MadWorld

Gamer Jugglelo! 06/02/10

I like to "juggle" lots of games at the same time. PRGH... sorry thats me growing more arms!

	1. Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 Crawling through the empire of the rising sun campaign.
	2. Left 4 Dead WHY?? WHY??
	3. Plants Vs. Zombies Unfair fight in my opinion......PLANTS 4 LIFE BOY!
	4. Left 4 Dead 2 Still....WHY?
	5. Mass Effect 2 Completed it.......Instanity?? Yes I MEAN NO... Oh I DUNNO!
	6. Crackdown Not really making any progress just aimlessly running...jumping...running...kicking...orb collecting...awful Assasins Creed style climbing (URGH)!!!!!!!!!!!

P.S I'm not insane
P.P.P.S I like using ......................................

2009 was a transitional year in gaming for me. This was the year I began expanding my horizons a bit more and trying out games from a number of genres that I had forgotten about and ignored for years. It was the year I embraced the first-person shooter again, the year I found a JRPG that I actually liked, and the year puzzle games took up more time than it should have. It was a year where I was buying games at a one per week clip thanks to a plethora of quality Wii games and a slew of PC games that made me realize the platform is still alive and well. The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 avoided the expected slump after a stellar 2007 and 2008, the DS still making an impact in innovation, and the PSP even had some memorable titles. But since this all about me and what I played, let me get to the awards ceremony. 
 
Uh... there aren't really a lot of awards I'm giving out. Really just two: Game of the Year and Game of the Decade. And even though this might sound hypocritical, but I don't think any single person can say what the best action game or best 360 exclusive is without actually playing almost every half-decent game out there. I've only played a handful of 2009 games and I missed out on a LOT of games that are frequently mentioned in these awards. So instead of giving out meaningless accolades, I'll run down several games that impacted my gaming life in 2009. Not every game will be a 2009 release, but these were the games I was exposed to this year that kept me glued to my TV or computer for hours. 
 
Let's begin!  
 

A Boy and His Blob

Sometimes you just want a game that doesn't need to be dramatic or full of action. Sometimes you want a slow-paced game that makes you think. A Boy and His Blob does just that with its mix of traditional platforming and puzzle solving that often challenges, but not to the point of frustration. While that might be all you need in a revival of a classic NES game, but the cartoon art style is very unique this day and age and is reminiscent of a animated feature from the 1980s. A Boy and HIs Blob also has a lot of heart and you can sense an emotional attachment between the main characters. It's a great game for kids and adults alike... don't let the cutesy looks and the adorable hugs fool you. 
 

Audiosurf

2008 games will be represented well in this list so consider it a warning. Like most people, I enjoy music. I also enjoy racing games... and puzzle games. Audiosurf somehow meshes together these genres to create an original, innovative, highly addictive experience that is a great example of why PC gaming is still relevant. Taking a trip across my favorite songs means you can't blame the game if the soundtrack is terrible because that's now your responsibility. Audiosurf also adds a number of modes ranging from your basic casual "hit the colored block" mode to the shuffled mess of luck in Vegas (my personal favorite.) Audiosurf ended up being my first ever Steam purchase and I think that was a damn good start to my Steam addiction.
 

Bit.Trip Void

And really to the entire Bit.Trip series as well. The saga of Commander Video began in March as a simple modern take on Pong in Bit.Trip Beat, then morphed into Space Zap 2009 in Bit.Trip Core. Both of those were excellent titles, but Bit.Trip Void adds some subtle improvements that both make the game more pleasing to look at and more accessible for newcomers. Bit.Trip Void has a bullet hell feeling to it and has been compared to Ikaruga, but that's an oversimplification. The Bit.Trip series is known for its retro-chic sound and even more retro look and you can see the Atari influence in the heavily-pixelated graphics and it just feels right. 
 

Borderlands

Borderlands is not the perfect game. It's story is difficult to follow and hidden in the background throughout the game, looting becomes a free-for-all and makes it tough to exchange weapons and upgrades, and the PC's online is inferior to the console versions. Yet I can't help but love blasting dozens and dozens of Skags and Psychos with my collection of guns and rocket launchers while exploring the empty, yet beautiful world of Pandora. I admit I'm a sucker for the artistic style, sue me. Borderlands also throws in a bit of light-hearted humor in a lovable breakdancing robot named Claptrap, possibly the best new character of 2009. Borderlands is far from perfect, but it's hard to find a game as fun to play. 
 

Cities XL

I have a soft spot for SimCity and the city-building genre has been overlooked by everybody in recent years. So when Monte Cristo announced Cities XL, it rapidly shot up my most wanted list. It's a shame the finished product wasn't really finished. It lacked some key elements necessary for any budding urban planner like a rail system and a map editor. But since I'm starving for anything at this point, I got my money's worth out of the game. Cities XL is a major upgrade to SimCity 4 in a lot of ways. The option to go gridless makes for some interesting transportation systems and it looks quite impressive from a graphics standpoint. There's a lot to like in Cities XL and if you can ignore the overpriced MMO part and the incomplete feel, you'll be quite satisfied. 
 

de Blob

Yes, another 2008 game. I dove into de Blob a little late and it instantly became one of my favorite platformers on the Wii. The premise is simple: create a world full of color and destroy anything that wishes to make everything gray and boring. It's a game that feels like it belongs in Nintendo's first-party lineup which says a lot about the game's quality and appeal. It's great just moving around town painting it red (or green, yellow, blue...) and it even sounds great, too. The original soundtrack is one of the best and most upbeat on any console and is worth a listen just on its own. And the surprising fact that de Blob actually was a sales success is also quite refreshing and that means a sequel is highly likely in the future. 
 

Left 4 Dead

Left 4 Dead is one of the first shooters in a while that I really wanted to buy. The FPS genre, in my opinion, doesn't innovate much when it comes to unique settings. Most shooters are of the space variety (Halo) or the war variety (Call of Duty) so a modern day zombiefest would qualify as different at the time. And what makes this even better is that it's set in Pennsylvania, the home of a man known as Dalai on Giant Bomb, a state rarely represented in the realm of video game entertainment. But I could talk all day about me. Left 4 Dead's strong suit is its suspense and brief moments of high intensity action. Having dozens and dozens of zombies running towards you in a narrow hallway makes you feel almost superhuman. Of course that could be the pills talking. 
 

MadWorld

MadWorld was supposed to be a turning point for the Wii and its image as a purely casual console. MadWorld was violent, stylized, and had an all-star cast from Platinum Games designing the game. That turning point didn't happen and MadWorld quietly faded away like so many other core Wii games, but that doesn't mean MadWorld didn't make a splash among the niche crowd. I always have room for one crazy ultra-violent game that borders on stupid and like No More Heroes in 2008, MadWorld filled that void in 2009. It might be a tad on the short side and the repetitive nature eventually hits you near the end, but those first few hours throwing guys into spiked walls, at moving trains, and a giant press just brought out the sadomasochist in me. 
 

Muramasa: The Demon Blade

Here is yet another psuedo-RPG that I embraced in 2009. Muramasa is yet another game with a unique art direction, best described as a Japanese watercolor painting come to life. I would have to say this would win my award for most artistic game of 2009 if I were giving away those types of awards... simply stunning. It goes well with the story that delves into Japan mythology. As for the combat, it's a button-mashing brawler that takes little skill when playing on easy, but experience, sword skill trees, and the non-linear world that adds a bit of depth to a seemingly simple game. In short, it's an excellent highly stylized brawler RPG Metroidvania game... I guess. 
 

New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Nostalgia is a beautiful thing sometimes and New Super Mario Bros. Wii is chock full of old-school antics. Some complain about the game as just sticking to what works and not trying to reinvent the wheel, but that's what I love about it... it takes what made the 2D Mario games great and improving on that template. Okay, Kuribo's Shoe still eludes us, but we do get some swanky new suits and some current-gen flair. There is also this multiplayer option that has become a big deal at my place, almost surpassing the popularity of Wii Sports. There's something special about a game that has its roots in the classic 2D platformers of the 1980s, yet is accepted with open arms in today's gaming world that left 2D platformers behind. 
 

Osmos

I'm about to show off some indie cred with Osmos, one of the most chill physics-based puzzle games in recent memory. Osmos is a game where you try to grow your Mote as big as possible and that's enough to turn this innocent little game into a potential timewaster. There's enough variety to make sure you won't be playing the same kind of game over and over and quite honestly, you won't care much if it did. You'll be in a relaxed state of mind as long as you're listening to the game's extremely ambient soundtrack. So kudos to Hemisphere Games for making one of the more addictive games you'll find on the PC. 
 

Scribblenauts

I got a chance to play some Scribblenauts Christmas Day and for those who were disappointed at the game, really? Maybe we were playing a different game, but I found Scribblenauts to be an amazing concept brought to life. Okay, it controls worse than a broken shopping cart, but it's not as bad as people make it out to be. And maybe they cheated a little on the 22,000+ words by adding some obscure birds and mammals, but I've only stumped the game a handful of times out of the hundreds of words I threw at it. It works well as a puzzle game, but it's even better as a decider of epic matches.
 

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4

If there's one game that forced me to borrow my brother's PlayStation 2 and grind through 75 hours of dungeon crawling and meat bowl eating, Persona 4 is that game. It's not enough that I watched the Endurance Run from start to finish, I actually had to get in on this breath of fresh JRPG air. You see, Persona 4 is the first turn-based JRPG I had really, really liked since Earthbound way back in 1995 and if more JRPGs were like Persona 4, I'd lose precious free time building social links and fusing new allies. Where Persona 4 shines, as you all know by now, is in its humor and cast of characters. Persona 4 is the game I spent the most time playing in 2009 and the game that made me laugh out loud more than any this year. 
 

Team Fortress 2

 
Team Fortress 2 is a weird anomaly of a game where it has changed dramatically since it came out in 2007. There was even a major update a few weeks ago which added more achievements and more weapons. Valve definitely knows how to treat their community and Team Fortress 2 is the best example of that theory. There truly is something for everyone whether you prefer the explosive power of a Soldier, the precision of a Sniper, or the mage-like healing powers of the MEDIC!. This purely multiplayer shooter has become my default game of choice within the past few months and I wonder sometimes why I avoided it for as long as I did. 
 

The Sims 3

EA will always take gobs and gobs of money from my wallet as long as they keep making expansions and sequels to The Sims, so I expect they will eventually take everything I own. The Sims 3 might seem like an insignificant upgrade to some, but it's far from a Sims 2 light. Taking the series open-world means traveling, aging, and interactions with others is more seamless than ever before. Needs and wishes got an overhaul this time around, personality traits replace the standard personality sliders of its predecessors, and there's more to do for the interior decorator in you. The Sims 3 will be a game that I'll keep coming back for years because those expansion packs will be churning out for years. 
 

Wii Sports Resort

When we first saw the Wii, we were promised near-realistic motion controls that is going to the most immersive, most realistic experience in home entertainment. That... didn't entirely happen. Sure the Wii won the hearts of casual gamers and people like me looking for something new, but we always wondered in the back of our head whether the Wii can do more. Then came Wii MotionPlus and our prayers were answered. Wii Sports Resort is very damn close to 1:1 controls it's scary. It realistically calculates my lousy Frisbee skills to a tee, but I learned my archery and basketball skills aren't as awful as I thought. There are a few throwaway games and some repeat performances, but man... swordfighting never felt so good. 
 
Those are the 16 games that shaped my year as a gamer... now to pick a winner. I'll need the entire weekend to think about it.

Well, there are no tacos here actually.  Sorry   :(    Instead you have to read this blog about what I got for Christmas and be super jealous about it.   HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
 
Now it's serious time.  Probably like many other Bombers here on GB, they are probably blogging about what they got for Christmas or it's in one big super thread and this thread will end up getting locked.  Anyways, I thought I would share what I got for Christmas, which happens to be a ton of video games and clothes.  Here is the list:
 

• The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
• Assassin's Creed 2
• Left 4 Dead 2
• Tekken 6
• Punchout!!
• Wii Sports Resort
• MadWorld (A surprise gift from my brother)
  
• 2 Hoodies (Navy Blue and Silver)
• 2 T-Shirts
• Xbox pajama pants
• Some Candy
• 3 Month for Xbox Live Gold
• $50 Cash
• A Fleece Throw
• A pair of slippers

 
That's it.  I'm kinda disappointed that I didn't get some Nintendo Point cards that I asked for, but it's cool.  I'm probably going to exchange my 3-Month Xbox Live card for a Nintendo Point card and buy another one.  I want to get some DSi Ware games with those point cards.  Also, I think I will get my money back on my Xbox pajama pants.  I will never wear them.  Just sitting here in my room with my shorts on is good enough.  Since I'm a big fat guy, I love wearing shorts.  I just keep cooler that way.  Ask Jeff and Ryan, they are probably on the same boat as me.  As for my $50, I'm going to order the AVGN Volume 3 DVD.  I already own the first two so I want the third one as well.
 
I guess that's it really.  Going to play my new games for the next 500 years or until I beat them.  I hope you all had a happy holidays and keep on gaming!  See you in 2010!  Actually, I guess I will just see you on the GB forums since I'm on this fucking website everyday.



P.S.  WTF at Link's voice in Spirit Tracks.  It's a little different from the Wind Waker voice and the Phantom Hourglass voice.  I'm so used to the Wind Waker voice, it just sounds so goofy to me.  At least the game kicks ass so far.
 
P.P.S. - GET HYPE!!
 
 
EDIT:  I finally got my Nintendo Point cards and thought I would share some quick thoughts about what I think of the games I got.
 
Rayman - Guess what?  It's the first Rayman game, but now it's on Nintendo DSi.  Guess what else?  It still kicks ass.     YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
PiCTOBiTS - A fun little puzzle game that's easy to play, but really hard to master.
Castle of Magic - A kick ass platformer for only 500 points.  It seems like it might be on the short side, but it's only $5 and it's a ton of fun.
Asphalt 4: Elite Racing - A solid arcade racer with licensed cars.  It's kinda like a mini version of Burnout.  To bad the music isn't very good.
Pop Island - This is one crazy game.  It's a Capture the Flag game, but you are cute little animals.  I love the music and art style of it.  It seems like it might be a little shallow for single player, but the mulitplayer looks like it will be awesome.  I just wish it had online.
myNotebook: Red - A fun little notebook app that's only 200 points. I think it's funny that the game does have unlockables.
Dragon Quest Wars:  I'm not really a strategy fan, but this game is pretty fun.  It's a very simple grid based strategy game.  Best of all, it has online play.
 
EDIT 2:  Holy crap.  I got even more DS games.  This weekend GameStop is having buy 2 get 1 free on used games and I took advantage of it.  Here are the 3 DS games I got:
 

• Polarium
• Elite Beat Agents (About time I got this game.)
• Picross DS

 
I guess I will be playing my DS for the next 700 years with all these games I got.  :P

This week!

Madworld
Punch Out!!
I struggle with writing about FIFA 10!
ALSO NO NEW OFFICE :((((( Sadface

Madworld

Madworld is a great idea, a brutal game with a colorful art direction, and it uses Motion Control in a crazy yet entertaining way. But after you get through about an hour of the game, that all fades away. The story is very bland, you're a guy named Jack (hardcore name) and you compete in this game that involve--alright I'm going to be honest, I've skipped every single cutscene besides the opening one. If you're coming to Madworld for a story, I'm sorry. Madworld has commentators that speak some very 'mature' dialogue. In the first 30 or so minutes, these guys are hilarious! Then you realize that they're going to repeat the same exact thing multiple times throughout a level and the worst part? They sometimes have conversations which is good in real commentary but when I just heard this conversation about 20 minutes ago, I don't want to hear it again.

The main draw to Madworld is obviously the brutal combat and so far, I enjoy it quite a bit. Sure, it can get extremely repetitive but I've learned to deal with that and just enjoy doing a uppercut then chainsaw through the stomach. At the end of every section (level) there is a  boss fight. Each boss fight does have some variety which is extremely lacking throughout most of this game but the problem with the boss fights is the variety they have is just different ways they attack, the way you kill them is still the same run up, chainsaw legs, wait for quick time event. The final quick time event to every boss is definitely brutal and satisfying but I really wanted something good to back all that up. At Madworlds cheap price, it's hard not to recommend it. Go pick it up and turn the volume down and get ready to skip cutscenes.

FIFA Soccer 10

The FIFA games are always very good and never seize to impress with it's in-depth Be a Pro mode and it's deep gameplay. That doesn't change with this installment. I still found myself having excessive amounts of fun although I done most of this last year. The excitement you feel when you're doing a breakaway heading to the goalie is insurmountable. Man, sports games are hard to write about when you haven't done every single thing in the game so what I say is, buy for soccer fans, rent for non soccer fans.

Punch Out!!

Since I got my new fangled Wii system, I have a few (and I mean a FEW) good games to catch up on, you already learned about one of those games and the other is Punch Out!! I never played any of the original Punch Out!!'s (Do I really need to put 2 exclamation marks every time I write that? Me thinks no.) so this was all a new experience for me. The characters in Punch Out are...racist and extremely stereotypical. I'm not someone that gets easily offended by stuff like this but even I was drawn back a little when I saw Disco Kid and his Carlton dance. The main controls I am using is the Wiimote tilted to the side because A) I'm not a monster and B) that seems like the way to go. While the control scheme seems very simple (dodge with the d-pad, punch with the 1 and 2 buttons), the people you go up against will throw in things like you'll have to dodge at a certain time to avoid being punched so it really puts you on the edge of your seat.

To beat the higher up opponents, it becomes extremely difficult to the point where you will have to go to the practice stage and just watch his moves and try and memorize them for about 10-15 minutes before actually stepping into the ring with him. That might sound annoying but I fount that it added to extreme relief and excitement once you finally beat that opponent. Punch Out!! (Shit, I just done it again) is an extremely satisfying game that is easy for me to recommend to everyone that owns a Wii.

TV

Community- Environmental Science: A-
Dexter- Hungry Man: A++ (A++ is my highest score I have and is a score I have never given out before...and yes I just made up a new score for this episode...sue me)
The Cleveland Show- Thanksgiving: C+
Family Guy- Jerome Is The New Black: A-  The episode started off a little slow but picked up later on and became great. Also, I really hope Jerome is the new "4th guy". Love him.
Modern Family- Fizbo: A-
Glee- Hairography: A-

Movies

Angels and Demons: C
Taken in Broad Daylight: B-

Next week!
Academy of Champions: Soccer
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader: Game Time
Sadly, I'm not kidding. That's the games I have planned.
annnnnnd TV.

Until next time! Comments or questions yadda yadda blaaaaaaaa. BELOW.

  tạm biệt  !

So, MadWorld is seeming to be a better game when I am on a certain substance. I was really dissapointed when I first played it a couple days ago.The story doesn't seem so cheesy with the dialouge, and what I think is the worst mix up in voice actors ( switch Spike with John DiMaggio plzthx). It is almost like watching some artsy anime, but I feel like its almost a big Fist of the North Star / Escape from New York manga, which is pretty dope.

yay.

I had a bunch of problems with this one. Ended up having to try Windows Movie Maker for the first time for technical reasons, and you know? I quite like it, and I'll have music in the background from now on. Even still, there are some errors with this one. For some reason it keeps jumping a few seconds ahead, so you do miss a few things. Nothing too major, but it is a little annoying. It also gave it an abrupt ending, but I basically said all I had to say.
Anyways, please comment, and thanks for watching!


P.S. Ahahaha!! Look at that still frame it took of me! I look like an idiot.

It's (Probably) Your Fault

I apologize ahead of time, this is me venting. Please do not take it personally, but feel free to engage in reasonable conversation.

The Wii, and I've said this time and time again, is a perfectly viable hardcore system. Saying otherwise is stupid, and clearly only dependent on the "logic" presented by brand loyalty to the other consoles created over the past couple of generations. So the system isn't the most powerful, and has a flimsy internet infrastructure. That doesn't matter.

In case you don't know why I'm frothing about this, may I point you out here to an article about MadWorld only selling roughly 66,000 copies. People keep saying it's beceause the Wii isn't a "Core enough system" or that it's only for kiddies or stupid shit like that. Idiot's like Yahtzee and the rest of the non-core gamers who believe it's all about the tech-specs. That's like saying a great movie is all about the special-effects budget: it's not, and if you think so, you are clearly part of the problem.

The fact of the matter is that GTA didn't sell well on the DS, either. Are we going to now argue that the DS isn't a core system? because that is outright bloody lunacy to argue. If you think the Wii is not a core system, you are wrong, and in my eyes, you are not a core gamer. Because if you were, you would try and expose yourself to as many great games as possible, but instead you just play your casual CoD and Halo 3 and Gears, and that's it. Accessible games about shooting people = Casual games. Animal Crossing = Hardcore. Facts.

I am upset to see these sales figures for MadWorld but I'm not surprised given the general view of idiots. Between this and The Conduit, I'm afraid that it might be over for the Wii's hardcore base which is just sad because there is so much amazing potential to be had on the system not yet recognized by the "hardcore" contingency as a whole. I admit the system's not perfect and a lot of games fail to take advantage of it, and I think that's because it's new, and because developers fail to recognize the kind of system they are developing for.

So in short, if the Wii fails as a hardcore gaming system, it's clearly your fault (unless you support the system, as you should support all the systems (except the cd-i)). And as such, I have little respect for people who are willing to let great things go. Pardon me if it sounds rude, but this is my favorite hobby and I don't like watching it deteriorate and circle around the drain because people are stupid.

I'd love to see your argument if the Wii never caught on to the mass crowd and this whole "casual" argument never happened.

-You've failed to make it a good one, so far. Thanks.
Randy "Dr. Randle" Marr