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So, Im kind of a Metroid addict. Ever since the first time I

So, I'm kind of a Metroid addict. Ever since the first time I played through the first one, being the very first NES game I ever played through to completion (even before Super Mario Bros or The Legend of Zelda), I had to pick this up. I bought it a few months ago, if I'm not mistaken it was released in late 2010 or early 2011, so Its been around. I don't know anyone else who bought it, or even played it so I went into the experience completely blind. I'll tell you, this is a very refreshing take on the whole Metroid history.

Ever since the Gamecube (even on the DS) Metroid games have been largely First-Person. A very cool departure from the original side scrolling,... Read All So, I'm kind of a Metroid addict. Ever since the first time I played through the first one, being the very first NES game I ever played through to completion (even before Super Mario Bros or The Legend of Zelda), I had to pick this up. I bought it a few months ago, if I'm not mistaken it was released in late 2010 or early 2011, so Its been around. I don't know anyone else who bought it, or even played it so I went into the experience completely blind. I'll tell you, this is a very refreshing take on the whole Metroid history.

Ever since the Gamecube (even on the DS) Metroid games have been largely First-Person. A very cool departure from the original side scrolling, platformers that preceded it. The team who put out all of the "Prime" games did a really good job of marrying the adventure/platform, find-your-scattered-gear-to-gain-access-to-previously-attainable-areas style game that Metroid is basically famous for. Prime, Prime 2 and Prime 3 were the perfect blend of Super Metroid style exploration and Halo style heads up combat. Other M takes it back to the side-scroll platform days, which was something I didn't at all expect.

The game takes place in-between the SNES classic, Super Metroid and anything that happened during the PRIME era. It was designed by Team NINJA, the guys who revamped the Ninja Gaiden series for the XBox. It feels a lot like a Ninja Gaiden game, as far as how the maps are laid out, how the enemies come at you, and how you dispatch them. The best part about this is it also holds true to the extreme exploration, giant-boss-battle, find-the-weapon-to-open-this-door type of gameplay that I just never seem to get enough of.

I haven't finished it yet, because I acquired Skyrim for xmas and haven't played anything else since. But I am probably about half way through it and I can say, with confidence that if you're a fan of any of the previous games and want a solid change of pace, or you just need a fun game for your Wii that isn't Mario, Sonic or Zelda, pick this up.

I kind of wish Team Ninja would pick up Castlevania and give it the same treatment.

jdodson Admin wrote on 02/26/2012 at 12:39am

Awesome, this game sounds like a good one to get because, like you mention, my Wii doesn't get much love outside of the standard Wii titles.

I think Super Metroid was one of the best SNES games of that era, the story and tone were very well done. Returning to that side scrolling element sounds interesting to me as I never really did jump on board the Prime bandwagon. Then again, ive largely heard that Metroid Prime: 3 is fantastic.

Travis Admin wrote on 02/27/2012 at 02:11pm

Have you tried Shadow Complex? That's an amazing Metroid-type game. It's written by Orson Scott Card, who is an amazing writer if a major asshole. It's more near-future Sci-Fi, you're just a guy who finds cool weapons and tools that allow you to do things you previously couldn't. Easily my favorite downloadable XBox Live game.

krcDeuce Supporter wrote on 02/29/2012 at 04:30pm

I finished this game. Awesome. I played every night after everyone was asleep. Even got freaked out a bit. I was not disappointed in the least.

burn Post Author wrote on 02/29/2012 at 05:46pm

besides this, I dont think I've played a Wii Game since Star Wars Force Unleashed.. cause, you know.. force powers are way more badass when you're throwing your arms around like a medicated mongoloid.

jdodson Admin wrote on 03/01/2012 at 04:11am

Ive heard Skyward Sword is pretty awesome. I plan on getting that one on the Wii.

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After pre-ordering Rage for $60 and playing it on the PS3 I

After pre-ordering Rage for $60 and playing it on the PS3 I was a bit disappointed with the single player. Loading took way too long, often I would die and have to re-load back an hour of gameplay. The game was frustrating on the console. I found that the legends of the wasteland was fun for co-op, really fun, but the single player wasn't.

Recently I got it on the PC and I have to say its MUCH MUCH more fun than the console counterparts. Quicksave exists by hitting F5. The game is easier with a mouse which means I can actually hit things I shoot at. The graphics are nicer and the texture pop-in is less noticeable. I'm not entirely sure of all f the reasons why but Rage... Read All

Recent article highlighting the new Siren in Borderlands

Recent article highlighting the new Siren in Borderlands 2.

http://pc.ign.com/articles/121/1219322p1.html

Update:
Another article about the commando: http://pc.ign.com/articles/121/1219370p1.html?utm_campaign=twposts&utm_source=twitter

Since this game recently went free to play I decided to

Since this game recently went free to play I decided to install it and give it a shot because the price was right.

After a bit of downloading I installed the game and created an account. Process wasn't horrible and I was greeted with some options for creating an account.

I wanted to roll a Wizard or Mage so I clicked the EQ2 version of that. Couldn't play as that character for free so I clicked a less fun class to play. I honestly don't remember what I was bummed I couldn't roll a Wizard/Mage. I was then presented with a screen to pick some hair color and some other stuff I didn't care about. I clicked random as much as I could but it would have been better to just click... Read All

I just tried out the Final Fantasy XIII-2 demo. I have to

http://gematsu.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/FFXIII-2-Moogle-Trailer.jpg

I just tried out the Final Fantasy XIII-2 demo. I have to say, this dude is annoying, kupo! I always thought Moogles were cute and amusing in the games where they didn't have any recorded dialog. They aren't supposed to sound like 8-year-old girls, kupo! The moogle is really useful to have around though.

Now, on to the meat and potatoes: This is a lot of fun. Random encounters are back, but they are easily escapable if you aren't interested in fighting. The preemptive attack is done much more cleanly, giving you the opportunity to attack before battle mode is activated.

Speaking of the battle system-- say what you want about FFXIII, there are plenty of bad things to say... Read All

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 02/23/2012 at 04:22am

Mog was a bit annoying with too much "kupo" if you know what I mean, kupo. I mean, every sentence, kupo?

I also enjoyed the battle system, raising monsters. I didn't get too deep into them though, I just pretty much kept a Cait Sith as a Medic and chocobos for Commando or Synergist. I did level up others, especially chocobos that I thought might improve for racing. As for chocobo racing, I played, but didn't get much into it maybe my chocobo just wasn't up to par.

I've been thinking about writing my own little review. Now that I'm playing Skyrim, I'm a bit more disappointed in FFXIII-2, but many of those reasons stem from FFXIII. The music is too sad. It's good, but I go into a place with that sad music and I want to get out ASAP! However, I did get the Collector's Edition have listened to the soundtrack on 4 CDs. One of the funniest highlights, I thought, was the new "Crazy Chocobo," a metal version of chocobo theme.

I spent over 100 hours with it over a week or two and I'm not sure where that time went. I was often too lost and looked up sidequests and such online for help when needed. I beat the boss, but there's still much to do (like collecting fragments).

jdodson Admin wrote on 02/23/2012 at 02:55pm

Mog is voiced by a kid? Doh! The demo is still downloading on my PS3. Happy the PS3 got the demo this time. Last time it was Xbox only.

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 02/23/2012 at 05:08pm

I don't know if it is voiced by a kid, but it sounds like a kid. Like the actress who played Vanille last game tried to make her voice higher-pitched or something.

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Doom 3 is a game that I happily put on my most loved games

Doom 3 is a game that I happily put on my most loved games list. I have played it through a few times now and every time really enjoy myself. Some people hate on the fact you cant use the flashlight and a fun at the same time. Some people hate on the fact that the game is dark. But both of those things are game mechanics that make the game even more unique and fun for me. For instance, when you are walking through the Mars base and its dark you can either:

A) Keep your shotgun handy and stay "safe" knowing you can shoot zombie heads off.

Or

B) Have your flashlight ready and see whats ahead while not being able to do jack squat when a demon starts throwing fireballs at... Read All

Travis Admin wrote on 02/23/2012 at 02:26pm

id got a lot of unwarranted flak for this game. It is one of the few games from that era that stands up to the test of time, and you're right, the graphics don't look dated. But I think we've come to a point where graphics won't look dated anymore. I can see hyper-realism coming, probably very soon, but I think in 20 years I could boot up Skyrim, Final Fantasy XIII, Metal Gear Solid 4, or most others this generation and still be wowed by the beauty of the game. The same goes for the (PC) games last generation. Obviously the pixelation of PS2/GC/XBox games from last gen won't hold up, but Half-Life 2, Doom 3, Quake 4, and many others scale up to higher graphics capabilities and will forever look amazing.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 02/23/2012 at 02:51pm

I think you're right about that.

That said I'm not really eagerly anticipating hyper realism. At least I haven't seen anything yet that excites me about it. Rage and Crysis 2 sure look pretty but that doesn't make them more fun than Secret of Mana.

Travis Admin wrote on 02/23/2012 at 05:07pm

Agreed. I think too much focus has been given to graphics lately, lengthening development time and allowing other parts of the game to get away with being less polished/fun.

Minato_Namikaze wrote on 06/27/2012 at 03:24am

Anyone up for a co-op game of doom 3 i have skype and teamspeak

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 06/27/2012 at 03:28am

You know what, I think I am. I need to install it first though.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 06/27/2012 at 03:52am

Ok its installed up to 1.3.1. Whats your Skype?

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Diablo III: Beta Review

Graphics & Art:

From the first few minutes in you can tell that Diablo 3 is a Blizzard game. It's beautiful and well blended as you have come to expect from their games. I really enjoy the color palette and ambiance that has been created. I read initial complaints that it "isn't dark enough for the Diablo IP", but I am quite happy with it. Graphics are really only a small part of the game but I doubt anyone will be disappointed with the look and feel of the world.

One thing that I can't get past is the environment depth. It screams of Titan Quest - the altitude of cliffs, the depth of chasms. I really enjoyed the effect in Titan Quest and I'm glad to see it again.

jdodson Admin wrote on 02/23/2012 at 02:09am

Kind of makes sense that Blizz gets some cues from other popular games. I agree with you on the art it does look really good.

If we are going to spend a zillion hours in a game, it does make sense to be able to see whats going on. I loved Doom 3 but it was a smidge too dark. Then again, when I played it with the lights off it was fine.

Chowda Post Author wrote on 02/23/2012 at 09:58pm

Hmm, I never thought about playing it in the dark. You can always adjust the gamma to your personal taste, but I think the default is more than reasonable.

jdodson Admin wrote on 02/24/2012 at 05:48am

Good to know. Can't wait to try it.

Tungsten wrote on 03/03/2012 at 12:50am

I got into the beta, downloaded it, but the launcher is bugged and now it won't let me play... so sad...

jdodson Admin wrote on 03/03/2012 at 05:37am

Dude, that sucks!

Tungsten wrote on 03/06/2012 at 03:42am

Hey, I might have found a fix, its redownloading a couple files right now. Fingers crossed.

jdodson Admin wrote on 03/06/2012 at 03:46am

Awesome. Really excited about this one.

Tungsten wrote on 03/06/2012 at 03:58am

FAIL

Tungsten wrote on 03/06/2012 at 04:16am

Delete random files until it starts working FTW

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I dont know what happened, maybe Battlestar Galactica

I don't know what happened, maybe Battlestar Galactica happened, but I stopped playing this game before I finished it. I picked it back up over the weekend and realized just how much I missed it. The charm runs thick in LBP2, though not as much as its predecessor, probably because it's stuff we've all seen before. The polish is amazing, though, and the new mechanics and toys are fantastic.

The only thing I don't quite like is the community levels. Some of them are amazing, don't get me wrong, and this extends the replay value infinitely. The problem for me comes from the new tools. You can now make full-on games, not just levels in a platforming game. RPG's, space... Read All

jdodson Admin wrote on 02/23/2012 at 02:03am

I tried playing LBP demo on the PS3 and didn't really think it was that good. Is there something of the game that I missed?

Is a good platformer or is the charm in building your own levels? Is it good as a multi-player game w friends?

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 02/23/2012 at 03:14am

It is fantastic as a multiplayer game with friends. 4 player co-op, online or on-couch. Some of the mechanics can get a bit quirky, but it is a solid platformer. Level building is tons of fun, which is something I don't normally care about in games. Plus, Stephen Fry narrates. STEPHEN FRY, Jon.

jdodson Admin wrote on 02/23/2012 at 03:41am

Awesome. Ill give it a second shot, maybe I was just in a poor mood that day.

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 02/23/2012 at 03:54am

The thing about the demo of the first one is, it doesn't really give you a good glimpse into what the game has to offer. That could be part of it. LBP2 has a demo out now too, which is much more frantic and the first world does give you a better glimpse of the game as a whole.

jdodson Admin wrote on 02/23/2012 at 03:54am

Ill check that one out then. Plus LBP is fairly inexpensive these days so picking it up used seems like a good idea :)

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Here it comes. Borderlands 2. I fully intend to get this day

Here it comes. Borderlands 2. I fully intend to get this day 1, and this time maybe I'll go PS3 since, surprisingly, everyone I know who plays the first one played it on PS3.

jdodson Admin wrote on 02/22/2012 at 04:42pm

Awesome. Ill be getting this on the PS3 as well.

Timogorgon Member wrote on 02/22/2012 at 06:24pm

I'll definitely be getting this on PS3 as well.

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 02/22/2012 at 07:28pm

I call the Siren-alike (if there is one)

Timogorgon Member wrote on 02/22/2012 at 08:03pm

I think I read somewhere there will be a Siren class, it just won't be the same character that was in Borderlands 1.

jdodson Admin wrote on 02/23/2012 at 02:07am

I am interested in the "Zero" character. I wasn't drawn to the hunter class so hopefully Zero is more interesting(to me, I know some loved the Hunter).

I started out with Roland and then moved to the Siren. She is pretty fun.

Realize I haven't tried Brick at all. Wonder if he is fun to play as.

jdodson Admin wrote on 02/23/2012 at 04:28am

Ok so I just watched the trailer again for the third time and I have to say I am ready to joy puke my guts out. Can't wait for the extra wub wub!

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 02/23/2012 at 04:50am

I just want to see a full minute at least of Claptrap dancing to dubstep.

jdodson Admin wrote on 02/23/2012 at 05:05am

Hahhaha yeah that would be awesome. Speaking of, I'm playing he claptrap dlc on the ps3 now. So far, it's fun. I liked the intro puppet movie :)

Timogorgon Member wrote on 02/23/2012 at 05:35am

Claptrap is spreading the wub.
Roland is my favorite from the first game. Regening ammo, grenades, and health is pretty awesome.

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 02/23/2012 at 02:18pm

The claptrap DLC is fun. Tons, in fact. The claptrap army does get really annoying at times when there are like 20 of them on screen.

jdodson Admin wrote on 02/23/2012 at 02:47pm

Yikes! Having issues playing it. Last time I played was online and I was power leveled a lot because I was a lower level. Now I'm getting my butt kicked because my guns are not that great. Derp! :)

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 02/23/2012 at 05:06pm

I ran into some issues with balancing due to leveling issues. You could go clear out some easy bases to hopefully get some more guns. I think I had to do that for the Claptrap DLC as well. Or maybe the ... I can't remember. The one where it ended in a massive lootfest that you only had a limited amount of time in.

Timogorgon Member wrote on 02/23/2012 at 06:22pm

The claptrap mobs are weak to electric based weapons if that helps. Also make sure you snag any Hellfire SMG's you find (I think I've bought all mine), they tear through just about everything.

jdodson Admin wrote on 02/24/2012 at 03:05am

Awesome, ill do that. I started back the main campaign and have been getting some sweet loot that is helping.

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I was wondering what people had to say about the possible

I was wondering what people had to say about the possible insinuation in Portal 2 that Chell is Caroline/Glados's kid by Cave Johnson.

It seems possible, but the game only references it in a few ways. Quoting off the Half-Life wiki http://half-life.wikia.com/wiki/Chell

"...information revealed in Portal 2 implies that Chell was the child of an Aperture scientist and was touring the facility on Bring Your Daughter To Work Day when GLaDOS took over."

Caroline and Cave Johnson had a relationship, which is implied in the game. It seems Caroline has a connection to Chell, possibly before she was transferred into the computer.

Anyways, wondering your thoughts about it.

Timogorgon Member wrote on 02/22/2012 at 07:54pm

Well Caroline is a lot like Chell (though maybe not as heavy.) :P

I doubt Chell is related to Cave Johnson or Caroline. The potato battery project you see in Portal 2 seems pretty clear evidence that she was the daughter of an Aperture scientist, but I highly doubt it is Cave. For one thing, Cave Johnson was in charge of Aperture Science back in the 1950's and the wiki says he became terminally ill around the 80's. Since the science fair took place sometime around 1998 to 200X (again, from the wiki) and assuming Chell was grade school age at the time she was probably born around the late 80's or very early 90's. By the time Chell was born Cave would have been very old and terminally ill and unlikely to be having any kids.

As for Caroline, I would think that when her personality started to show in GLaDOS that something would have been said if there was some sort of relation between them. It also seems likely that by the time Chell was born Caroline would have been very old as well and also unlikely to be having a new kid.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 02/23/2012 at 01:57am

Good point. Yeah, it does seem unlikely. Perhaps Chell is related to Rattman? I don't know that was a stretch.

I really like the Rattman character and hope to see him actually show up in a game. Then again, the mystery is part of the fun with him in the universe I think.

Timogorgon Member wrote on 02/23/2012 at 05:22am

I really like Rattman too, even more so after reading the comic (which was awesome!) Yeah he's probably not related to Chell but I hope he appears in future games too.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 02/23/2012 at 05:42am

Yep.

Tungsten wrote on 03/03/2012 at 12:52am

I thought he died in the comic?

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 03/03/2012 at 05:37am

He got shot and crawled to the stasis pod or whatever.

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