Magnum Apex

[i]I only play a couple of games a week at most, so I'm playing these over the course of several months.[/i] [size=5][b]Stacking[/b] on Xbox 360[/size] I just started playing this, and so far I'm quite impressed. The design is extremely cohesive, with everything revolving around stacking different dolls for different abilities, and all of it is infused with great humor and an unusual but pleasant artistic direction. Experimentation is encouraged, and therefore puzzles are interesting to solve. Essentially, it's a great adventure game so far. [size=5][b]Xenoblade: Chronicles[/b] on Nintendo Wii[/size] A seemingly lengthy JRPG. I've played over two dozen hours of it, and I'm fairly certain I'm still pretty early in the game. I enjoy some of the design decisions the developers made, many of which look to be borrowed from Western RPGs, to address traditional issues of the subgenre: Encounters transition seamlessly from exploration to combat; most abilities cool down before they can be reused again, as opposed to using a mana meter; the player doesn't lose progress if he dies in battle (this may or may not be a benefit, but for now I'm ok with it). The story is interesting, the English voice acting is thankfully free of cheese, and the environments are gorgeous. I haven't been this invested in a fantasy JPRG since FFX. [size=5][b]2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa[/b] on Xbox 360[/size] I'm playing this because I don't have the latest FIFA, and the next FIFA is two months away, and I'm going through a UEFA 2012 hangover. I'm not sure if I'll still want to play a football videogame when [i]FIFA 13[/i] comes out. [size=5][b]Max Payne[/b] on Xbox with Xbox 360 software emulation[/size] My goal is to play all Max Payne games in a row. The first MP holds up surprisingly well.

I play a great variety of videogames, though most of them are from the all-encompassing action genre. This means I can enjoy games like[i] Mass Effect[/i], [i]Ninja Gaiden[/i], [i]Mushihime-sama Futari[/i] and [i]Super Street Fighter IV[/i] without reservation. I've also enjoy action-less games (i.e. games requiring little to no reflexive skills), like JRPGs and adventure games, the latter of which I'm a big fan of. It's probably easier to highlight the games I don't play. I'm completely uninterested in MMORPGs, so I'm perfectly fine living my entire life without playing one. I don't play deep strategy games, but not for lack of interest. I just rarely find myself playing PC games, so even though I've wanted to dig my teeth into some of these games, it's just not as appealing to me if I have to do so in a PC, which is a state that reminds me of work.

[quote name='persocomblues']I must be missing something... I would think ordinary would be a system that works perfectly fine, does its job well, plays its games and turns off at the end of the night. Being brand new doesn't give it the right to have problems, does it? I?m not quite sure how acceptable such errors are... after all this is a little too soon for this sort of thing. It should be considered that perhaps the system was released too soon. If I spent that kind of money on a brand new system and it overheated, I?d probably return the thing and wait a few more months to try X360 again, if I ever tried it again. *Is checking online, looks like some X360 owners are quite pissed*[/quote] [font=trebuchet ms][color=darkblue]Yep, if you want to play it safe, you shouldn't bother in getting a system at launch time. What you said about expecting the system to be perfect and such is the way things should be, but sadly that isn't the case. My first-gen Xbox and GameCube broke down shortly after their warranties expired, and I take extremely good care of them. One had the crappy Thompson drive that does not do well with dual-layered DVDs, and the GCN could not read my games thanks to faulty lens. However, I had several factors going for me that made me get the system early. My parents agreed that this would be their Christmas present to me, so no money off [i]my[/i] pocket. Secondly, I like the excitement of getting a brand new system and am also studying Game Design & Development, so getting a console early and trying it out helps me keep in touch with the next generation of gaming. I intend to do the same when the PS3 and Revolution come out too, if financially possible. [/color][/font]

[font=trebuchet ms][color=darkblue]GameSpot confirmed that some people are having issues with the console (discs getting scratched, games freezing, overheating, etc), but Microsoft said the number of reports is quite low. Then again, that was more than expected. It's launch time, so there's bound to be bad consoles released, which is not at all out of the ordinary.[/color][/font]

[font=trebuchet ms][color=darkblue]I got the 360 at launch. I did little work to get mine. I walked into Walmart two hours before launch and took my #2 spot in the long line. It's good to have friends. So far, I really like it. I've only been playing [i]Perfect Dark Zero[/i], and I feel it's a worthwhile purchase. The game takes elements from the N64 classic and implements them for the new generation. Sure, there are some issues with stealth (like the original), a pointless dive move and the lack of jumping, but the gameplay itself more than makes up for it. It's also weird that Joanna mysteriously lacks an English accent. Hopefully people will be reminded why [i]Halo[/i] was already behind the times when it came out in 2001. However, I'm more impressed with the online capabilities of the 360 itself. I love the sense of community the 360 gives me with the gamertag, the marketplace, Xbox Live Arcade and friends. I like it so much that I'm already disappointed that the PS3 and Revolution won't have this level of quality with their online plans. It truly is a joy to just browse the 360 menus.[/color][/font]

[quote name='Morpheus']Eternal Darkness and animal crossing. But do they really need more franchises? With Super Mario, mario golf, mario baseball, mario kart, f-zero, star fox, zelda, metroid, super smash bros., and Donkey kong, do they really need any more?[/quote] [font=trebuchet ms][color=darkblue]Eternal Darkness was created independently by Silicon Knights. The project would originally appear as a third-party game for the N64. After Silicon Knights signed with Nintendo to become a new second-party developer for the Japanese giant, the project was simply moved and upgraded for the GameCube. Nintendo did not create the series. Animal Crossing is only the second game of a series, the first title being Animal Forest for the N64, not released in America. Like I've stated before, I meant brand new franchises. By that I mean, new series with new characters. All the Mario titles are about existing characters taking part in a different genre, like Mario Kart, Mario Baseball, Mario Golf and Super Smash Bros. (And Mario Party, Mario Pinball?) I mentioned Capcom as an example because they've created brand new characters and placed them in a universe of their own in this generation alone. One way to explain myself would be by imagining this: If Capcom had done things the "Nintendo" way, instead of creating a brand new world and characters for Devil May Cry to fit with the gameplay style they had in mind (3D hack & slash action), the company would've instead made the game with Zero from Mega Man X as the main star, and the game by default would be in the same universe as Mega Man. The reality of it is, we now have two different franchises, two completely different sets of characters to like from Capcom. Or, I could just mention what actually happened. Devil May Cry started of as a Resident Evil game, but as they came up with new ideas for the project, they ended up with something quite different than their survival horror series, so they decided to go ahead and make a brand new game out of the once RE title. By contrast, Rareware was working on a brand new set of characters and universe for the GCN, Dinosaur Planet, but Nintendo decided that the game should be a Star Fox game instead (hey! In with the old!) and Star Fox: Adventures was born. Playing once through the game will reveal that the title wasn't meant to be a Star Fox game, and not at all what Rare was actually working with. See, that's what I mean by Nintendo lacking the creativity to create brand new characters in their own worlds. They choose to slap every single project with their overexposed characters, and I strongly feel that takes away from the experience, and especially of what could've been.[/color][/font]

[img]http://www.mrbillsadventureland.com/reviews/m-n/monkeyR/wallyguybrush3.jpg[/img] [font=trebuchet ms][color=darkblue]"HEY, could you please point that thing away from my crotch!? I have no more items to shake!"[/color][/font]

[font=trebuchet ms][color=darkblue]Well, so much for spoiler tags...[/color][/font] [QUOTE=Xyandar]One bad ending to a game was dracula or "D" for computer. you go through the whole game and when you get to Dracula u put a bullet in his heart and the game just ends... that really annoyed me.. Another bad ending to a game was all of Fight Clubs endings for PS2. First of all...the game was a waste of 70 bucks because it took me 10 minutes to beat the game and 1 hour to beat with all the guys. the endings have nothing to do with the characters...[/QUOTE] [font=trebuchet ms][color=darkblue]Wait... you not only paid 70 bucks for Fight Club, but you actually spent time beating the game with every single character? Man, stop torturing yourself. Whatever you've done wrong in your life isn't worth the punishment. My least favorite ending would have to be from Super Double Dragon for the SNES. You fight through several levels and some nearly tough bosses, and the end is nothing more than scrolling white text in a black background. Not even a lousy little image to make it more interesting.[/color][/font]

[color=darkblue][font=trebuchet ms]I'm currently playing two games. Right now I'm on my fourth playthrough of MGS3, trying to find every Kerotan, and interrogate and hold up every guard in normal difficulty. I'm also trying to get The End's camo, and search for a hard-to-find Snake. I'm also playing Katamari Damacy. I just beat it yesterday, so I'm now focusing on finding every present, and make some constellations and stars bigger. I recommend this game to anyone, and I mean [i]anyone[/i]. The Dual Shock 2 analog sticks could not be used better.[/font][/color]

[quote name='Morpheus']Nintendo puts franchises on the front because it makes the product recognizable and easy to get into. Do you know why there is a Sony emblem on everything Sony makes? If you have had good experiences with a product, then you are more likely to buy another from them.[/quote] [font=trebuchet ms][color=darkblue]I understand that perfectly, but companies like Capcom can still make games were age-old, recognizable characters like Mega Man show up, and at the same time create new franchises like Devil May Cry, Viewtiful Joe, Onimusha and Shadow of Rome. Why can't Nintendo do the same? Other than Pikmin, can you name any significant, brand new franchise created by Nintendo in this generation? It would certainly be refreshing if they took the risk.[/color][/font]

[quote name='Beorhun']Yes, it looked good, but if good graphics made great games, then Ninja Gaiden would be the greatest game ever made.[/quote] [font=trebuchet ms][color=darkblue]Well, that's not the best example you could use, as it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Ninja Gaiden may very well be the greatest game ever made. Anyway, if I had a penny for every game that's disappointed me, then, um... I might have enough money to buy a used copy of Pokémon Channel. The first game that comes to mind would be the PlayStation port of the heavily underrated [i]Street Fighter: The Movie[/i]. Sure, the concept is stupid. It's a game based on a bad movie based on a good game, but at least the arcade original was fun. It played just like any other Street Fighter, with cool super moves and nicely animated, realistic characters and backdrops. The special effects used, like the flaming hurricane kick from Akuma, mixed well with the rest of the game. The soundtrack was also top-notch. When I read the game would be coming to Sony's 32-bit console, I got excited, but as soon as I played it I realized the many flaws it had. The characters looked like cardboard cutouts of the original with limited animation. The game also played significantly slower, and the special effects looked more like kid-colored fireballs than computer animation. The soundtrack was still kept intact, which means I now use the disc as a music CD from time to time. No, I'm not kidding. Another disappointment would be [i]Super Mario Sunshine[/i], for the GameCube. The game wasn't bad, but it certainly was a far cry from the revolutionary Mario games we're used to every generation. Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World and Super Mario 64... all these games continually redefined the 2D platform genre. Not the case with Sunshine. First of all, the game plays too much like its N64 predecessor, which might still be great if it weren't for the fact that 6-year-old camera issues still weren't solved, and that the game's levels weren't as varied or gameplay-friendly as SM64. The whole thing felt more like Majora's Mask to Ocarina of Time... a decent sidequest, and nothing more.[/color][/font]

[font=trebuchet ms][color=darkblue][b]Konami[/b] holds the title of my favorite video game company simply because of creating the Metal Gear series. When I first played Metal Gear Solid, I was already playing video games for 11 years, so I didn't think any new title would grab me the same way Super Mario World, Street Fighter II or Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! did in my infancy. Boy, was I wrong. I was taken for a ride like I had never experienced before. I loved every single element of the game: its intricate story, its interesting characters, its cutting-edge graphics, its varied soundtrack, its friendly gameplay, its spot-on control, its wealth of Easter eggs... you name it. The series has only gotten better with each release, MGS3 being the culmination of what every game should aspire to be, a testament to the hard work and love some developers can still put on a gaming project. If that weren't enough, I must also thank Konami for the now-classic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games for the Arcades, NES and SNES, for Contra, for Castlevania and for Zone of the Enders, among others. My [i]very close[/i] second would be [b]Capcom[/b]. If you had all the games Capcom has made in a chronologically ordered list, you can easily spot the evolution of gaming since the company's existence. From Mega Man to Street Fighter to Resident Evil to Devil May Cry, Capcom goes against the norm and doesn't rely solely on franchises it created generations ago (Like Nintendo), it continues to create new characters and new franchises that will live on next to their more classic mascots, that are even reinvented themselves and never forgotten. My third pick would be [b]Square[/b]. The company that gave me Chrono Cross, Bushido Blade 2, and the best RPGs ever made in the Final Fantasy series is worthy of all the praise and hype it continually gets. As of late, however, the company hasn't created an excellent new game from a brand new franchise, but as long as they keep exceeding expectations with the next Final Fantasy, they'll still have a place at the top of my list.[/color][/font]

[font=trebuchet ms][color=darkblue]In 2004, we saw a bold pricing move from ESPN and Sega, when they released their summer/fall sports titles for only $19.99. Originally, EA brushed it off by publicly dismissing the competition, but ESPN NFL 2K5 sales closed in on Madden NFL 2005 enough for EA to respond. Quietly, Electronic Arts dropped the price of their sports games to $29.95. Two excellent football games were then bargain-priced. But Sega continued to sell their sports games at an admirable pace, and it was a sign of great things that could've come, as the success of this little war would've enticed other publishers to make price cuts in order to increase sales and face competition. Sadly, EA was not satisfied with having a close second in the charts, so they acquired a 5-year exclusivity deal with the NFL, a blow Sega won't recover for a long time. It seemed EA simply responded to the NFL's desire to have a single publisher releasing their games, but the deal is still one that goes against the growth of the industry. ESPN though, lost love for the first company that made good traditional sports titles with their brand, so they packed their bags, and...[/color][/font] [quote][font=trebuchet ms][url]http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/01/17/news_6116473.html[/url][/font] [size=3][b]Electronic Arts, ESPN hook up in exclusive 15-year deal[/size] ESPN brand and programming to surface in EA sports titles on all platforms; deal is second blow to Sega Sports and Visual Concepts.[/b] Electronic Arts broke the calm of a national holiday today by announcing a licensing deal of epic proportions. For the next fifteen years, EA will be the sole licensee of the ESPN brand in the area of sports games, which will include console, handheld, PC, and wireless games. Games with leverage the ESPN brand will make their way to retail sometime during calendar year 2006, "upon the conclusion of ESPN?s existing video game licensing commitments." The news is the second blow to current license-holder Sega (and its Visual Concepts development studio). It recently lost the right to publish sports games using the NFL license when EA scooped that license up. Now, it loses the right to the ESPN brand as well. In a statement released just minutes ago, the world's largest game publisher said, "The relationship will include established EA SPORTS franchises--which will be enhanced by ESPN telecast, print and online content--as well as new sports games to be published by EA based on ESPN media properties." The agreement is for fifteen years "with an option to terminate after ten years under certain conditions," the statement said. The agreement gives the publisher "exclusive first rights" to all ESPN content for simulation sports games. [size=1]By Curt Feldman ? [I][url="http://www.gamespot.com/"]GameSpot[/url][/I] POSTED: 01/17/05 12:05 PM PST [/size][/quote] [font=trebuchet ms][color=darkblue]"Ouch!" That was my first thought. Sega is like the guy that got cheated on by his wife, whom upon divorce got the house, the car, and left [i]him[/i] with the kids. Marketing people probably saw this coming, however. It'd be very unlikely for ESPN to [i]not[/i] publish a licensed NFL game. The first news blow. I didn't like the fact that now only one publisher has the rights to the NFL. I'm not an American football fan, but the principle goes against competition in the industry. On the other hand, I do believe the second is good news... for [i]me[/i]. I only care about the baseball games, and EA did it better than Sega, so EA + ESPN = Best baseball experience around. Still... poor Sega... I can't help but feel bad for them.[/color][/font] [color=#4B0082]*merges with previous thread* - [i]Desbreko[/i][/color]

[QUOTE=Sephiroth][COLOR=DarkRed][FONT=Times New Roman]If you ask me the MGS series could be ended right now seeing how MGS3 pretty much covered everything up, MGS4 is in the work's but Kojima isn't the one running it, though he will have a part in it Also if you ask me the MGS series is meant to be played without a radar! More stealth I say![/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE] [color=darkblue][font=trebuchet ms]I wonder how MGS4 will be in terms of gameplay, since more than likely it'll take place in Solid Snake's time, considering he has unfinished business. With the use of camos, face paint and old-school sensors, I don't think going back to the "easy" technology would be pleasurable. Then again, they could hold off MGS4 and remake the MSX titles. I'm all for it.[/font][/color]

[font=trebuchet ms][color=darkblue]I'm nearing the end of my third playthrough, this time avoiding killing anyone. When I first started playing MGS3, I didn't think it'd live up to even MGS2. However, the more I let go of the soliton radar and started enjoying the new gameplay mechanics, the more I began to love this game. I didn't think it was possible, but MGS3 has shoved the original MGS as my favorite game of all time. I could go on and on about what an excellent game this is, and even defend what some might call "camera problems," but that will take away time from continuing to play this great title, so... ciao.[/color][/font]