Been waiting for Tatsunoko vs Capcom to arrive, but due to the Xmas post it and the fact it was coming from Hong Kong I decided to pick up some other stuff in the sales to play.
Ordered Far Cry 2 for 18 notes online, as my bro said it was good stuff. Tip top, but that's something else I've got to wait for.
Bobbed into town to get the food shopping and ended up grabbing a few CDs (Spiritualized's "Songs in A & E" and Ida Maria's "Fortress Round my Heart"), then hit up Woolies to see what was left. Not a fucking thing unsurprisingly, unless I wanted an electric fan, some odd plates, or enough Bratz dollz to sink a ship.
Had better luck in GS though, nabbing Viva Pinata Trouble in Paradise, Midnight CLub LA and Bangai-O Spirits for under 50 quid!!! Retails loss is my gain, boo-ya!
Get home all excited with my new purchases, and the postman has been. TvC is here, and now I've got more stuff to play than your average game store.
Gah! GAH! GAAAAH!
Suppose I could look at it as a cup half full kinda deal, but that's not in my nature...
Anyway, I'm off to stove someone's face in as Ryu and Ken the Eagle. Yay!
Saturday, 27 December 2008
Having fun Wii play together...
So Christmas has come and gone, and having spent a few days at the in-laws and eaten and drunk too much, I also got to witness the Wii in full-on family party action.
It finally makes sense when you see everyone in the room having a go at Wii Sports Bowling. Anyone can pick it up, from my 4 year old niece to her 60 year old grandad, and everyone was having fun. Good times guaranteed.
Problem is though, how many times will it get played outside a family gathering? My wife's parents aren't renowned for being gamers, and i can definitely see the novelty wearing off. Also, how many games will they buy? Sure Nintendo got the money for the console sale, but they seem happy enough with Bowling and Golf, and I doubt they'd be bothered to stump up £30 for another game that they probably won't play much. Revenue stream ended!
I should have put a bet on - £10 it's gathering dust by February. I know ours certainly was last year.
I reckon around the country there's thousands of the buggers sat in family living rooms, destined to join the ranks of unused must-have consumer electronics like the Breville toaster, the juicer, the rowing machine, and many more.
Ah well, there's light at the end of the tunnel for this gamer in the form of Tatsunoko vs Capcom, which can't arrive quick enough, but for everyone who got one on Xmas day I can only say I'm sorry.
Hope Santa brings you a decent games machine next year.
It finally makes sense when you see everyone in the room having a go at Wii Sports Bowling. Anyone can pick it up, from my 4 year old niece to her 60 year old grandad, and everyone was having fun. Good times guaranteed.
Problem is though, how many times will it get played outside a family gathering? My wife's parents aren't renowned for being gamers, and i can definitely see the novelty wearing off. Also, how many games will they buy? Sure Nintendo got the money for the console sale, but they seem happy enough with Bowling and Golf, and I doubt they'd be bothered to stump up £30 for another game that they probably won't play much. Revenue stream ended!
I should have put a bet on - £10 it's gathering dust by February. I know ours certainly was last year.
I reckon around the country there's thousands of the buggers sat in family living rooms, destined to join the ranks of unused must-have consumer electronics like the Breville toaster, the juicer, the rowing machine, and many more.
Ah well, there's light at the end of the tunnel for this gamer in the form of Tatsunoko vs Capcom, which can't arrive quick enough, but for everyone who got one on Xmas day I can only say I'm sorry.
Hope Santa brings you a decent games machine next year.
Monday, 15 December 2008
Chun and Jun.
Some great artwork from Capcom's Wii fighter, Tatsunoko vs Capcom, featuring everyone's favourite massive thighed oriental policelady and my personal favourite Gatchaman.
The game works on Gecko OS so I will be getting as soon as someone sends me a copy of Zelda Twilight Princess to hack the Wii.
Dream teamups ahead - Ryu and Viewtiful Joe, Chunners and Batsu from Rival Schools, and Ken and Jun from Gatchaman (or Mark and Princess if you were a Battle of the Planets fan like me) :D
Finally, something worth playing on the bloody machine! Yay!
Sunday, 14 December 2008
Prince of Persia - an American Iranian on rails
Dear me. Deary deary me. What the fricking hell have they done to Prince of Persia?
The original remake (now there's a sign of the current videogame times) was a belting 3D reinvention of the classic acrobatic adventure, putting you in full control of a brooding but gymnastic Persian aristocrat. The series quickly went off the boil, with the brooding becoming full blown emo-metal angst and the shabby combat taking precedence over the sublime platforming. Meh.
The promise of a second restart for the series, using an advanced version of the Assassin's Creed engine and lovely cartoony cel shaded trickery excited many fans of the series, but I was holding back - Creed had been a bit of a let down, fantastic to look at but ultimately dull and repetitive. Even the inclusion of a virtual Kristen Bell couldn't save it.
So i held off, and picked it up yesterday for rent. I'd heard it was easy and the game held your hand to a degree, but jesus. Sweet christ, this is just a joke. I'm all for makig games accessible but the one button control system (press A to do everything *almost*)and the inclusion of Elika and her magical abilities have made this latest outing completely un-Prince of Persia. Sure you still leap and cavort across walls and girders, swinging from pillar to post and occasionally mashing buttons for some once again unsatisfactory copmbat, but it just never really feels like you're involved.
If you fall Elika saves you, if you can't make a jump Elika pushes you over, if you get injured she heals you. You tap one button to jump, hold it to run up walls, tap it again to change wall or scamper across roofs. Upside down. Yup, the Prince has decided his previous gravity defying shenanigans were too grounded in reality, so now the spritely chap can scamper across ceilings. >_<
The game even awards the first chunk of achievements simply for playing. I got about 110 points for various things such as "Starting the adventure" and "Talking to Elika". I half expected one for pressing a button or saving a game. Totally lame.
And all of this hand holding and simplified control is outweighed by the fact that the Prince and his companion are now about as Persian as the cast of High School Musical, and just as fucking annoying.
I RENTED this and I still feel hard done by. Pretty graphics really can't save this one.
Avoid people, avoid.
The original remake (now there's a sign of the current videogame times) was a belting 3D reinvention of the classic acrobatic adventure, putting you in full control of a brooding but gymnastic Persian aristocrat. The series quickly went off the boil, with the brooding becoming full blown emo-metal angst and the shabby combat taking precedence over the sublime platforming. Meh.
The promise of a second restart for the series, using an advanced version of the Assassin's Creed engine and lovely cartoony cel shaded trickery excited many fans of the series, but I was holding back - Creed had been a bit of a let down, fantastic to look at but ultimately dull and repetitive. Even the inclusion of a virtual Kristen Bell couldn't save it.
So i held off, and picked it up yesterday for rent. I'd heard it was easy and the game held your hand to a degree, but jesus. Sweet christ, this is just a joke. I'm all for makig games accessible but the one button control system (press A to do everything *almost*)and the inclusion of Elika and her magical abilities have made this latest outing completely un-Prince of Persia. Sure you still leap and cavort across walls and girders, swinging from pillar to post and occasionally mashing buttons for some once again unsatisfactory copmbat, but it just never really feels like you're involved.
If you fall Elika saves you, if you can't make a jump Elika pushes you over, if you get injured she heals you. You tap one button to jump, hold it to run up walls, tap it again to change wall or scamper across roofs. Upside down. Yup, the Prince has decided his previous gravity defying shenanigans were too grounded in reality, so now the spritely chap can scamper across ceilings. >_<
The game even awards the first chunk of achievements simply for playing. I got about 110 points for various things such as "Starting the adventure" and "Talking to Elika". I half expected one for pressing a button or saving a game. Totally lame.
And all of this hand holding and simplified control is outweighed by the fact that the Prince and his companion are now about as Persian as the cast of High School Musical, and just as fucking annoying.
I RENTED this and I still feel hard done by. Pretty graphics really can't save this one.
Avoid people, avoid.
Saturday, 13 December 2008
Games price madness!
Is it just me, or have the recent price decreases across the board on videogames made it almost impossible to think pre-ordering a game is a good idea?
Pre-ordering always seems a bit mad to me anyway, unless it's a truly limited edition or an import obscurity, but if you were unlucky enough to pre-order or buy any of the Christmas big releases in the last few weeks on launch day, you've basically lost a small fortune.
Just about every single game released has dropped in price a week later, sometimes by as much as 50%. It's fucking insane tbh.
Credit crunch, retail panic, or the idiotic tendency of the software industry to release EVERYTHING IN ONE MONTH - whatever's causing it, it's a double edged sword for the punters. Bargains are to be had for the patient, but those must have games could end up costing you twice what they would if you can't wait.
Surely all this is teaching customers is that if they wait, they'll get it cheaper? Seems that way to me - I really can't bring myself to buy a game on launch anymore, as I'd rather wait a week and save a tenner. Or more, depending on how desperate the publishers are for sales or the retailers are for footfall.
Anyway rant over. I'm off to play Prince of Persia - rented for 3.95 for a week.If it's half as easy as the reviews claim, I reckon I'll rinse it no worries. Certainly better than paying 40 or 25 or whatever it is this minute.
Which means more beer in my fridge. Winner.
Pre-ordering always seems a bit mad to me anyway, unless it's a truly limited edition or an import obscurity, but if you were unlucky enough to pre-order or buy any of the Christmas big releases in the last few weeks on launch day, you've basically lost a small fortune.
Just about every single game released has dropped in price a week later, sometimes by as much as 50%. It's fucking insane tbh.
Credit crunch, retail panic, or the idiotic tendency of the software industry to release EVERYTHING IN ONE MONTH - whatever's causing it, it's a double edged sword for the punters. Bargains are to be had for the patient, but those must have games could end up costing you twice what they would if you can't wait.
Surely all this is teaching customers is that if they wait, they'll get it cheaper? Seems that way to me - I really can't bring myself to buy a game on launch anymore, as I'd rather wait a week and save a tenner. Or more, depending on how desperate the publishers are for sales or the retailers are for footfall.
Anyway rant over. I'm off to play Prince of Persia - rented for 3.95 for a week.If it's half as easy as the reviews claim, I reckon I'll rinse it no worries. Certainly better than paying 40 or 25 or whatever it is this minute.
Which means more beer in my fridge. Winner.
Friday, 12 December 2008
Rogue - Japanese style.
Instantly the most wanted thing on my masive list of wanted things, Kotobukiya's statue of Shunya Yamashita's design of Marvel Comic's X-hotty Rogue (phew)is not out for 7 months, but will be the object of my desire until I have it. That's a lot of time for desiring shit. >_<
Honestly just look at it! Pre-order get!
Order it here -
Toys Logic - Rogue figure.
They killed Jill!
Well, gotta make a first post about something, so it might as well be of earth shattering importance.
New Japanese advert for Biohazard 5 (Resident Evil 5 for us pesky Western types) shows Chris Redfield crouching over a grave. Jill Valentine's grave. Can't imagine her famous unlocking skillz will come in much use inside a coffin.
Me am cry.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)