, but also introduces Challenge Stages, Achievements, and also a code you can use to unlock the retro outfit in the newly released Bionic Commando on the current gen consoles.

And last, but possibly the least (people weren't very kind to it when it came to reviews) comes the new Bionic Commando. Going all out as a sequel it takes the you 10 years after the events of the first game, and changes the look of our dear Nathan "Radd" Spencer - opting out of the 80's look, for a much more grungier tough guy appearance. But it seems that Capcom was shooting for that sorta thing all along. The game you could say has grown from an all age accessible 8 bit classic, to an older oriented, M-rated, "F bomb" fest. Not to say that Master D's head explosion was meant for kids on the Xbox live title, but the cussing takes the series to a new level of maturity. However, there's more to this game than just adult language.

The newest installment is fun, but there is hardly any difficulty. But I'm here to say, "who cares?" The game still felt pretty epic - especially the final levels. The less important enemies are push overs, but using them as practice for your Bionic Arm is a very enjoyable way to pass time. A lot of reviewers have been complaining about the bosses, but I thought they were pretty well done - even though there weren't many of them. But what I really liked about the game was Nathan's voice actor - done by Mike Patto, lead singer of <em>Faith No More</em>. Spencer comes to life when shouting profanity's - showcasing the grittiness and much more serious turn the plot took in this sequel. You follow him through a much different world compared to the one you formerly experienced in the past games, but its a fun, albeit short, ride.

In its entirety the series is well managed and accomplishes what games are meant to do: entertain. Gameplay is different, music brings you back to the old days of 8 bit glory, and the plot is easy to understand and enjoy. And if you've managed to already finish the newest release, then you already know that we're pretty much guaranteed another sequel. For me it'll be warmly welcomed because there never was a dull moment for me in any of the games. I look forward to swinging from ledge to ledge, Spider-Man style, with Radd in the future.