And on display...

...is the contest-only limited-edition bundle for Uncharted 2, complete with a 1:1 replication of the dagger in-game. This will surely be a prize giveaway tonight.

Uncharted 2 on the big screen!

A week before the game's release, Naughty Dog is holding special screenings of Uncharted 2 at 4 different locations tonight and tomorrow (Oct. 5th and 6th), and I'm at the Embarcadero theater in San Francisco for one of them.

For $15, not only will attendees get the chance to preview the game (on a big screen, no less), but they'll each receive a gift bag, raffle ticket, and participate in tournaments for prizes. Representatives will surely be around to answer questions and provide tips and tricks as well.

I'll be posting more pictures and impressions later tonight.

Uncharted 2 brings out the online gamer in me

I'm not much of an online gamer.

I don't play World of Warcraft, I don't play Halo online, I don't even play Mario Kart online as much. Combine the lack of skill I possess compared to the world, and online multiplayer becomes a tired reminder of how bad I suck.

And the field of games that use it don't offer much variety. Most of the time, it's just "deathmatch" or "capture the flag." And it's either you let yourself or the entire team down as you die time and time again.

But with Uncharted 2, I feel a little different - I feel a little more useful.

First off, there's the additional co-op modes, either campaign or arena. It's called a "friends" list for a reason. This way, I don't have to sever ties with my online buddies and, instead, play a co-op game where I help out my fellow comrades. Besides, this just unleashes a hoard of baddies wave after wave, making teamwork all the more satisfying.

Also, the gameplay mechanics are very well tuned, probably because not much has been changed since the first game. Guns aren't absolutely punishing, and your character is quite agile enough to dodge most dire situations...all with the fluidity and grace one has come to expect in an Uncharted game.

The leveling up system is also very pleasant, allowing you to improve your online stats and character the more you play. It not only makes playing online more rewarding, but it also feels like a brand new game in addition to the normal single-player game.

What really cinches it for me was the Cinema mode. After a deathmatch game I played, the entire game was saved to my PS3. Now I can view the entire match, change from player to player, and observe everyone's actions and reactions throughout the game! And, as an aesthetic touch, you can also adjust cameras and lighting, and change the environment settings for dramatic flare, as well as pause the action to take snapshots of particular victories.

Now, when I finally get better playing online, I can show my friends my greatest matches, or show them pictures of my glorious takedowns!

Expect me to be playing this game online much much more when Uncharted 2 ships officially October 13th!

Katamari Forever rolls through the front door

Katamari Damacy and We (heart) Katamari were two very awesome titles that said "the hell" with fancy graphics and gave us something so addictive, so simple and so bizarre - the ability to roll up balls of random shit. The game could have been called "Dung Beetle Rolling A Ball of Crap" and I would've still thought the game to be very awesome.

Two other games, Beautiful Katamari (360) and Me & My Katamari (PSP) have also made it to market, but offer pretty much the same flare.

Now the PS3 is next in this largely-drawn-out series with the new Katamari Forever (Katamari Damacy Tribute in Japan). As the Japanese name implies, this is a little re-hash of some of the best levels from the game series, as well as some new ones (At least to me...maybe some were from the 360 version, but I wouldn't know.)

Having not playing the previous games in some time, it was great to go back into the mindlessly-rolling world of Katamari again. And while the game is still really fun to play, there are still some issues that irk me; random lag times during gameplay and pop-ups plague the game at times. Overall, though, the randomness and quirkiness of the game pleases the child in me, so it'll be worth my time.

Zero Punctuation catch-up: The Beatles Rock Band, Guitar Hero 5, and Darkest of Days

Apologies for the stagnant week of no posting. At the very least, though, on this "Lazy Friday," I can at least double up on the amount of Zero Punctuation reviews, with a review of The Beatles Rock Band and Guitar Hero 5 (two reviews, one video), and a review of Darkest of Days.

My own personal experience of The Beatles Rock Band have been gone over already, and it's a splendid title to have if you've exhausted your fill of Rock Band 2. Guitar Hero 5, on the other hand, has been off my radar for some time. In fact, I've officially made my peace with it some time ago, and haven't looked back since.

Darkest of Days appeals to my interest in time-traveling (BIG fan of Back to the Future, read Time Traveler's Wife), so I could foresee the game to be a quick and interesting romp through the most famous battles in history.

Both videos below and NSFW. Enjoy!

The Beatles Rock Band and Guitar Hero 5


Darkest of Days

The Beatles Rock Band...finished!

And not only finished, but 5-starred every song on the game! Well, okay, this shouldn't have been TOO surprising for many reasons, but playing through their songs reminded when I listened to their music in my youth.

Like Rock Band 2, The Beatles Rock Band will warrant much more replay value in the months to come for a couple good reasons - my wife is always willing to sing, and the trophies list is quite challenging to complete, if not downright impossible. Well, perhaps not for someone specifically good at one instrument. I don't foresee myself completing that 550-note streak for expert drumming anytime soon. But so far I'm knocking them down as I go.

Disgaea 2: Dark Hero Days arrives

The second game in the series, Disgaea 2: Dark Hero Days has arrived for PSP, along with its new content and tower gameplay mechanic from Disgaea 3. Hopefully, like the Disgaea PSP game before, the added portability factor will allow me to invest much more time into this game than I normally would if I had to hog the TV before.

Plus, it's harder for me to move the entire TV to the bathroom if I want to play in there.

Zero Punctuation review: Batman: Arkham Asylum

Now here is a treat, a game where Yahtzee finds to be good. But you know Yahtzee - the game-hating reviewer has to rag on something, right? So rather than praise what's been already praised before, he'll nick-pick all the minor flaws in the game and blow them up in a witty explosion.

The NSFW Batman: Arkham Asylum review is below, so enjoy!

Scribblenauts writes its way into my home

Scribblenauts, the highly-praised game of E3 2009, is finally in my hands and on my head, thanks to GameStop's pre-order bonus - the rooster hat. Already, this game has me going nuts just on the title screen, where you're free to just simply write down what you want to appear on the screen, even before starting the game.

While it's true that you can find almost any word represented in the game, remember that most vulgar words will not appear. Plus, they categorized certain words with the same image. Trying typing "squirrel" and "chipmunk," and you'll get the same squirrel image for both. Plus, it's amusing to spawn two rabbits in the same screen, and watch them reproduce! For an added bonus, type in "your mom" and see what appears!

And, just because I got the pre-order, here's an image of me donning the hat.

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune...finished!

Playing and beating Batman: Arkham Asylum twice over has given me tides of confidence over beating those types of games. Which is why I believe that it had a major part in me to complete Uncharted: Drake's Fortune in an astonishing (for me anyways) 5 days after purchase.

For an early PS3 title, there was quite an amount of detail, from the adrenaline-rushed gun fights to the crumbling rock barriers. And, like Batman: Arkham Asylum, there's a well-told story that's worth playing again - or watching again, if it were like a good movie. And I did this all without any hiccups or crashes, despite the firmware update they released recently to appease the few issues that were addressed with the new update.

While the game was great to play and the story flowed nicely, I think I'm gonna sit out a while before I play again. Unlike dying constantly in Batman, dying by some constant annoying gunfire in Uncharted is much more annoying.

I can't imagine waiting for a sequel for so long if you finished the game when it was released back in 2007. But the wait seems to be well worth it. Time to place my pre-order now.

Batman: Arkham Asylum (hard mode)...finished!

It's a very good thing I finished Batman: Arkham Asylum the first time in "normal" mode. If I had started the game on "hard" mode from the very beginning, I would've stopped playing in frustration. The meat of this game lies primarily in all the brawls you encounter throughout the game, and the "hard" part of the game is mostly from the enemies being stronger and more aggressive.

There are little aspects, too, that are ramped up in difficulty. Unlike the "easy" and "normal" modes, "hard" mode has no more of the Bat-sense halos over your enemies' heads during fights, so you'll truly need to anticipate their attacks to properly counter them. Also, they've decided that only in "hard" mode will the enemies be able to crane their necks and look above you, possibly catching you perched high up there in your seemingly-undetectable gargoyle and shoot you down.

In the end, I persevered through the tough battles, often spending up to a half-hour trying to pass the more endurance-driven bouts without being killed. Would I do it again? Hell no. If I'm gonna enjoy the story again, I'll play through it in "easy" mode next, just to equal things out. In the meantime, I'm looking forward to some more free content coming later this week!

A double dose of old PS3 exclusives

Taking full advantage of Best Buy's "buy one PS3 game, get the second half off" last week, I purchased two titles that'll be receiving the sequel treatment later this year: Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, and Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction. I figured that I should beat these games before the end of the year, with Ratchet having an additional DLC stand-alone expansion, Ratchet and Clank Future: Quest for Booty, to complete as well.

But so far, both games will sure to satisfy me to no end. Ratchet and Clank is just a great series overall, and I've had the pleasure of playing their second and third outings on the PS2. Uncharted just looks great with very convincing computer models that express more emotion than the characters from Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within.

As of this writing, I'm giving both equal playtime, but might favor Ratchet over Uncharted, simply for the fact that there are still some unresolved issues with the game against the new firmware.

My wife's new earrings

Totally forgot to post this up, but my wife got some interesting earrings earlier this week. Now, I'm the gamer in this relationship, but she wanted to purchase this all her own; I didn't influence her to buy them at all. With that said, this is what she got, along with closer shot:

Blooper earrings. Isn't she awesome?

I'll try to get better pics of them later, but I had only one picture at the moment, and I had nothing else to post for today.

The Beatles Rock Band ends up in my hands

I enjoy listening to Beatles in pleasant, music-inspiring batches when I feel that the music scene is too bogged down in repetitious songs, but never did I consider the The Beatles Rock Band to be an immediate purchase. Even after the time I spent on the game at E3, the game just didn't offer the challenge that I've gotten accustomed to in Rock Band. Yes, I understand the songs are simpler and known for their melody and impact, not for their wicket riffs and drum sets.

So why did I end up making the purchase? To play with my wife.

My interests peaked when she inquired about the game randomly. "Did you hear about this game? I'd play this game with you - I recognize more songs here than your Rock Band 2 game." And it's true; most of the time in Rock Band 2, she just doesn't know or get into the songs played there.

With a small glimmer of hope, I bought the game yesterday and left it alone while I attended to other errands. When I got home around 10:20 pm, my wife, to my surprise, wanted to play The Beatles Rock Band with me. And better still, she took on the drums AND mic at once, with me on the guitar. This proved a bit too taxing on her, so she ended up just taking the mic for the rest of the time, but that over-enthusiasm was priceless.

For the rest of the night, we went from song to song, mostly navigated by my wife, and sometimes to songs that even I'm not familiar with. Little did I know that she bought a greatest hits CD years ago and listened to their songs before - she's possibly a bigger Beatles fan than me! (Which isn't much of a stretch - I'm more of the "vanilla"-fare Beatles fan) Best of all, she seemed to enjoyed herself more than I did, with all the glorious visuals and myriad of songs to play and sing to.

And thankfully, my view of the game at E3 was slanted. All I got to play was the bass, and that wasn't terribly difficult even in Expert setting. But guitar was decently difficult in Expert mode, and that made me all happy all over again. The sort of happy I got when I first played Rock Band for the first time. And I thought I'd never feel that way again at least until the next Rock Band, let alone a stand-alone game for just Beatles songs.

Thank you, Harmonix, for getting my wife to play games with me again!

Zero Punctuation review: Wolfenstein

For this "Lazy Wednesday," Yahtzee has a review for Wolfenstein, entirely in limerick form.

First, the Irish accent, and now this limerick style? Is Yahtzee getting bored of his own shtick?

I'll just fondly remember the days when Wolfenstein 3D was the craze, what with its floor-after-floor-filled-with-nazis goodness, and a machine-gun-wielding robot Hitler. None of this "glowing skeletons" crap.

Anyhoo...NSFW and all that good stuff below, enjoy!

Muramasa slashes its way to my house

Look at that fold-out wall scroll! Just look at that! That thing's HUGE! I'm a pretty tall guy, and even with my arm span I wasn't able to unfold it all and hold it up! Now THAT'S an impressive pre-order bonus!

Muramasa: The Demon Blade has been, thus far, a gorgeous romp through George Kamitani's pieces of art. Much like the same experience I had with Odin Sphere, Kamitani's artwork not only sets the mood and atmosphere, but blends naturally with the style and gameplay that is traditionally known with his games. The slight heaving of the characters' chests as they breathe, the additional animations that display your food being eaten bite by savory bite, the slight glances by your main character as you run seamlessly through the layered scenery...everything is alive and vibrant with color and movement.

I'm looking forward to treasuring every moment of this.

Batman: henchman blows himself away

So, I'm starting a new campaign through Batman: Arkham Asylum's hard setting, and everything is fine and dandy so far; Batman fights thugs, Batman knocks them unconscious, rinse and repeat. When the last henchman falls, however, he's left in a very uncompromising position. One may speculate that it's a position that, left untreated, can prove fatal. Or ridiculously embarrassing.

It's one thing to get beaten up by Batman, but to land with his balls in his own mouth? That's gotta be a bit demoralizing...

The game labels all the baddies you knock out to be "unconscious" when you observe them in Detective Mode, but it's hard to imagine this particular henchman surviving the fight after landing like this. While I forgot to check for myself if he was still unconscious or deceased, it's clear that this is a Batman "fail." But I'll chalk this to the programmers for this oversight.

So more like a Batman programmers "fail."

Zero Punctuation review: Tales of Monkey Island

The Monkey Island series has always filled me with such gaming pleasure in the past, and is part of a long-dying genre of point-and-click adventure goodness. I remember the small satisfaction of using the right combination of objects to achieve your goal and progress the well-written story closer to its climatic end.

Of course, when you don't know what the hell you're suppose to do, then it becomes an angry race at making every possible combination of objects. And when you finally find the right one, you scream at the screen, "how the fuck does that make any sense???!?!?"

Ahem.

But Tales of Monkey Island is one series I hope to play soon, just because I miss those types of games from my gaming youth.

I share the same ire as Yahtzee does with previous Monkey Island games, but my (hopefully) better intelligence allows me to cleverly reason which objects to use, as opposed to myself 14 years ago, when I had the patience of a ripened banana.

So enjoy this review of the first two episodes by Yahtzee and his Irish alter ego. NSFW, of course.

Batman: Arkham Asylum...finished!

Despite the short single-mode campaign, Batman: Arkham Asylum is lengthier than most other games, and the end result makes the game feel like a very pleasant interactive movie. Everything melds together into fine, almost seamless transitions from one event to the next, with Batman controlling like a true superhero that rarely falters in his quest for justice. And even if you fall off a ledge accidentally, a quick grapple will bring you back to solid terra firma in true Batman form, feeling nothing like any cheap quick-time event.

I look forward to playing the Challenge Maps over and over for a good score, and to find all the unlockables still hidden on the island. Plus, I still have to play the game again in hard mode because...well, because it's like watching my favorite movie over again.

Scenes from the Anamanaguchi concert in DNA Lounge

It all started for me when I listened to Anamanaguchi’s cover for “Holiday” on the 8-bit Weezer tribute album and I coincidently noticed an ad for their San Francisco concert happening at August 30th. What followed was a quick search for Anamanaguchi’s site and an explosion of 8-bit goodness in the form of streaming audio and retro-style music videos. And to think this started a little more than a month ago. So after catching up with their last CD and streaming their latest songs from their latest CD, Dawn Metropolis, off their site, I went to their concert this past Sunday at San Francisco’s DNA Lounge.

The audience was surging with energy when they performed on-stage! The band started out strong with Blackout City, and mixed it up with songs from their last CD and Dawn Metropolis. They even played a not-yet-released song they composed with the help of an iPhone, and did a cover of the Go-Go’s Vacation as well.

The only thing that made the concert better? When Jake (the guy in the red T-shirt) told everyone that the smoke from the smoke machine smelled like bacon.

The hacked NES, GameBoy, iPhone, and second (backup?) NES.

James, the bass guitarist, selects the next 8-bit tunage to rock out to.

The crowd in a frenzy as Anamanaguchi ignited their fans with retro rock.

The club was pretty humid. Even Luke, the drummer behind Pete, got a little more...comfortable.

It doesn't look it, but Ary's prepping the next song from the GameBoy. Most likely Mermaid, since that was the song they mentioned was composed with only the GameBoy.

Probably the best thing was that, before the concert started, Anamanaguchi signed my CD! At the time, they couldn't find their bass player, James, to add the 4th signature, but I was able to get it after the concert! I can't wait for them to come back to San Francisco again!

Gaming setup #2

While playing on a nice large HD TV is very nice, the huge thing occupies our living/dining room, and is facing my wife while she's busy. While I respect her space and kindly refrain myself from playing games in her presense (long story short, I just enjoy her company), there ARE two TVs in my house.

So I decided to set up my ol' slim PS2 to the second screen and voila - gaming station #2! While it's not HD, it DOES sport component cables, so the quality still looks crisp.

Sure, I have a PS3 that's backwards compatible and I'm grateful to have luckily scored one that does, but it sometimes becomes a chore to switch between the two types of games. Having to set up the virtual memory card, change to the right controller settings, and with my slew of PS3 games to play...seperating them is probably a good thing.

Plus the new station is in a seperate room. Bad news? It's the bedroom.

No worries. I'm far from being the jerk that plays games in bed all night. Like 13 years far.

Zero Punctuation sound-off: 2.5D Hoedown

This week's Zero Punctuation is more centered around the concept of 2.5D and its implementation into games. Frankly, they could've just labeled them as "3D-platform sidescrollers," but I guess that is a bit long. Yahtzee also talks about the game Splosion Man and Trine, though I'm surprised he didn't mention Shadow Complex.

Anyways, I'm sure it's NSFW, so enjoy!

Batman: Arkham Asylum is here.

Apologies for the blurry picture, but this game is finally in my hands. From not even giving it the time of day to my renewed view of it during E3, I slowly expressed interest to Batman: Arkham Asylum. Now, with exclusive Joker challenge maps and a free ahead-of-time Dem Bones challenge map, I'm all set to immerse myself into this DC universe!

LittleBigWater opens beta applications

Little Big Planet has always been consistent with costume updates, the occasional level packs and other useful tools, but the next update plans to add another element to those creative levels - the element of water!



Now YOU can get a chance to apply for their Beta testing of this new element here. Give it a try and save yourself from sticking blue stickers all over the place to make that ocean level by using the real deal!

Gameritis...now with PSN Portable ID!

What better way to mindlessly inform random strangers of my less-than-steller gameplay progress than to post my PSN Portable ID on my site?

Well, there's my blog in general, but this is more compact and elegant.

Anyways, this brings some color at least to the blog. Maybe this'll start a trend...the weird text-only placard right below that "Gameritis" title is a bit worn. I should probably spruce things up a bit around here.

And if you want to get your own, check it out here...because I removed the original link below mine. What, you think I'd let Sony use my PID to shill their link?

Zero Punctuation review: Silent Hill 2

Call it a fluke, call it mercy. Call it what you will, but I presume that Yahtzee, for one reason or another, wants to show the world that he is not just a heartless gaming bastard and whips out a game that he admires as his review topic for today, Silent Hill 2. Despite his praise, Yahtzee still jabs his own beloved game with appropriately witty comments, but through it all he wants to show the world that there are good games out there, and that he CAN say nice things once in a while.

Well, nice until he sticks in a penis joke.

NSFW, so enjoy!

Flipnote Studio released!

Who doesn't recall making their own flipbook when they were young? Making something seemingly static and flat, only to see it animate before your eyes when you flipped the pages exposed me to my first lessons in animation. Heck, even "sharing" your creation often involved marking the corners of a textbook, in hopes that the next owner will discover your "contribution."

Well, Nintendo's Flipnote Studio (Moving Memo in Japan) is set to bring back that sensation, sans paper or ruined textbooks. Released the end of last year in Japan, this free app is finally released in the US, allowing users to use the touch screen to create, frame by frame, their own short little flipnote animation.

With the DSi's touch screen, making an animation is as easy as drawing. Using the D-pad, you can quickly add the next frame or go into the menu and adjust your tools. You can even adjust the speed at which your creation animates, and insert more frames between existing ones when necessary. The app even uses the DSi camera to help create frames, granulating images for use in the app. You can also use the mic and add annoying sounds to key points in your animation. And you don't have to worry about size constraints, since this app can save your animations to your SD card as well.

And even if you have no creative bone in your body, you can check out Flipnote Hatena, which will connect your DSi to the internet and access other people's creations straight to your DSi. And when you DO create your own flipnote, you can upload it yourself to the site and share with everyone else.

Thankfully, my prayers have been answered - this version of Flipnote Studio IS the updated version of the app that was released in Japan. The updates include the ability to copy and paste (realized faster than iPhone...HI-YO!), layers, new brushes and pens, image scaling, and some resolved connection issues to Flipnote Hatena.

If you've been waiting to get the most out of your DSi purchase, then you need to download the free Flipnote Studio app.

Zero Punctuation review: The Conduit

Is there any Wii game that Yahtzee believes to NOT be marred by the system's control scheme? Is there any Wii game that can live up to Yahtzee's expectations? Is there no justice to the Wii game review in general?

Well, The Escapist doesn't care, so they threw The Conduit into the Yahtzee pit of misfortune.

There are times when I'll laugh at Yahtzee for his jokes. And then there are times that I laugh at him for his ignorance. This is the latter. Well, okay...a little of the former, but the majority at the latter.

I found some faults at the fact he neglected the highly-customizable controls and multiplayer all together just to get his jollies in. But what can you do with a man that has to make a living testing out ALL games that get tossed at him with no choice? Just let the guy rant - it's what he's being paid to do anyways.

It's Wii, so you know it'll be NSFW, so enjoy!

Vacationing in Wii Sports Resort

One of the few games I enjoyed the most during my time at E3, Wii Sports Resort is finally here with its Wiimotion Plus goodness. Playing it is much like the first time I played Wii Sports, except now there's a 1:1 motion capture ratio, which makes swordplay possible and extremely enjoyable.

How enjoyable? How about "muttering-cheesy-lines-while-taking-out-your-opponent" enjoyable? In the Swordplay Showdown mode, you're faced with countless Miis to take down in small hoard groups, and you can't help but feel like a Jedi with the Force as you take down each and every one - it's THAT enjoyable. I still don't get tired of saying "watch your feet" as I trip them up.

This and the other game that really stood out during E3 was their Table Tennis game, which almost accurately captures every top and back spin I put on the ball. I say almost, since it seems to not react quite so quick when I decide a last-minute changeup. But other than that, the game is quite accurate in recreating the advance fun one can have with a ping pong ball.

Of course, there's the classic Bowling that I've loved last time back, and Archery is fun to play. But what really took me by surprise was Basketball, and now natural it was for me to get into it. The game even had a 3-on-3 mode, which got the core mechanics of the game down, all except the running-around-the-court feeling.

Nintendo was right - this is a good place to spend a Stay-cation. Now, to get a second Wiimotion Plus and get my wife to join...

Zero Punctuation's 100th review: Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood

It's hard to believe that Yahtzee has reviewed 99 games thus far, making his review of Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood his 100th.

I'm just surprised no game developer has stopped developing games because of his reviews. It would've cut his tramplings down a notch, that's for sure.

But please enjoy this review for all its worth, and stick around for the full version of their theme song, in all of Yahtzee's glory. NSFW, of course. Enjoy!

Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero?...Finished!

At 6 hrs, 30 minutes, and 49 seconds with 777 Prinnies left, Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero? can be finally added to the games I've finished. Don't let the short playtime fool you. It's only short due to the numerous attempts I've tried and failed at completing the game.

As a platformer, the game's unrelentless at knocking you down at every turn, with enemies appearing at exactly the wrong place at the wrong time. The boss battles themselves can be as challenging as the levels themselves. And with only less than 8 minutes to complete each level, and 3 minutes to take down the bosses, the term "speed run" takes on a whole different meeting.

But beating the game is only part of the game. There are still countless medals to obtain, lots of background music to collect, and opportunities to play levels at varying difficulties. And, to tell you the truth, I actually look forward to blowing up more Prinnies.

Making a list, checking it twice…gonna find out if I can beat it tonight…

You’ll find that, as you grow older and more maturer (well…at least older), there is less time to spend on your favorite video games. And unless you find the one job that allows you to play games constantly or you’re Adam Sessler, games will always be categorized near, if not, the last item on your mental list of things to do.

For me, everything else precedes games, but games will be on the agenda when there is some free time available. But even then, I’m often times left just struggling with constant pausing and disjointed gameplay due to life’s many interruptions. So I fell back to a proven method of getting things done – making a list.

It’s been reported somewhere that people that write down lists of things to accomplish reach those goals faster and more often than those that don’t physically write them down. Something about physically manifesting them to actual goals that you can check off with a pencil as you go through them. Think of it like your personal achievements/trophies list.

Scoff at it all you want, but it seems to be working. I spend some time making a quick list of things to do, then when I have time, I mark off as much as I can while I play. Then again, the goals I put aside for myself are quite small – finish one level here, complete a few golf courses there. But organizing the small nuggets of gameplay into these short goals help me maintain focus on what needs to be played.

Does this take away from enjoying the game? Not really. I’m already having fun playing, but with my objectives organized, I become more focused at what needs to be done, and waste less time just wandering around.

Give it a shot. Make a list of things you’ll need to complete next and see how it goes! Results will vary, but if you have little to nil time, this might be a good alternative.

Zero Punctuation Review: Wii Sports Resort

You will never find anyone more revolted with the Wii than Yahtzee. So you’d think that a game fully utilizing the WiiMotion+ will sway even the most negative gamer.

You’d think so, but then you’d be wrong.

So Yahtzee has the pleasure (er, displeasure?) to review Wii Sports Resort for the Nintendo Wii. Oh joy, this is gonna be fun.

As with video games, I remain unbiased towards Yahtzee’s reviews, and enjoy them for what they truly are – less than 5 minutes of ranting wit that can boil down to what most of us are feeling deep, deep inside but are afraid to actually say. It’s still his brand of humor and that’s what I enjoy the most out of these reviews.

The only argument I have against his review is when he casually calls out table tennis as just tennis all over again. If he bothered with actually trying to utilize the WM+, he’d discover that the motions to perform top and back spin were quite accurate, making the game even more enjoyable and more unique.

Then again, he’d probably tell me to fuck off and play a real game.

Think that was NSFW? Just wait until you check out the review below. Enjoy!

Oh, and I’m still getting the game. Not that you should care.

Hammerin' Hero...finished!

Probably as a result from watching a lot of Game Center CX, I felt motivated once more to pursue that ever-elusive end-game credits screen, so I took out what I could find in my sights...which was Hammerin' Hero.

Granted, it was a game that had its shares of flaws and slowdowns. But through it all, it was still a game - and through Arino's eyes, it was a game that begged the challenge to complete it, to take it down. So, with a fresh new attitude towards video games, I tackled my procrastination and finished the game in one ftell swoop.

I haven't had this feeling since April, when I finished Rhythm Heaven. And, much to my surprise, there is still some redeeming replay value left in the game. There are more people (friends AND enemies) to search for to fill my info database, and there are also the harder difficulties per level to attempt. To get me to still play a game after the end credits rolled is not an easy task, so to see Hammerin' Hero get me to play the game immediately after I finished it is certainly pleasant.

Now, I don't feel so bad getting those figurines with the game's purchase. Plus, I get to mark off another game from my backloggery list!

Gamer's TV: Game Center CX

With so many good-looking games being released nowadays, it's easy to forget the retro games that started it all. Sure, there are lots of games now that use the 8-bit style to bring back the feeling of the good ol' days, but who will play the games from yester-year?

Enter Shinya Arino of Game Center CX fame. This Japanese comedian, along with a filming crew made up of Assistant Directors (or AD) and staff, plays any given game for up to one full day, trying to accomplish set challenges against any old game of the day. These games can range from an old Famicom title, to any Nintendo Disc system title, to even a PS2 or Dreamcast game back in the day.

What makes the show so captivating is Arino's rational reactions to each game as he conquers (or in some cases, fail to conquer) the challenges set before him. You not only get to visually see his frustration and exhaustion as each hour passing by takes his toll, but he constantly narrates his actions in an almost child-like innocence. Add to that the typical suspense-driven cues and black-and-white dramatic screenshots, and you have a pseudo-drama every episode - except it's still just a comedian, playing old games, and being filmed the entire time.

And it's not just Arino that captivates the audience. The games in each episode take center stage, taking us back to that particular game's flaws and quirks exclusive to that era of video games. Who doesn't remember the vague storylines, the poor hit detection, or the obscure cheats that no one would find unless they bought a strategy guide?

Despite the fact that Arino is suppose to complete the challenges on his own, he still receives assistance from his staff and AD on occasion, especially when he must return to a certain section of the game after a game over. And they provide just as much amusement as Arino does when playing as well, sometimes exceeding expectations, and other times failing just as poorly as Arino did.

In the end, you don't really need to be a gamer to enjoy the level of old-school frustration and innocence of retro games. Game Center CX is one show that you'll be glad to stop your gaming to watch.

Zero Punctuation review: Red Faction Guerrilla

Ah, memories. I remember playing the first Red Faction game on the PS2 and its "destroy anything" mentality. After telling me that I can essentially blast around anything and not take a door, I went to the first door in the caverns and blew the cave along the left side consistantly, burrowing a tunnel that carried me to the other side. Sure, the entire ordeal took almost 10 minutes, but it was very satisfying to blast my own exit.

After two iterations on the PS2, designers decided to try their hand on the next-gen consoles and bring it's "destroy everything" mantra in Red Faction Guerrilla. I have to admit, the appeal of destroying whatever you see still makes me giddy like a kid. Yahtzee apparently also enjoys destroying everything he sees.

His NSFW review below. Enjoy!

Zero Punctuation quartet: A true "Lazy Wednesday"

If I can't put up an interesting post, the very least I can do is post up the backlog of Yahtzee-reviewed games here. So, here you go - 3 weeks worth of Zero Punctuation, including a 4th for today.

Usually I'd have something unique to talk about for all 4 titles here, but...yeah...very...lazy...

NSFW, and enjoy!

Prototype


The Sims 3


Ghostbusters: The Video Game


And this week's review, Overlord 2

Summer laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaag...

First off, my apologies for the extreme lack of posts here. Summer has officially arrived, and with it all the energy-sapping heat rays. Overwhelmed with a sense of guilt, I vow to post something this week to recover.

But boy, the heat....

Guitar Hero...Arcade?

You would think that after a few years, most everyone would've gotten either Guitar Hero or Rock Band to play at home. So you can imagine how surprised I was when I found the arcade cabinet at my local movie theater arcade.

Upon further research, I found that the arcade version is based off a limited track list from Guitar Hero III. So, if you don't have any of the latest incarnations of these games and NO friends who own these games, I suppose 4 quarters per play is the best you can do in your local arcade.

Retro Game Challenge arrives

Having a spare gift card can sometimes be a burden, especially when there's no immediate purchases in mind. But while strolling in a Best Buy last week, I saw what I wanted, nay HAD to purchase - Retro Game Challenge for the DS.

I've played the import game in the past through certain means, but have always stalled on getting my own domestic copy. However, with all the recent reports of small sales not matching the humongous praise this game's been getting, I had to show my support and purchase the game.

If you're a retro gamer at heart, you really owe it to yourself to get this title. The nostalgia and simplicity of these fake retro games take me back to a more innocent time when graphics weren't all about realism, the only thing to achieve was high scores, and genres were in their early defining stages.

Sure, thanks to piracy, the game's getting all the attention and none of the sales...which is a terrible, terrible shame. I'd be a hypocrite if I said I've never dabbled in rom downloads myself. Despite that, I'm a firm believer of spending my money on quality products to show my support. You have to respect that, in the end, the game industry is still a business, and no amount of praise for a game is worth anything unless people actually go out and purchase the game as well. And as much as anyone would LOVE to bring over these quirky titles from the Land of the Rising Sun to the States, there are little people who would do it for next to nothing.

It is because of this that I've decided to make this game-purchase post a little different, a little more significant. To anyone who has already purchased the game, thank you for supporting XSEED and their quest to bringing obscure titles to the States.

Send To Phone

The Conduit has arrived!

Since my hands-on of the game at E3, I've been very enthusiastic about this game's release. Not since CounterStrike did I felt I actually had a competitive chance onlie as I did when I first played with this game's control scheme. I'm looking forward to getting more people excited about this game.

Did I forget to mention that there's Wii Speak compatibility? Oh yeah, finally another game other than Animal Crossing to talk smack!

Big Surf Island DLC purchased!

In what was probably one of the most anticipated DLC for Burnout, Big Surf Island and its new bag of achievements, trophies, and cars arrives for download! While the entire DLC includes an entirely new island to drive, crash, and fly around (you're gonna get TONS of air here), the real added bonus is the new cars, 4 of which are toy car versions of the legendary cars. The latter is an even more special treat for me, since the legendary cars pack was the only other DLC content I downloaded.

Zero Punctuation review(s): The E3 debacle

To some, E3 is the yearly event that showcases what companies have to offer for the coming year. To Yahtzee, it's a humongous shameless plug of empty promises and ultimate failures.

To others, E3 is at least 2 weeks worth of articles, reviews, first impressions, and hands-on experience on games that have yet to be released. To Yahtzee, they're 3-second nods-and-rants.

So here's Yahtzee's quick jabs and punches at the return of the PR nightmare, E3. Defintiely NSFW, definitely 100% fun.

The Tome of Lost Souls, obtained.

It's good to note that whenever you pre-order a game from GameStop for the extra pre-order goodies, it's best to pick it up ASAP. The whole "while supplies last" gets overlooked too often, causing unnecessary surprise when you realize too late that you're...well, late in picking up the goods. Such was the case when I picked up my copy of Knights in the Nightmare for DS, only to realize I never got my free artbook 2 days later.

In hopes that the artbook was innocently forgotten, I make my GameStop call, only to be reminded that it was "while supplies lasted." Well THAT sucks. (I found out later from an inside source that if the game's paid in full, employees are required to hold pre-order bonuses to your copy - which, unfortunately, wasn't the case for me) It's obvious to note that I picked up this game late (picked it up June 13th, when the game was released June 2nd), but I had my reasons; a family emergency, E3, being 400 miles away from the GameStop I reserved it at.

Turns out, I wasn't the only person boned at getting the free artbook. Seems that Atlus short-supplied artbooks throughout most GameStops, with some even getting too many. In any case, I figured that there may possibly be an untapped store in which the artbook was still available, left behind by another neglectful gamer. Ready to make my round of calls, fortune smiled on me quick when the first store I called up had one more left! After explaining my situation, the GS employee was happy to fulfill my pre-order just from showing my receipt. I still brought my game in for good measure, but soon I was finally bestowed my free artbook.

Mind you, it's free - that doesn't mean that it's in perfect condition. Never before did I remind myself so many times that something was free; the edges were tattered and torn (clearly from constant flipping-through), the spine bent (probably sat on), and the back cover is crinkled (holding the book limply with one hand). In the end, however, all 96 pages of illustrations are intact. Good, at least no one tried to wipe their ass with it.

So, here it is. The Tome of Lost Souls artbook. (Cue lone trumpet's struggling victory fanfare)

Send To Phone

Knights in the Nightmare arrives.

During my E3 attendance, Knights in the Nightmare was released. And it took me this long to finally pick up my reservation. Which shouldn't be any indication on what I think of the game. I mean, it's Atlus after all.

That, and the gameplay is strikingly unique and original. Combining a SHMUP and an RPG? Sign me up!

Getting a second Wii Motion Plus

With the Wii Motion Plus already out there as a pack-in for Tiger Woods 10 and as a stand alone device, I wonder how people will be making their purchases so as to obtain two devices for 2-player action? Most people will buy a game with the pack-in already there, but will you buy two different games with a pack-in? Or will you get one game and the other as a separate peripheral?

Personally, I'm starting to be more inclined towards getting Tiger Woods 10. The near-perfection swings are really enticing me towards a purchase, and would be a perfect compliment to the Wii Sports Resort game coming out in a month. I mean, you'll need two to play the dual swords and table tennis mini-games, both of which are top games in my book.

Are you guys interested in the Wii Motion Plus? And if you are, what will you guys do to get two of 'em?

Zero Punctuation double feature: an inFamous Bionic Commando

Due to last week's E3 outing, I missed out on Yahtzee's Bionic Commando review...so I've decided to roll that together with his review this week for inFamous.

I almost entirely expected Yahtzee to be talking about E3, however...I thought for sure he'd attend the event and give his two bits about the whole ordeal. Now THAT would've been entertaining.

But rest assured, the double-dosage of reviews here should suffice. Between the two games, I inclined to check out inFamous more, with the enticing freedom the open level brings coupled with the ability to electrocute people.

NSFW goodness below, enjoy!

Bionic Commando:


inFamous:

Some hard proof of that "Playing with Mario" story...

Sorry it took a while, but here's the photo that a Nintendo rep helped me take with Charles "It's-a-me, Mario" Martinet. And yes, that's a Mario shirt I'm wearing, albeit with an Atlus band-aid sticker over half of it. And yes, I'm very un-photogenic.

Upon closer inspection, you can tell I caught him in the middle of playing the New Super Mario Bros Wii game, with his Wii-mote strapped to his wrist.

Upon even closer inspection, you can see his clever E3 badge.

Even closer inspection reveals that it's actually a combination of two badges! You can tell the "E3" logo appears twice on the left side. Now THAT'S power!

Then, shortly after this, I got to play the game and two other Nintendo reps. What an awesome experience!

Post-E3: That cat from Monster Warrior

Because I don't know his name.

Batman: Arkham Asylum - hands on

Like the polar opposite of a magnet, we go from the disappointment of White Knight to the sudden excitement of the Dark Knight! (Eh? Eh? Didja see what I did there, with the "knight" thing? And the whte and black, and...um...k, moving on.)

Comic videogames are as volatile as videogame movies, and usually get overlooked by my gaming radar. So my lack of interest never waned, even with the promise of a huge limited-edition batarang. With low expectations, I began playing the demo. What I experienced blew me away.

It wasn't the murky graphics or the original story that I marvelled (er, "DC'ed." Pure gold.)...but the fighting that I enjoyed the most. Every punch and kick was seamlessly chained together so well, you can't even tell when one punch ends and the other begins.

Lemme give you a memorable example. I was punching one guy in the face, with two other enemies behind me. In a natural fluid motion, I perform a roll motion over the second guy, which transitioned immediately to a creasant kick to the third guy's face!

There are even movie style attacks, like Batman's no-looking-behind-backhanded-fist counterattack, or his cape-spreading aerial glide kick from above. They've even included his trademark grapple-from-above taketowns, which purposely position the camera to give you an optimal view of the enemy being wisked away into the unknown abyss above.

Add to this the random slow-motion of final blows, and you have the makings of almost cinema-like battle sequences sure to qwell the doubts any gamer has to this Batman game.