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.

Mechassualt 3 - Make It Happen, Microsoft!

Besides the 800-lb. gorilla of online gaming that was Halo 2 on the original Xbox, Mechassualt 2 was some of the most fun I had online on Microsoft's first black box.

Even despite that "other" title consuming most people's online time on Xbox Live, Mechsassualt 2 still managed to have a healthy online user base. A more slow-paced, methodical title than the typical frag-fests that dominated Microsoft's online network, Mechassualt is a series that needs to be revived on the 360.

Really, Microsoft, what's the big holdup? Both of the titles in the series managed to sell well-enough to earn Platinum Hits status, and both were home to a good-sized online fan base, which I'm sure some are still enjoying today. Yeah, yeah, Halo is your hottest property by far... but that doesn't mean you should just ignore your other franchises. After the enormous disappointment that was Halo 3 (a mediocre FPS that somehow managed to garner praise reviews, despite being inferior to past titles in the series) , I'm sure many of us Xbox Live addicts (and Mechassualt fans) are ready for it.

Say Goodbye to Backwards Compatability Updates on the Xbox 360

It’s been quite awhile since Microsoft last updated the Xbox 360 backward compatibility list, and with their ‘Xbox Originals’ coming in exactly one week, it looks like the industry giant is putting an end to the ability to play Xbox games you already own on the 360… unless they’re already on the current backwards-compatibility list.

In case you haven’t heard about last month’s announcement of Xbox Originals, Microsoft will be re-releasing popular original Xbox titles on their Marketplace for $15 a pop. The initial titles announced to kick off this service will be a little game called Halo, the overlooked cult-classic Psychonauts, and the highly-successful action-RPG Fable.

Honestly, I think this is dreadful news. If you’ve been itching to play that copy of Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath on your 360, it means you’re S.O.L…. until Microsoft charges you $15 to re-purchase it again on Marketplace. This goes for dozens upon dozens of other titles that are currently unplayable on the Xbox 360 without a backwards-compatibility update. Not only that, but the titles being released right now are actually more costly to download as digital files than to own the physical disc editions. Halo and Fable are both ‘Best of Platinum Hits’ releases, which means they retail for a paltry $9.99, and Psychonauts is pretty much universally cheap to own (I picked up a copy on clearance for a mere $5.50!).

I’ve never been a fan of digital distribution, and the more gamers eat up this nonsense the more widespread it’ll become.

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One Year Ago This Month in Pro-Gamer... (November 2006)

An entire year has passed, and yet I still haven't raked in any dough off Pro-Gamer. Damn. But knowing that other people enjoy this blog is worth more than any dollar amount.... now throw some change over here, will ya?

It turns out that your fancy-shamcy Halo 3 Legendary Edition ended up costing more than the original estimated $100 .

Finding a Wii in any major retail store one full year later is still a toilsome task.

Sega's repulsive GBA port of the original Sonic the Hedgehog turned out to be a major slap in the face to loyal Sega fans.

And Mystery Dungeon Blue turned out to be yet another addictive entry in the outrageously-popular Pokemon franchise.

Halo.... Will Microsoft's Largest Property Ever Invade the DS?

Last year's well-received Metroid Prime: Hunters proved that first-person shooters could work well on Nintendo's quirky handheld. Will we ever see a Halo title released for the DS, though?

Your initial thought after hearing this might be,

"Of course not. Microsoft owns Bungie, and they would never want to see their largest, highest-grossing property on a rival company's game system. What are you, some kind of loony?".

But ah, here is proof that the idea doesn't sound as crazy as it might have the first time you read about it.

The screen shots you see above are indeed legit. Said to be based off the Goldeneye: Rogue Agent (an early FPS for the Nintendo DS that bombed sales-wise and critically) engine, IGN has went on the record of saying that they've actually played Halo DS in its early form. And, according to them, it's quite good stuff, too. Here is actual game play footage of Halo DS:



And despite the comments from skeptical YouTube users claming that it's just a mere mod of Goldeneye: Rogue Agent, Bungie confirms that it's the real deal, albeit in very early form:

From Kotaku
"Kotaku: The whole Halo on the DS rumor just doesn’t want to die, do you see that in the cards?

Brian Jarrard: This rumor has been circulating for a while and as you know we even saw some real life screens and assets this week. Ultimately it’s up to Microsoft to decide if and when they take Halo to a different platform. That particular demo was in fact created and I believe it was an unsolicited pitch a long time ago but nothing ever came of it.".

So will this game ever see the light of day? Ultimately, as Bungie says, it's up to Microsoft to decide. Would they want to see their flagship franchise on another platform? Only time will tell... but it will be intriguing to see if this project ever comes to light.

Source (Kotaku)
Source (IGN)

Xbox 360 Controllers: Now Available in Two Tasty New Colors!

In terms of Xbox 360 controllers, so far we’ve had the classic white, the slick black, and even the two recently released Halo 3-themed pads. If none of those colors suit your interest, then you’ll be thrilled to know that Microsoft has two new Xbox 360 controller colors in the works: blue and pink.

Set for an October 10^th retail release and available for the standard wireless Xbox 360 controller price of $49.99, I have to say that I’m a bit disappointed in how these new pads turned out. The colored pads for the original Xbox were far superior in terms of design. Although those were only released in blue and green, they had a very stylish see-through design. These, on the other hand….well, take a look at the colorful pics and decide for yourself.

Hopefully we’ll get more special edition pads in the future…. Although I’m not too found of the two new ones coming out, I’m usually a sucker for these things (provided I can get a good deal on them).

One of the special colored controllers for the original Xbox.

One of the ultra-cool Halo 3-themed Xbox 360 controllers

Major Halo 3 Limited Edition Disc Issues Found

Microsoft’s latest blockbuster, Halo 3, isn't even officially released yet, but some lucky gamers have already managed to get their hands on a copy of the Limited Edition version. However, they have been finding a nasty surprise that will soon become widespread once the Halo 3 Limited Edition hits retail store this week: their brand new, $70, shiny discs are scratched up right out of the box.

What is the cause of this?

Despite charging an extra $10 for this limited edition, Microsoft failed to create an adequate spindle (the circular center in the middle of the case that holds the disc in place). Take a look at the cheap spindle Microsoft included to hold the Halo 3 disc in place:

Due to them wanting to save approximately $0.50 in, um, casing costs, Microsoft now has a major problem on their hands. According to many of the people that have received this version early (including 1up.com), their discs have fallen out of place in shipping while the box was still sealed and their discs ended up severely scratched.

Thankfully, this problem doesn’t effect the standard and Legendary editions of Halo 3 (as the discs to those come in standard DVD cases).All I can say is there’s going to be hordes of furious gamers who shelled out the extra cash for the Limited Edition version come launch day (and I’m now quite happy that I reserved the standard edition).

Source