Generation Gap

Time truly does fly when you're having fun. We're already three years into this generation, and many of the big-name franchises from last generation have received updates. How many of these sequels truly lived up to the hype though? I'm going to take a look at the series upgrades that did it right, as well as the ones that did it wrong.

The sequels that got it wrong:

Grand Theft Auto IV (pictured above):

Hands down the most hyped up release of this generation, Grand Theft Auto IV was a disappointment compared to past series iliterations in nearly every aspect. Liberty City was supposed to feel like a living, breathing metropolis this time around - so why are the NPCs still as dumb as bricks? Also, the single player storyline was clichéd and unoriginal - the whole "immigrant comes to America with great expectations but ends up let down" is a story that has been done numerous times before. The realistic visuals also took away from the imaginative design of past series' entries, and Saints Row has far superior multiplayer. I'd take the PS2 trilogy over this mediocre release any day.

Halo 3

The original Halo and its sequel were both two of the greatest multiplayer FPSs of all time. I wasn't expecting much from the single player portion of Halo 3, but its multiplayer - which was among the best of last generation -
truly let me down. Think Halo 2, only worse - Bungie tweaked certain aspects that they should have left alone (such as making the grenades have less of a damage effect), and the vast majority of the levels suffer from piss-poor design. I could care less about where the series goes next after this lackluster showing.

Sonic the Hedgehog

Sonic's 3D track record has been pretty bumpy thus far, but it sank to an all time low with the release of 2006's abysmal Sonic the Hedgehog. Sega promised that this would be a rebirth for the series (hence the fact that the game bears the same name as the original release on the Genesis). This is one of those titles that has almost no redeeming qualities - an absolutely atrocious camera, ho-hum level design, and sloppy controls hinder Sonic's first outing on the new generation. It's hard to get excited about any new adventures from the speedy blue hedgehog after this abomination. It's almost as if Sega is testing to see when people will finally stop buying Sonic the Hedgehog titles.

Middle ground

Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Mario Kart Wii

I'm actually enjoying both of these titles quite a bit, but I was expecting more of an upgrade than what was offered. These two titles are definitely worth picking up, but don't expect anything truly revolutionary from them.

The titles that got it right:

Super Mario Galaxy
Absolutely stunning. Super Mario Galaxy is the only title of this generation so far to truly blow me away. Imaginative level design, innovative play control, and excellent boss battles round out this masterpiece. Super Mario Galaxy is truly a masterpiece, and every self-respecting gamer should give it a try. Read my full review here.


Devil May Cry 4 - Sure, the back tracking got monotonous after awhile, but Devil May Cry 4 was still an engrossing experience. Read my full review here.

Ridge Racer 6 - Sure, it didn't sport a fancy career mode and a seemingly interminable amount of cars and upgrades ala Forza 2 - still, I found Ridge Racer 6 to be the most enjoyable racer of this generation thus far. Many of the reviews hammered it for being a little too "old school", but in terms of pure fun factor and track design, Ridge Racer 6 is the game to beat.



And so that wraps this post up. I'm sure I'm going to get more than a few comments stating things such as

"This guy has no idea what he's talking about" and "U like riDge racer Lol ur Gay", but that's the beauty of the comments section of Blogger.

You've Come a Long Way, Baby...

It is no secret that corruption still runs rampant through video game journalism (I'm sure more than a few reviewers of Grand Theft Auto IV were paid off). However, despite this, we've come a long way from the disclaimer found in the old-school issues of Nintendo Power:

"The opinions of [the reviewers] Rob and George do not reflect the opinions of Nintendo Power Magazine or Nintendo of America, Inc.".

I'm sure if it were up to Nintendo they'd want you to purchase all of their products. That is to say, they have a positive opinion on everything.

Oh, and back to that journalist integrity dealio now. So, somehow Maxim Blender, a popular music magazine in the United States, has managed to review both Soulcalibur IV and Guitar Hero: Aerosmith before the official review copies have even been released to the media... The mag played it on the safe side and gave 'em both a decent score of 3.5 stars (out of 5), but considering the complete copies haven't been released to any outlets yet, it's safe to say they merely rated the title's screen shots.

Maybe we haven't come so far after all...

Sources: Nintendo Power Issue #32 (month and year not listed)
Maxim Blender July 2008

Glitches Ruin Games

I've been playing titles in the Harvest Moon series for years now. The quality of the titles definitely vary, but one thing has been for sure: they have always been technically sound games for the most part. Sure, like any game, you'd spot a small glitch here and a minor bug there, but it was nothing that could ruin the entire experience...

...until Harvest Moon DS was released, however.

Harvest Moon DS, game play and design wise, is actually a very enjoyable entry in the series. It's not a masterpiece by any means, but I'm sure I'd still get a few hundred hours of enjoyment out of it, which is a good thing in my book.

The major problem is, the lack of adequate play testing from the developers has really shown in this product. Glitches abound in Harvest Moon DS - enough, in fact, to ruin the game as a whole.

Not only will you find tons of little glitches, you will find crucial ones as well: bugs that corrupt your actual game save. Even if you've been treating the cartridge with care and have been saving without shutting the power off, your game save will eventually become corrupted for no apparent reason.

After wasting a few months of play time in Harvest Moon DS I decided enough was enough. I speedily drove to the nearest Gamestop and pawned off my copy. I lost a bit of money, but it's definitely superior having $7 in your pocket than an unplayable release.

Even if a game itself is top-notch, glitches can completely ruin it. Despite the fact that game prises are actually rising there seems to be no end to this mess. So the moral of the story is... developers, test yer damn products!

Related article: Poor Play Testing + A Rushed Product = A Broken Game

Welcome to the Wacky Feedback Extravaganza

We live in an age where anyone - regardless of I.Q. or mental status - can voice their opinion online. This is especially true for online feedback on popular auction sites such as Amazon and eBay, where sometimes you'll run across some rather... shall I say, peculiar feedback from time to time? Here is a compilation of some of the more oddball feedback I've read while spending time on Amazon:



"nasty and dirty the head set is covered in ear wax and dirt and the package even smells like ass."

"I did receive my package prior to 5.28.08. The problem is that never in my life have I seen such a disgusting package in my life. The box looks like it was found in the basement after a flood. I used gloves to open the package because it was just that horrible. The contents were fine. I would have sent the contents in a paper bag before I would send out anything that looked like that. NEVER AGAIN!" "Packaging not stoner friendly, it took so long to get the damn thing open so I left it to go watch tv." "I WAS PLEASED TO GET THE COLOR GAME BOY BEFORE CHRISTMAS B/C I HAVE A 18 YR OLD MENTALLY CHALLENGED SON WHO LOVES TO PLAY HIS GAMES AND COLLECTS THEM AND SOMEONE HAD STOLLEN HIS COLOR GAME BOY AND HE WANTED A NEW ONE FOR CHRISTMAS AND WHEN I COULDN'T FIND ONE AND FOUND YOUUR SITE AND COULD AFFORD ONLY A USED ONE I WAS GLAD THAT IT WAS IN MY PRICE RANGE HE WAS VERY HAPPY WITH IT ." "The atari i ordered arrived in complete dissaray there is a controller missing there is food stains on the console and the manual is torn up..There was also trash inside the box..." "PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THIS PERSON IS AN ABSOLUTE NUTCASE AND SHOULD BE KICKED OFF AMAZON! YOU COULDN'T PAY ME TO DO BUSINESS WITH HER AGAIN." "DO NOT DEAL WITH PEOPLE WHO OBVIOUSLY HAVE NO GRASP OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE! THIS NUTCASE WAS EMAILING ME DEMANDING TO KNOW WHERE HIS ITEM WAS 6 DAYS AFTER HE BOUGHT IT! I DO NOT CONTROL THE POST OFFICE. GET OVER YOURSELF NUTJOB!" I did get a good chuckle from these... Related article: eBay User Lives up to His Name