Modern Warfare 3 Review/Rant

Activision is back again with their annual Call of Duty, this years being done by Infinity Ward.  Since Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, each year the reigns of the franchise swapped back and forth from Infinity Ward and Treyarch.  Though most came to the conclusion that Infinity Ward was the superior developer, Treyarch had a massive hit with last year's Black Ops and showed that they were more then second fiddle.  Taking everything that was good with Modern Warfare 2 (Infinity Ward's release the previous year), adding in more balancing, and of course bringing back the fan-favorite Zombie Mode helped Black Ops became both a critical and commercial success.  With Infinity Ward losing two of their development leads could they somehow top last years excellent shooter?

Before I continue let me first explain why I'm not posting this review on Vivid Gamer and instead decided to post this on my personal blogger.  For starters, I won't be covering the single-player campaign since I've not played any CoD campaign beside the first Modern Warfare and realy have no desire to.  Secondly, this review is more or less just my thoughts on the game and how I feel with the few days I've spent on it.  Lastly, I will most likely be avoiding any structure and will instead just write ideas as they come to mind giving an awkward flow that I feel isn't truly worth posting on Vivid Gamer.  Because of the above reasoning and the fact that many will feel I'm merely flaming on Modern Warfare 3 (bit of foreshadowing?) I am going to do my best to avoid posting my opinions for the main site I write for.  With that out of the way, here are my thoughts.

From the moment I turned on Modern Warfare 3 I immediately felt the familiar feeling received from 2009s Modern Warfare 2.  This was for better and worse because though I have fond memories of playing the title, recent memories fill me more with disgust then anything else.  Unbalanced matches, a bevy of exploits, and the GOD AWFUL NOOB TUBES were all I experienced when I attempted to play the game approximately a month ago.  How did Modern Warfare 3 rectify my frustrations? Let me recap my first game played with my friend Roski on Modern Warfare 3. 

Me: Alright cool the game feels familiar.  Map looks pretty cool.  Let's hop into some team deathmatch.
(Game starts. I choose the default Assault Rifle class)

Me: Alrite Rosk let's do this! 

(Approx. 35 seconds later, I get noob tubed)

My Reaction

I went on to end the game at the top of my team going positive nine but it's pretty funny that the first introduction I got to MP was a quickly timed noob tube.  As I began to play a little more I noticed a considerable amount of lag which helped my growing frustration as I wasn't gaining the success I normally would in previous iterations.  Since Modern Warfare 2, I and my friends became quite skilled and hardly ever lost any matches.  It got to the point where we'd purposely try to finish matches (Search & Destroy mainly) in the funniest fashion possible so that we could all laugh and enjoy watching the final kill cams.  This was even more magnified with the following years Black Ops where we would constantly try to do ridiculous kills which sometimes resulted in us losing matches (Karma I suppose.)  Regardless though of me lacking the success achieved in other CoDs, the game felt fun and I continued to notice things I enjoyed.  Unfortunately, I also noticed many things that truly frustrated me (see the above noob-tube experience.) 

Modern Warfare 3 was definitely enjoyable after some better orientation but there were tons of things I still took issue with.  I've never enjoyed some of the more dumber techniques allowed in the game like "drop-shotting" or "quick-scoping."  Drop-shotting is frustrating (and impossible) but doesn't compare to how irritating quick-scoping can be.  What adds to the frustration (aside from the ridiculous effectiveness it has) is the fact that the developers actually programmed the game to include the technique!  Now it's easy to say, "James stop complaining!  Games are an escape from reality and there are a ton of things that would be physically impossible to achieve yet the game still has them programmed in." to which I'd reply,"I don't care about the other things! Much like Halo 2's stupid auto-aimed headshots, quick-scoping is stupid and should have been removed in the following titles or at least lessened."  These weren't the only abominations that made their return from the past games but are easily the most frustrating.

If you are an avid player of Call of Duty and played Black Ops following Modern Warfare 2, you were able to notice many improvements the former made over the latter.  Killstreaks no longer stacked resulting in more camping, instant-tubing was disabled due to a time-delay, and graphically the game was a nice step-up from Modern Warfare 2.  Though Modern Warfare 3 has made many improvements over Modern Warfare 2, I feel as if Infinity Ward is too stubborn to recognize Treyarch (Black Ops) improvements to the CoD formula and completely omitted what they added to this newest Modern Warfare.  For example, the dive function introduced in last years game is no longer present and the tomahawk is gone replaced by MW2's throwing knife.  This may be just a personal preference, but I thoroughly enjoyed the tomahawk more as opposed to the throwing knife and felt it was not only more accurate, but more satisfying.  Also, though tubing was still present in Black Ops, it wasn't nearly as exploited as badly as it was in Modern Warfare 2 and even worse, they've introduced newer more effective ways to tube in Modern Warfare 3!!  They've introduced the XM23 which has a ton of tubes to use, though not as strong as traditional tubes, the fact that it's in the game is upsetting and seems to cater more towards cheap tactics then anything else.  Another thing that I feel regressed was the knifing/melee system in Modern Warfare 3.  The lunge is back and though not nearly as strong as Modern Warfare 2's Commando perk, it's just as broken as before.  It's incredibly easy to miss a lunge with opponents standing directly in front of you and while not as bad as MW2, it definitely feels worse then Black Ops. 

Most people will read what I've said and quickly think that I'm dismissing the game before truly giving it a chance, but that's not at all what I'm attempting to do.  I recognize that the game is enjoyable and notice many of the improvements and welcome additions added alongside returning favorites.  The riot shield makes it's return and though not as effective this time, it's definitely fun to use again.  Also, Spec Ops is back and is as awesome as ever including a new survival mode much like most horde modes of other shooters.  The introduction of different classes to compliment various playstyles is nice and definitely adds a new dimension to teams strategies.  Also, taking out enemy equipment, doing different objectives and even assists can add to your killstreak which helps reward the unsung team-players unlike previous CoDs.  Additions like support streaks further encourage teamwork and definitely show me that Infinity Ward has made some steps forward in the franchise but I truly feel they've taken some back by ignoring Treyarchs successes. 

Issues with latency are indeed upsetting resulting in many matches being one-sided due to another team having the jump on players can be resolved in a future update but some broken mechanics cannot.  This "good with the bad" has me torn because while I enjoy the new game, the last time I recall being this frustrated with a shooter was while playing Modern Warfare 2 (or the horrendously buggy and laggy Bioshock 2 MP.)  Modern Warfare 3 tends to cater more towards arcadey shooters which is really good or bad depending on how you look at it.  Some may enjoy the absurdity of it all praising it's "more fun" feel while turning a blind eye to the overwhelming amount of "camp-spots" and severely unbalanced weapons.  Also, there is an excess of vehicles littered around each map resulting in an overabundance of car-bombs not unlike a Michael Bay movie.  More then enough times I questioned the developers placements of cars or other objects in each map though I've also enjoyed some of the level designs in others.  Overall though I felt as if most maps once again catered to "campers" and lacked the balance and creativity of Black Ops or even Call of Duty 4 (which is still the franchise pinnacle IMO.) 

I am enjoying what Infinity Ward has done with the newest game but I can't ignore the issues I've dealt with.  The new game modes like Kill Confirmed are fun additions but don't make up for the hair-pulling frustration I felt through much of my time.  Had Infinity Ward taken what was great about Modern Warfare 2 and what was great about Black Ops, I could easily see myself loving it and singing it's praises.  As is though I'm not really satisfied and feel that it's really nothing you haven't experienced before.  Perhaps with a future update or some balancing my opinion may change but for now, my feelings are indeed mixed.

Thanks for reading my rant/review on the newest Modern Warfare.  Please leave a comment if you feel inclined to!

Update 4/7

I literally have a draft near finished of a review for Insidious but I'm not really satisfied with it.  I tend to do that with some of my work and rather then publish a piece I don't like, I leave it there to just sit.  I wanted to continue writing a chapter 3 of my Zelda retrospective but things are getting pretty hectic at work leaving me less time to write.

I just ordered a GameBoy Micro and it's supposed to come in sometime between tomorrow and next Wednesday.  I've been meaning to get one since Michelley picked one up so now is better then later!  Since then I've been on a GameBoy Advance kick, buying up games from every Gamestop I can.  For those that don't know, since Sunday Gamestop is no longer buying used GBA titles.  I initially didn't want many to know because it may hurt more then help my own collection, but I figured that I love you guys enough to let you know.  Also, on the 17th (next sunday) there is going to be a sale starting 5pm for Gamestop Plus members with a buy 2 get 2 free on all PS2, Gamecube, and GBA games.  I think it's a liquidation deal so you may want to get them while you can.  I've already picked up copies of A Link to the Past, Astro Boy, Final Fantasy IV, Mega Man Zero, Kirby: Nightmare in Dreamland, Super Mario Bros 3 (20$ yikes!), and other great games and am continuing to look for more.  With that in mind, if you own some games you'd like to get rid of, let me know please and I'll gladly take them off your hands (even buy them if you want.) 

I just got added to the staff page of Vivid Gamer!  Check it out here.  Also, if you haven't already, go and "like" them on Facebook and follow them @VividGamer on twitter.  Lots of great updates, contests, freebies, and with E3 coming up expect even more cool stuff to win.  They're all really great people and have helped ease me in to the writing system so check out the site when you get a chance.

I apologize for the lack of content recently because I've been primarily writing for the site but know that I will continue to update as often as I can and write some stuff for my blog.  Thanks for reading and leave me a comment when you can. 

Snapshot

Check out Retro Effects new title Snapshot.  Some have called it a hybrid of Portal and Braid.  Regardless, the game looks to be a clever mix of puzzles and platforming and I can't wait.  As of now, there's no word on which consoles the game will be released on but it looks to be for PC.  Hopefully it'll do well enough to warrant a release on PSN or XBLA.

I CANT WAIT!!!

This trailer is for a flash game that became popular enough to be released for Mac and PCs.  The developer Tiny Build Games is hoping that it sells well enough to warrant a release on major consoles.  Watching the video gives me memories of Alien Hominid and I'm truly hoping for a release on XBLA.  What are your first impressions?

Update 3/22

It's been a pretty game-filled weekend for me.  For starters, we hosted our Heavy Rain Night last friday at 1030 pm and got through the game at 830 the next morning.  Each of the four main characters were controlled by one of the guys and were as followed:

Mikey - Ethan Mars

Roski - Norman Jayden

Diover - Scott Shelby
Virgil - Madison Paige

We also decided (another testament to our nerdom) that we would come in costume.  Since the four main characters were taken, I was stuck with dressing up as Detective Blake.  You can catch all the pictures on my facebook if you'd like and see how dumb we all looked.  Best costume of the night hands down belonged to Diover.  See for yourself:

 

Not bad huh?

Another great surprise was one of the BEST CAKES I'VE EVER SEEN.  For fans of my writing, you all know one of my favorite XBLA titles last year was Super Meat Boy.  Feast your eyes on this greatness:

Is that not one of the coolest ice cream cakes you've ever seen?  This was given to me by Michelley (made the cake and her boss made the icing) and has got to be one of the most perfect desserts I've ever had.  Not only was the cake chocolate, but the ice cream was a cool mix of banana and cookies and cream.  Seriously, I fell in love. 

Finally, last week I had received a message from a guy named Eric.  He had told me that he was brought to my blog from his friend Alex and I couldn't figure out who Alex was!  Upon further digging, I found out that my friend Austin was a mutual friend with Alex and suggested for him to have a look.  Flash forward about a week and I'm now writing for the newly made website Vivid Gamer.  You should check them (I guess us now?) out because not only do they have lots of good features, but there's also tons of giveaways!  Hmm..I wonder if I'm eligible for the Maw plush or the LBP2 giveaway...

Check em out at: vividgamer.com

I'm still working on beating Yakuza 4 and at a few hours in, I'm kind of torn on my opinion.  On the one hand, I enjoy the story and feel of the game.  On the other hand, this game takes an eternity to truly get rolling!  I can say without a doubt that I've spent more time watching cutscenes then I've actually spent playing the game!  I'll continue pushing through it but I don't know how far I'll get because Fight Night Champion is still calling me and WWE All-Stars is just around the corner.

Even though I'll be writing for Vivid Gamer now, this doesn't mean that I'm going to stop writing on my blog.  The editors there enjoy some of my work and like my reviews, but I still want to play with some ideas on my blog.  If it's good enough quality, then I'll most likely attempt to have it posted there.  Please continue to give me feedback here and thanks for reading!

But Which Is Better? #1

Every person in this entire world has had to choose between one thing or another.  With money being as tight as it is today, many of us are forced to decide which is better worth our time and money.  This is especially hard if the choices are similar in genre or content.  Should you buy "Scott Pilgrim Vs The World" or "Kick-Ass?"  How about the "Nintendo 3DS" or save for the "Sony NGP?"  To help make life easier for you, I'm introducing a new article titled "But Which Is Better?" to weigh out the pros and cons of similar games and movies. 

Today we pit two pocket-gaming giants against eachother.  These bird-centered titles have collectively been #1 on the iTunes app store for over a year and still remain in the top 5 today.  Both priced at $1, which is truly worth your 99 pennies?  (*Answer: Both!  Stop being cheap!)  But we're not here to discuss your penny-pinching, we're here to decide:

WHICH IS BETTER?



ANGRY BIRDS



TINY WINGS





OR 

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS

Angry Birds is truly a cultural phenomenon with over 100 million downloads, popular plushes, costumes, a tv show in the works, a spin-off title, and multiple devices supporting it.  Seen as the first game to legitimately give pocket gaming giants Sony and Nintendo a run for their money, Angry Birds remains one of the highest grossing games on the App store and nearly a year and a half after it's release, it continues to be downloaded daily.

Tiny Wings recently released and while not the first title to dethrone Angry Birds at number 1, it's the only title that has remained at the top of the Paid apps for weeks.  While still being relatively new (only a month old) many have already predicted that Tiny Wings will be the Angry Birds of 2011. 

GAMEPLAY

Angry Birds gameplay is simple in concept, but perfect in execution.  Similar to the flash title "Crush the Castle," here players slingshot birds at pigs in an attempt to retrieve their stolen eggs.  Along the way, new birds with new powers are introduced as well as more difficult level designs.  Tiny Wings on the other hand, doesn't really have levels, but has more of a free-flowing feel.  Your bird's wings are too small for him to fly on his own, so he must use the momentum of hills to assist his flight.  Perfectly timed dives into the curves of hills allow your bird precious seconds in the air as he continues forward until the nightfall comes and he falls asleep.  While both games are enjoyable, they each are different in play styles.  Angry Birds is more of a luck based game as opposed to Tiny Wings careful precision and timing.  Both are easy to pick up and nearly anyone can play either title but I'd have to give Tiny Wings the edge in this category.  With Tiny Wings, if something messed up, I didn't have anyone to blame but myself.  Often times with Angry Birds, I would grow irritated at getting unlucky bounces or pigs that I thought I should have destroyed, still sit there at the edge, just looking at me with that ****-eating grin. 

Winner: Tiny Wings

CONTENT

Tiny Wings has many different islands in the game, but they really feel like palette swaps at best.  I'm assuming the developers are working on new skins or possibly bird-modifiers but just like Doodle Jump, there really is only so much you can do with these never-ending games.  I'm sure there can be additions like multiplayer added in the future, but for now gamers are only given tasks to accomplish during their runs.  Angry Birds has over 240 levels with new content given consistently!  Aside from the main objective, there are tons of golden eggs to find, a story (sort of), and multiple birds.  There really is no contest here and even though Tiny Wings is still a young property, I don't really think they could have a chance of competing with Angry Birds content based solely on the different gameplay styles. 

Winner: Angry Birds

FUN FACTOR

While there's no doubt about Angry Birds popularity, surprisingly I've found a good amount of people that either hate the game or find it downright boring.  Some find the game to just be lacking in engagement and while some games can pull off the "Aim, Shoot, Cross Your Fingers and Watch" gameplay (see Peggle), a lot of people can't stand Angry Birds.  Tiny Wings is much more engaged and has that addictive quality of other arcade titles like Pac-Man CE.  I often found myself saying, "Okay just one more game" more then a few times after playing and sadly the same can't be said about my time with Angry Birds.  If you own both titles, what compels you to play Angry Birds more: the fun of the levels, or the need to beat the levels?  Most flock towards the latter and this doesn't translate to "fun" in my opinion. 

Winner: Tiny Wings

MORE SATISFYING

We all play games for some type of satisfaction and while I've had my share (tomahawking in CoD, getting a pick 6 in Madden, etc) I get an incredibly satisfying feeling when my bird (I call him Beardy) transitions from one island to the next in Tiny Wings.  If you have no idea what I'm talking about, rewatch the video above and you'll hear him cry "YAHOOOO" with such joy that you can't help but feel good.  However, the satisfaction I get from sticking it to those pigs in Angry Birds is a feeling I'm sure EVERYONE has experienced.  The mocking smile they give whenever players fail is downright infuriating, making it all the more satisfying when you do eventually succeed.  Similar to the joy gamers get when they've earned an achievement/trophy and they see it pop up on their screen, we often will do mundane tasks just to hear that satisfying ping. 

Winner: Angry Birds



SUMMARY

To be honest, I'm not really the biggest fan of Angry Birds and if given the choice between that or Tiny Wings, I'd definitely play Tiny Wings.  However, Angry Birds is the perfect title for phone gamers in that you can stop and play at anytime, anywhere.  You can launch one bird now, reread my post, and then finish the level up after without ever missing a beat.  The same can't be said for Tiny Wings which requires more concentration.  I highly recommend getting both titles but you're torn between quantity (Angry Birds) and quality (Tiny Wings) and if you had to twist my arm, I'd have to recommend Angry Birds.  There is just too much content here that more then warrants the asking price but hopefully Tiny Wings will insert some new features in future downloads. 

WINNER: ANGRY BIRDS!

So what do you think of my new article?  Do you agree with my choice or do you feel like I'm a blind fool?  Leave me a comment or message and suggest some other games/movies you'd like me to pit against each other!  Either way, thanks for reading!

Game While Helping Japan

Companies like Capcom, Sega, and Shawnimals are all being extremely generous with donations for Japan relief and you can help too by buying or downloading some of their items.  Here is a list of some of the games and cool stuff you can purchase for a good cause. 

iOS Games

Not only have Capcom and Sega have agreed to donate 100% of the proceeds to Japan relief, but they've dropped prices on these titles.  Hopefully Apple will agree to donate their 30% of their earnings as well!  *Hint Hint*

Street Fighter IV ~ $0.99
Sonic 1 ~$1.99
Sonic 2 ~$2.99
Sonic 4 ~ $3.99
Sonic Spinball ~ $0.99
Football Manager Handheld 2011 ~ $9.99

Plushes

Shawnimals of Ninjatown fame have dropped the price on these two awesome plushes.  Once again, 100% of the earnings are being donated so try to pick one up.  So far they've already earned over $1000 to be donated to charity. 

Wee Ninja - $10

Wee Devil - $10

Pick one (or both) up HERE!!

Even if you don't own an iPod/iPhone or feel the need to purchase a new plush (by the way they are seriously nice) there are countless amounts of places that you can donate to like your local Red Cross. 

Some links to websites collecting donations:

Donation 1
Donation 2
Donation 3

I know this may be old news to some, but I figured that it wouldn't hurt to help.  Sorry I don't have a real gaming article today but I will definitely put one up soon.  I'll be ordering some Wee Ninjas and Devils so if my local readers would like to place an order with me, please let me know as soon as possible.

Zelda Retrospective Part 2

In 1992 North America finally got their hands on the SNES' A Link to the Past.  I remember countless hours playing this title as a kid yet just like it's NES predecessors, I never quite reached the end, at least not when it first released.  I had no idea as a child that this would eventually become my favorite game of all time.  While it's true that I've spent more hours playing other titles (Halo 2, COD, etc) I can't think of many other titles that I've beaten multiple times, at different ages, that aged this gracefully.  My most recent playthrough was a couple years ago on the GBA port and I periodically do so because of how much I love this game.  Why do I love it so much?  Where do I begin?

SNES Zelda returned Link to the top-down perspective from the first title and solidified the system we all know today.  The evil wizard Agahnim is threatening to break a seal created by the Seven Sages hundreds of years ago.  The seal is the only thing keeping recurring villian Ganon trapped in the Dark World and the only way to stop Agahnim is with the Master Sword.  In order to obtain the sword, Link must first prove his worth by retrieving 3 pendants.  After successfully gaining the sword Link comes face to face with Agahnim but really old SPOILER he's too late and Princess Zelda is sent to the Dark World.  After defeating Agahnim Link is also sent to the Dark World where he must find and save the seven sages descendants until the final confrontation with Ganon. 

I spent so much time trekking Hyrule and enjoying it's lush environment that I was actually upset when I saw it's state in the Dark World.  As nervous and excited as I was when I first entered this parallel universe, I was thankfully greeted with one of the greatest videogame themes of all time.  Seeing the state of Dark Hyrule truly made me sad the first time and made matters worse by granting Link the Magic Mirror.  With this mirror, players could instantly transfer from the Light World to the Dark and vice versa.  While this was an integral mechanic of the game, I hated having to transfer happy towns into broken down buildings filled with monsters.  Even though I was still a kid at the time, doing so today still kinda tugs at some strings and is a true testament to this game's timelessness.  Aside from aesthetics and such, gameplay also got a huge boost.  Instead of jabbing enemies to death, Link actually swung his sword now.  Link also could move in all 8 directions and was given new weapons that have become trademarks today (hookshot).  Bosses now filled the screens, puzzles were more creative, the game looked gorgeous (still does!) and the adventure was grand and memorable.  For anyone who has played this game, they can testify as to how great an adventure it truly is.  If you have yet to play it, your best bet is to get it on the Wii Virtual Console because the SNES version as well as the GBA port can be pretty pricey these days.  No matter how many games I've played, this is truly and may always remain my favorite game of all time. 

A few years later, development began on a port of A Link to the Past for the Game Boy.  Eventually, the Game Boy game became it's own original title and we were granted the excellent Link's Awakening.  Considered non-canonical (then again, is there really much order in Zelda lore?) Awakening is ONCE AGAIN OLD SPOILER ALERT sort of a dream, which makes sense since it has little to do with Hyrule and Princess Zelda gets barely a passing mention.  Seeking further training following the events of A Link to the Past, Link has an accident and washes up on Koholint Island.  Here he is greeted by Marin (also seen in Zelda 64) and is told by an Owl that in order to return to Hyrule, he must awaken the Windfish.  In order to do so, he must gather the 8 instruments around the island.  The island is inhabited by Nighmarish creatures that wish to rule the Windfish's dreams but eventually Link accomplishes his task and is then SPOILER THAT YOU SERIOUSLY SHOULD KNOW BY NOW told that this whole ordeal is just a dream. 

Link's Awakening had memorable characters and added mechanics rarely seen even today in Zelda titles.  Players were granted the ability to jump (last seen in Zelda II) and many fourth wall breaking jokes were also put into the games dialogue.  Cameo appearances from Kirby, Wart (Mario 2), Yoshi, and even Chomp helped to further Awakening from previous Zelda titles but gameplay was classic Zelda and is widely regarded as one of the greatest games of all time, even warranting a color remake released in 1998.  As much as I'd like to, it's kind of hard for me to differentiate my memories of the original version and the remade DX version since I played both at a young age, but one thing that remains constant is the amount of fun both games brought.  Minigames like fishing and the claw machine actually had me amazed at what Nintendo's classic handheld could do and I believe this was the first Zelda game I ever beat.  I know most gamers get upset when developers pull the "it was all a DREAM" twist at the end of games but I actually didn't mind it.  I appreciate the game for what it is and that's a memorable and well-made game that I'd recommend to any Game Boy owner anyday.  Various trading side-quests, robbing the store and having my name changed to THIEF, and Link's relationship with Marin.  Thinking back, I might have to say that Marin may be my first videogame character crush ever!  Not really something to be proud of, but I could care less because I was young, Marin is an awesome character, and if you think I'm a loser then you're an even bigger loser for reading the ramblings of a Zelda nerd! 

Part 3 coming soon hopefully!

Hot Springs Story

iOS Devices (2/28)
$3.99

Hot Springs Story is Kairosoft's follow-up to one of my favorite iOS titles, Game Dev Story.  I loved Game Dev and everyone who even tried the game became instantly hooked.  My friend Roski literally deleted it from his phone because it was too addictive.  Suffice it to say, the game was really good.  However, after a playthrough or two, there really isn't much left to do and you don't really go back to it.  Thankfully, Kairosoft released Hot Springs Story and fans can get addicted again!  But at a whopping $4 is it worth buying? 

If you've played Game Dev Story then this game should instantly appeal to you.  There are similarities, but at the same time many differences in Hot Springs Story.  Instead of becoming a successful Video Game developer, you're trying to run a Hot Springs place where you must balance money, satisfaction of customers, decor, and compatibility.  I initially didn't understand all of the mechanics but quickly figured out what to do.  Aside from targeting specific demographics, you are constantly trying to rank in various magazines that grade scenery, restaurants, or your springs themselves.  Springs is more engaged compared to Game Dev but that's not really saying much.  Here you need to upgrade scenery, add perks to specific facilities, and consistently add to your constantly growing land.  Trust me when I say, it's much more fun then it sounds. 

Although I enjoyed the game, I definitely would have to say that Game Dev Story is better in more ways then not.  Maybe it was due to the fact that in GDS you were designing specific games and titled each one as you eagerly awaited your scores, feedback, and sales but I truly feel GDS is superior.  Throw in the fact that it's also cheaper and I'd definitely recommend it over HSS.  However, that isn't to say that I don't think HSS is worth it, just that if you had to choose between the two, GDS would be the better choice.  Some design flaws from GDS (like not being able to play landscape style) have been remedied and fans will definitely appreciate them.  But just like with GDS, Hot Springs also suffers from a lack of replayability.

Pathetic

Not much in replay value
$4?  (supposed to be $5 I think!)
May not be engaging enough

Very Nice!

Tons of fun
Improved Battery Consumption (from GDS)
Simple yet addictive
Visually and Audibly appealing

FINAL GRADE: B-

I truly wanted to give this game a score, but there are a lot of factors against justifying anything higher.  The price is kind of steep, there isn't much to do after you beat the game (knowing Kairosoft, there won't be any updates neither) so you kind of get the game as is.  A solid title but I'd recommend waiting for a promotional price drop.

Battleheart

iOS devices (2/7)
$2.99 (price drops occasionally to $1)

Battleheart has an undeniable charm about it.  While there is literally no story, you guide 4 characters (out of a dozen) through various stages until a final showdown with the face of evil.  Simple in style yet surprisingly deeper then one would expect, Battleheart had me draining my iPhone battery consistently.  Aside from the instantly likeable sprites, the game has surprising amounts of detail to abilities and animations.  I was amazed at the variety of enemies and different powers each party member possessed and enjoyed level grinding just to unlock new ones.  This is also another area that Battleheart excels in that it incorporates it's RPG elements very smoothly.  Each character starts at a low level but every 4-5 levels gained, they are granted a new ability.  Some may be passive, while others are activated by pushing the character and an icon appearing in the upper-left corner of the screen.  Finding party members that compliment eachother is a very rewarding experience and I found myself needing to switch out my knight because he didn't mesh well with others playstyles. 

This isn't to say that there aren't issues with the game, but they are more irritating then problematic.  One nuisance I have is the imprecise way to control each character and their powers.  You must first tap a character to bring up their powers and sometimes you must direct powers (especially projectiles) towards specific enemies.  I often found myself controlling the wrong character or healing the wrong person due to a lack of accuracy.  However, this didn't occur frequently and I didn't feel like it took too much away from my overall experience, but felt the need to address it.  Perhaps they'll release a patch with an alternate control scheme for those with big fingers?

FINAL GRADE: A-

What more could you really want from an iOS title?  Great graphics, a decent variety of characters and enemies, and a great system incorporating RPG elements.  Even after beating the final boss players are welcomed to test new characters out and continue searching for better weapons and gear.  

Zelda Retrospective Part 1

I thank God for granting me another year in decent health and am very thankful to everyone out there reading this.  Today I am 24 and not too long ago, one of my favorite game franchises celebrated it's 25th anniversary.  I'm of course talking about The Legend of Zelda and I felt that this would be the perfect time to reflect not only upon the franchise itself, but also the individual characters and the role they played in my life.  Join me on my retrospective of one of the most influential franchises in gaming history and possibly share your thoughts in a comment below.

Keep in mind, this is all opinionated and based entirely on my own experiences.  You're entitled to your own opinions and I respect them.  Also, this is mainly written fresh from the mind so there may be some errors.

I was born in 1987, the same year that The Legend of Zelda was released in America.  Technically, the Americanized Zelda franchise is the same age as mine but since it was first released in Japan in 1986, it really is 25 years old.  I began playing games at a young age and managed to beat the original Mario Bros at the age of 2 or 3.  I remember one day my pops inserted this shiny gold cartridge into our NES and this odd tan colored background came up.  I've always had a good memory and would often memorize things my dad did whenever he played.  Sometimes, he would forget to hold down reset when turning his system off and *poof* all of his memory would be deleted, meaning he'd start from the beginning.  This ensured that I spent many hours seeing the same sequences repeated which embedded them into my head. 

When I finally decided to attempt this massive quest, I got to about the 2nd dungeon until I began to get lost.  Keep in mind that I was only 4 or 5 at the time and majority of the games we played as kids involved us moving right and beating up everything in our way so it's not surprising I would lose my way.  I eventually would grow tired of not knowing where to go and would eventually play something else but every so often I would go back and as I continued to grow I would get further and further.  This was before the internet was readily available with guides and I didn't have a subscription to Nintendo Power so I had to rely on help from my father or hope to get lucky.  For those who played the original Zelda, this game was ripe with secrets!  Whereas more current Zelda titles usually indicate explodable walls with an obvious crack, some walls in the original NES didn't have cracks and could easily be missed.  This resulted in many hours spent bombing every wall and attempting to burn every bush around which didn't really translate to much fun as a kid. 

Thankfully, I was able to replay through the Legend of Zelda on my GBA and made it all the way up to Ganon, yet for some reason never beat him.  I had a bad habit at the time of making it to the final level/dungeon/boss in most games but never beating them (like Beyond Good & Evil, Jak II) and regret not finishing him off.  It might have had to do with the fact that I was spoiled with controls more akin to A Link to the Past and hated jabbing enemies to death as opposed to Link's sword slash.  This is not to take anything away from the Legend of Zelda and unlike some NES classics (Metroid) this game has actually aged pretty well.  I as well as many others out there regard this title as one of the most influential titles ever created and while I don't consider it the best, it definitely is a great lesson in nostalgic gaming.

While I have warm fuzzy feelings when discussing the original Legend of Zelda, the same can't be said for it's sequel The Adventure of Link.  I know that many fans out there are crying foul but please allow me the opportunity to defend my opinion.  I was a young kid and wasn't ready for the drastic changes along with the increased difficulty so I quickly dismissed this title.  Nintendo took a risk changing it's well praised top-down perspective along with it's formula in favor of a more dominant side-scrolling romp.  These days it's a pretty wide agreement that Zelda II was a very good title, but like Mario 2, there are still some out there that consider it the dark sheep in their respective franchises.  It has been years since I touched Zelda II but I truly can't consider myself a fan unless I make an attempt to play through this underappreciated gem.

*I didn't realize how much I had to say about Zelda so I will be splitting this up into different parts.  I don't know how many parts I'm going to have so I will try to continue as soon as possible.  Please let me know your opinions and feel free to share your own thoughts.  Thanks for reading!

Fight NIght Champion

Developed by EA Canada (3/1)
Multiplatform

EA Sports boxing franchise has once again changed their name and while it's not as significant a jump from Knockout Kings to Fight Night, it is now treading some new water.  For starters, Champion is the first major sports title to be given a Mature rating (major as in simulation unlike NFL Blitz) and it definitely shows the difference.  Also, the controls have been streamlined making it much more simpler to throw punches out and string combos together.  Is the changes justified or should should this retooling have been hung up like EA's NBA Elite franchise?

The controls are much more simpler this year and the developers even mapped punches to the face buttons again.  While this is great for newcomers and fans of button mashers, most will elect to use the right stick.  However, veterans of Fight Night may initially be turned off due to what some have deemed "over-simplication" due to the fact that most strikes are flicks instead of quarter-circles or 3/4 circles now.  While it took me a few fights to get used to, I quickly learned the new system and saw how much easier it was to cue up combos.  Also, blocking is now done automatically without the need to aim it using the right stick.  This may seem like unnecessary but since players don't have to hold down block and aim the right stick, this leaves the stick open for striking out of blocks.  By allowing this change, it ensures quicker striking and smarter boxing (in my opinion.)  While technically similar, EA changed enough to cause veterans to be turned off, but I commend EA for making these changes.  I do have some issues with combos being thrown due to some oversensitive controls, but overall it didn't really ruin my experience with the game.

Along with a change in control is the more mature feel of the title.  Immediately once you've booted up the disc you're thrown into a bare knuckle brawl in a ring located at a penitentiary.  This new story is called "Champion Mode" and stars fictional Middleweight Prospect Andre Bishop.  The story follows his fall from grace and the dirty corrupt business between boxing promotors.  The dialogue is much more adult then one would initially expect from a sports title but overall fit the story and was enjoyable.  While the story itself was pretty cliche, I enjoyed it and liked the way EA Canada handled certain story elements.  Whether fighting through a broken hand, engaging in a bare-knuckle brawl, or being wary of a left hook, EA incorporated them well into the story and it switched things up from the typical tournament fare of past Fight Nights.  I must admit though that some of these challenges were downright ridiculous with one fight in particular practically having me run for half the fight!  Overall, it was enjoyable and I look forward to improvements in future installments.

Aside from the main story, the in-ring action definitely wears it's Mature rating on it's sleeve.  The real-time damage caused by the fighters may not be apparent initially but once you see the blood gushing and the realistic bruising you'll quickly agree that the Mature rating was warranted.  Often times I was impressed at certain angles I was able to score the knockdowns with that I told my girlfriend to look and she immediately thought it looked too gross and realistic.  You'd think that after three installments, the super slow-mo KOs would lose their touch, but I still enjoy watching the fighters hit the canvas after a perfectly timed uppercut.  I have to admit that I wasn't in love with FNR4 but have grown to really enjoy FNC. 

Pathetic

Controls may be too simple for veterans of FNR4
Isaac Frost is RIDICULOUSLY CHEAP
Some story mode fights aren't fun at all
Combos sometimes thrown unintentionally due to sensitive controls
Locked promotional fighters? (Classic Foreman)

Very Nice!

Champion Mode is a lot of fun
Control changes are warranted and intuitive
Damage is painfully realistic
Fighter movement is much less robotic then FNR4
Controls are incredibly responsive
Bare-Knuckle Brawls were incredibly satisfying

FINAL GRADE: B

Champion Mode was enjoyable and the action seemed more quicker and fluid.  The controls took some getting used to but definitely add to the experience.  EA took a risk earning a Mature rating but it definitely paid off.  If you loved Round 3 but hated Round 4 (which was pretty good) Champion may rekindle your love for boxing games.

Dead Space 2 Severed (DLC)

$7 for PSN or 560 pts for Xbox Live

I really enjoyed Dead Space 2 and once the first piece of downloadable content was announced, I couldn't wait for it's release.  However, this new content starred Gabe Weller from the Wii's Dead Space Extraction.  Regardless, I was eager for another reason to play Dead Space 2 so I quickly downloaded Severed.  I was pretty underwhelmed, to say the least.

For the $7 you're paying, you're given two completely new chapters starring a protagonist (most don't really know) on a mission to save his wife.  This rescue mission takes place apparently moments after Isaac Clarke's romp on the Sprawl.  While I enjoyed seeing the place after the carnage Clarke had to endure, It almost seemed more of a rehash of Dead Space 2 with very little added.  I am glad that the developers brought back the very creepy Twitchers from Dead Space 1, but overall the experience felt like more of the same which is sad because in the short amount of time spent with Gabe, I did find myself interested in his story.  Clocking in at a little over an hour (I took about 75 minutes on Zealot difficulty) though doesn't really seem to be giving buyers much for their buck.  If you love Dead Space (especially it's story) then I'd recommend checking it out.  For casual fans however, it's definitely passable.

FINAL GRADE: C-

Bulletstorm

Developed by People Can Fly & Epic Games (2/22)
Multiplatform

I'm sure by now most of you have seen or heard of Bulletstorm and if not, you probably know it as that game that makes fun of other shooters.  Epic actually released a free game spoof titled Duty Calls: The Calm Before the Storm.  Aside from the clever marketing campaign, Bulletstorm also got some free publicity by the Media targeting it as "too violent a title marketed towards our youth."  I'm sure many have completely glanced over this game deeming it too immature, but should you really pass this title by?

Bulletstorm is from the studio that brought you Gears of War and for fans of that franchise, it definitely shows.  Your hero Grayson Hunt is a loudmouth drunk who leads a former Black Ops squad on a mission for revenge.  You and your men were being used as mercenaries killing innocents under the lies of General Sarrano and now Hunt is seeking atonement.  The story is typical but the dialogue is oddly decent.  Penned by one of the writers for Marvels Punisher, we're treated to some of the most colorful language I've seen in a video game.  Sometimes the cursing is overly excessive but overall it's not too grating.  Don't have high expectations for the story though because it's really just a reason to kill enemies in the most brutal fashion you possibly can.

Early in the game you're given a device which is essentially a energized lasso.  Using the energy leash, you can grab enemies out of the air, snatch up explosives, or use it to clear a path for your group.  Hunt can pull enemies into an electrical field followed by wrapping another in an explosive and kicking him into a group before his untimely demise.  These are what the game calls Skillshots and players are awarded with more points to be used for upgrades for every skillshot they achieve.  Before I continue though lets get one thing straight: If you play Bulletstorm like typical shooters then you are completely missing the point.  Is it possible to go through the entire game using the original assault rifle and leash?  I don't doubt it at all but given the creativity of some of these guns along with their respective skillshots, you'd be doing yourself a great disservice to attempt such a boring feat. 

Aside from the various weapons you wield, you're given control of different turrets (one of which you control from a helicopter in what is one of my favorite scenes) and also given the reigns of a remote control *SPOILER REMOVED*.  While these are nice distractions, after awhile I grew tired of the braindead enemies.  The AI either directly runs at you or randomly fires near cover, but doesn't exhibit much logic.  Throw in the fact that there's only a handful of enemies and things sometimes get tedious.  I found myself eventually just kicking enemies into the environment instead of attempting various skillshots due to the fact that I've either gotten most of them, or that some of these are downright ridiculous (have a cannonball travel 100 meters without bouncing and killing an enemy).  Overall though I'd say the single-player is an enjoyable experience while it lasts.  Unfortunately, there isn't a proper co-op campaign and instead gamers are given a horde mode similar to GoW.  This isn't to say that it's not worth your $60, just to be wary of what you're purchasing.

Pathetic

AI leaves much to be desired
Not too much in the way of replay value
Lacks a true co-op campaign
Language may be a turnoff
Plot is forgetful
Partners are just plain bad

Very Nice!

Energy Leash feels fresh
Skillshots are clever and fun
Some really epic boss fights
The Sniper! (see Singularity)
Using the Environment to take out enemies

FINAL GRADE: B

While the story was enjoyable, I really didn't have the immediate desire to go through the campaign again.  The weapons are a lot of fun and the game has a lot of memorable moments.  The game is a nice change from the typical shooters that Epic is trying to spoof.  Revolutionary though?  Not really. 

Update 2/27

I've been playing a good amount of Marvel Vs Capcom 3 and already lost many nights playing against Mahcus and my brother.  I wanted to work on a review but there are still some issues that could easily be addressed in a future patch.  Overall it's not as technically sound as Super Street Fighter IV, but I have to admit that it is a heck of a lot more fun. 

Also, I've been working on Bulletstorm and De Blob 2 so hopefully reviews will be released shortly.  Other great quick reviews coming out for iPhone titles like Battleheart and League of Evil.  In all honesty, I just haven't really had too much time with the computer like I used to.  I promise that more reviews will be coming out this week and I plan to release my 25th anniversary of Zelda Retrospective within the next week or so.  Hopefully you enjoy it (assuming people actually read my work) and I have more plans on releasing top 5 lists.

Current Plans:

Marvel Vs Capcom 3 review ft Mahcus Marks
Quick Reviews of Battleheart and League of Evil
New "Why Haven't You Played This Yet?'
Top 5 Games That We Better Support This Year!

Which would you like to read first? 

You Don't Know Jack

Developed by Jellyvision Games (2/8/11)

You Don't Know Jack is not only my favorite quiz show game (currently) but is also my favorite party game at the moment.  While that statement may not seem like much, consider that this means it beats out the Kinect, Rock Band, and other quiz games like PS3s Buzz.  This isn't to say that those games aren't enjoyable because the previous three mentioned are some of my favorites at parties, it's just a testament as to how enjoyable YDKJ truly is.

Even though it's fairly common knowledge, for those in the dark YDKJ is actually a revival from a PC franchise that came out in the 90s.  Praised for it's wit and snarky humor, YDKJ became a hit nationwide.  As the rise of console gaming grew, Jellyvision didn't make the leap to consoles as smoothly as other franchises releasing only two games for the PS1 earning moderate success.  Aside from these two titles, there were over 15 YDKJ's released along with compilation packs from '95-'03.  For close to eight years the franchise seemed buried (aside from a beta and success in other countries) which makes the revival all the more impressive.  I owned volume 2 on the PC and while many times my brother and I didn't understand the content (rightfully so) we had a blast playing it.  In case I didn't make myself clear in the first paragraph, this game definitely does it's previous entries justice. 

Up to four players can get in on one of 74 episodes consisting of 11 questions each divided into 3 rounds.  Majority of questions are multiple choice and scores are determined on how quickly players buzz the right answers in.  Those with itchy fingers may want to hold off before answering though because if you get the wrong answer, you could lose just as many points (sometimes downwards of -$2000).  Every player is given one screw that can be used on an opponent to force them to answer a question but once again, it can backfire.  If a player is screwed and gets the answer right, the screwee (?) loses cash.  Peppered in every game is a dis-or-dat usually reserved for the losing players where they must determine if a statement belongs in column A or column B.  While some are difficult, majority of them are easy (tweets from Dalai Lama or Taylor Swift?)  The first two rounds follow the above order (round 1 worth $2000 a question while round 2 doubles that) but the final round is known simply as the Jack Attack.  There will be a clue given and slowly one word will be floating closer towards the screen.  During this time, other words will quickly float by and players must buzz in when the two words match and fit the clue.  Often times this is truly the game changer and left me with my friends anxiously waiting to see who actually pulled off the comeback win.

Certain omissions from previous installments are understandable due to the lack of a keyboard (like my favorite Gibberish Questions) but overall this is definitely a solid title.  Some people may gripe at the lack of visuals but the writing is hilarious and had us laughing the entire time.  You could easily lose a night quickly playing through the many episodes but don't fear because they're already releasing DLC episodes for purchase.  Throw in the fact that the game released with a $30 price tag and you have a solid title that is a great addition to your party nights. 

Pathetic

No more Snickerclish Testgum?  Umm..I mean Gibberish Questions.
Humor may not be for everyone
If you're a loner, don't bother
Online play doesn't replicate the joy of playing locally

 Very Nice!

Lots of fun and at a great price!
Wrong answers of the day are great as is the entire sponsor/commercials
Writing is once again strong and funny
Promise of future DLC means this game will stay in your system for a long time
Simple enough for anyone to get into
Some of the most fun you'll have playing with your friends on the same sofa

FINAL GRADE: A

Incredibly fun party game that anyone can play.  I highly recommend you pick it up or at least give it a rental for a free friday night.  The humor is more hit then miss and I found my friends and I really getting into the games.