Just a quickie, folks. The title kind of says it all. Pick up Droplitz, a puzzle game brought to you by Atlus, on Steam for just $1.99 or on iPhone for .99 cents. It's a steal, kids. I haven't played it myself but with a metacritic rating of 78, I think you could do worst. It looks interesting enough, anyway. Has anybody here played it? Is it really not worth two dollars. Give it a shot!
I'll make it short and sweet because it's still ridiculously early for me and I don't feel like writing a whole bunch. I know it's been a while (and moreso I know you haven't noticed), but perhaps I'll start rambling on about some stuff I played at GenCon this weekend. For now? I've stumbled upon the original soundtrack to Splosion Man. Including everybody's favorite, "Donuts, Go Nuts!" featured below. Just click on the link and hit "Free Stuff."
Simply fantastic. I hope this brightens your day just a little bit.
When you 'splode it lifts me higher as I sore on wings on fire you're the bro I've chosen Because you're the 'splode beneath my 'splosion Splosion maaaaaan! Larry Watershed - 'Splode Beneath My 'Splosion Edit: Helps if I put the link in there. Sorry.
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by Randy Marr But I don't have $200! I don't know if you're as excited for Champions as I am, but I've got some interesting news either way. It seems that they're trying to get some pre-launch funds. For just 200 dollars you can purchase yourself a lifetime subscription. No more monthly fees. Just 200 bones up front. That's roughly 14 months of game time at the standard rate of $15 a month, and after that, it's open sailing. (what does open sailing have to do with a superhero MMO? Ugh, I'm rusty.)
But they're not just letting it go there, you'll also get a few exclusive costume sets (known as "Art Deco" and "Retro-Future"), 8 extra character slots, a guaranteed entrance into the Star Trek MMO beta, as well as an exclusive costume for said Star Trek MMO. Oh, and the real seller, a Foxbat in-game action figure. Foxbat, people. That's all I should have to say.
If that's a bit much up-front for you, they're also throwing a 6-month discounted special of 60 dollars which nets you an "Art Deco" costume set.
So what do you think? Is this offer worth it? Even if you're not interested in Champions Online, would you take this kind of deal for some smaller MMO like WoW? (Flame-shields activate!) Feel free to feedback, I love to know what people are thinking.
For starters, I know there are quite a few people out there who have been down on the downloadable content for Fallout 3. If you haven't been at all impressed thus far, I'm not sure you should even be reading this. I can tell you it's a great change of scenery, but in the end, it's still Fallout 3. I don't understand how that could be, in any way, a bad thing.
Your intrepid explorer is abducted by some aliens and has to fight his way to get off. This certainly isn't one of the more sociable downloadable packs, but then again, how much negotiating can you really do with something that doesn't even speak English? That's not to say you're alone, there's a few other abductees you'll run into, but there's not a whole lot of opportunity for speech-checks in this content. It is a combat focused bit, but unlike Point Lookout, I found it to be very easy. There's healing archways scattered quite forgivingly throughout the ship, as well as any healing supplies you happen to bring aboard. In the end I found it to be a nice romp through the park with some fancy new alien weaponry. All and all I went from about halfway into level 27 up to 30 in the 8 or so hours I played, so it's not bad if you're trying to scrape to the top.
What really pulls the content together for me is the sort of mysteries laid out. It's the background of the setting, as well as the setting itself, that really makes Mothership Zeta come to life. The chilling audio logs of other prisoners, the retro future-tech of the spacecraft and the horrible truths you find out all make for an exemplary time spent. And it all culminates to a very clever "boss" scenario that probably trumps any previous attempts in the Wastelands.
I don't want to be too specific, not that I ever do, because this is some great content best discovered by the player. It's only ten pre-war dollars, which if my broke ass can scrounge up, I can't see any reason why you shouldn't. Also, surprisingly, bug free. That's a first for me and the Fallout DLC and should be enough reason for you to go pick it up. Oh also, it's really good.
On the bus, to the plane, to the UFO into outer space. The B-52's - Is That You Modean?
Just a quickie, a friend sent me this the other day and I couldn't help but think about the clear connection this has to The Conduit, even if it was just a coincidence. I figured, in either case, this is a damn funny video and I think my Giant Bomb community should revel in it's hilarity.
I personally support the All Seeing Eye, but I do not support the Mecha-Dragon Tank. I prefer the tunneling Mole Drones and the Cyber-Dolphins with the armor that lets them walk on land. Your thoughts? (Instrumental) Theme - Heroes (with the Voice of Shenkar!) 3 Comments
by Randy Marr Okay so first off, no I'm not a game designer. So I don't know the ins and outs of exact technical know-hows, but I do know a busted-ass game when I play one, and friends, Fallout 3 is as janky as it gets.
I've been trying to play nice because, in the end, I did really like the game, but after playing Point Lookout... I can't keep quiet anymore. How does this game even get released under it's conditions? In any other profession, if somebody were to make a comparable "Finished Product," with the number of problems and issues as this game, they would likely get their asses fired. What am I talking about? Well let me take you down a list of the problems I have personally encountered, and then feel free to add your own in the comments.
Crashed Autosaves: Nothing says "Goodbye two hours of my life" like the game deciding it's going to lock-up halfway through a loading screen, thus corrupting your auto-save. Take my advice, if you're playing this game, save manually and save often.
Getting Stuck in Place: So I was just minding my own business fighting some fire ants when suddenly, while trying to creep along a wall, I was stuck in place and unable to move. This has happened to me numerous other times, but that one was the most memorable because I was already pissed off being knee-deep in that shit-hole fire-ants lair.
Flying Deathclaws: This one scared the hell out of me. I'm crawling around the wasteland looking for some supplies when I notice a Deathclaw. I ready my weapon and prepare to tangle with the most vicious beast in Post-Apocalyptia, when all of a sudden the mother fucker just vertically leaps a few hundred feat in the air in a second. Out of curiosity, I pulled out Vats and took a few shots, and he fell back down like nothing ever happened. Only it happened a second time. That time I just let him ascend to wherever it was he apparently needed to go.
The Vault Door That Should Remain Closed: So there's a story mission where you have to go into a vault whose front door has been sealed off by terrible levels of radiation. You have to find a back-door in Little Lamp-Light. While crawling through said vault, I found it's front door from the inside, and out of curiosity, I opened it. Now, I'm pretty sure that this door was supposed to remain shut, and I'm so sure because on the other end was gray. That kind of empty gray that anybody whose ever used a no-clip cheat will be familiar with. I stepped through the doorway and magically popped through a random wall about halfway through the vault. This seems like something that would have been easily fixed, and should never have been encountered.
VATS Crashes: I don't know what it is about Point Lookout, but that DLC will take any excuse it can to crash on me about once an hour. One such situation included me trying to pull into VATS and the game locking up. But a bigger pain in the ass crash goes back to when I was running the end-game content and pulled into VATS to take out some foes. However, it never pulled out. Even after the enemies were destroyed at the over-eager hands of Fawkes, I just stood there in blurry slow-mo, with nothing better to do apparently.
And of course that's not to mention all the little glitches I've had, like clipping through rocks, being able to see through rocks because there's no texture on a part of a hill, the numerous times I've had problems with people not attacking me, or attacking me, all for no reason. (I once shot a major NPC to death, very slowly, and he never once picked up a weapon. He just stood there and seemed greatful for the bullets.) So my question to you is: How does this kind of game get any awards for best game? Shouldn't Best Game imply that it's a great game all around? And this isn't also taking into account that the character animations in this game are attrocious. Sure I clearly think it's a fun game if I'm still downloading the DLC, but is this something we should hold up to the light and say "See, it's acceptable if your game still runs like shit." Oh and there's also the lag. That game is laggy as all hell, and it's obnoxious.
All I'm saying is you don't see this kind of shotty work out of a first party Nintendo game, or a first party Sony game. I think it's unacceptable that developers and/or publishers think it's okay to put out a game and it's extra content when it has that many problems.l If Taco Bell put out a new burrito with some salsa that always makes the shell soggy and causes it to fall apart in your hands... It would go away. If Michael Bay's new Transformers movie featured random robots leaping into the heavens or giant chunks of no-clip gray hanging around the screen, he would never make another movie again. So why does Bethesda put this trashy game out, and furthermore, why did so few of the reviews out there call the game out on it's technical issues?
Anything technical issues you'd like to get off your chest? Am I perhaps being to harsh in my criticism of Bethesda's game? I told myself I'd try to be more positive in my blogs but after being unable to leave the building I'm in without the game crashing multiple times tonight... I just had to say something.
I've lost all ambition for worldly acclaim The Inkspots - I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire 23 Comments
One of the things that fascinates me most about a video game is the soundtrack and it's use. I feel that something as simple as the music of a game is perhaps the strongest tie you may have to a favorite moment or title. One such song, the "Aria of the Soul" (or if you will, "The Poem for Everyone's Soul"), is a staple of the Persona franchise. It's been in every game and in many different variations. Right now I'm going to take you on a bit of an audio tour of this song as it has progressed through the years.
Megami Ibunroku Persona
The original Persona game, known locally as "Persona: Revelations," was known for a lot of things... mostly a god-awful translation and the removal of a well-sought after side quest involving The Snow Queen being completely removed. (Fortunately all of this is to be rectified in Persona for PSP!) It should also be known as the origin of the "Aria." Here I have two versions from a soundtrack I came across. Featured are the original and a rather glorious arrangement.
The original:
The Arrangement:
As you can tell, the song's life is off to an impressive start. If you ask me, the original just might be the best version of this song, but let's continue on to Persona 2 and see what it has to offer, shall we?
Persona 2: Innocent Sin
The Velvet Room:
There are also several "Velvet Room Variations" that I shall link you too: 2. 3. 4. Not particularly the best, but after watching this video I have to wonder where all of Igor's mates went. He looks like he had a real party going in there, but now it's just him and Elizabeth... as we head into Persona 3.
Persona 3 and 4 share the same base version of the song you'll see in the first video. (or hear, I suppose.) But I should say that Persona 3 also has, by far, the most number of versions of Aria, including a final boss battle revamping the song and calling it "Battle Hymm of the Soul" (also known as "The Battle for Everyone's Souls). However, it is also used as the game over music, it is remixed for the "Persona 3: Renaissance" album, as was "Battle Hymm of the Soul." The original sound track for Persona 3 also featured an exclusive version "Blues in Velvet Room." See what they did there?
Persona 3 FES
The Blue Velvet Room:
Battle Hymm of the Soul:
Reincarnation: The Poem of Everyone's Soul
Reincarnation: The Battle for Everyone's Souls
Blues in Velvet Room:
Persona 4 features the same original version of The Blue Velvet Room music as 3 did, but what you might not have heard is an exclusive version that comes with the original soundtrack (and if memory serves, not the one we US folks got on our bonus OST disc, but the full-fledged version). The title is...
Persona 4
Electronica in the Velvet Room
Dance, Margarette, dance.
And finally, as a bit of a hype-push for the Persona remake coming out on PSP, I present to you the newest addition to the "Poem of Everyone's Souls" collection:
Persona PSP
A remarkable journey for an even more remarkable song, but let's hope this is not the end of Persona and the "Aria!" Let there be many more versions to gome as more and more Persona games are made in the coming days. Are there any other favorite songs in the Persona franchise that you happen to have? Perhaps I could do another feature on some of them, because there just might be a few more versions of the song than you're aware of...
(Note: Is this kind of feature actually interesting out there? Would it be worth it to people besides me to try and write more of these? Also, how do you like the format? Should I just link to the youtube videos instead of imbedding them? I'd love some feedback!") 22 Comments
by Randy Marr So the new Transformers movie is upon us, and with it, MARKETING TIE-INS! WHOO!! And who better to hop onto the summer blockbuster band-wagon than Burger King? They've decided that a promotional give-away and new product were in order. Your typical Burger King "There's a sticker on your cup and maybe your fries!" contest is back, with the patented "There's two scratch-off's! Pick one and maybe you'll win! (But if you scratch both you lose anyway)" Accompanying this little give-away is the new BBQ Double Stackticon! (Visit the actual site here, complete with scarier-than-normal King)
The BBQ Double Stackticon is an attempt on Burger King's part to "Transform" the regular BK Stacker. For the uninitiated (Salad eating mother fuc~...), the BK Stacker is two slabs of beef, two slices of cheese, bacon ,and some mystery (yet delicious!) sauce. You can also up the ante by making it a triple or even Quad-Stacker, depending on the amount of self-loathing you posess. So what's the big secret to the transformation? Sweet Baby Ray's Sweet and Spicy BBQ Sauce. And it doesn't really do anything. Maybe I just got a bad one, but it tasted like a typical burger to me. At this point I'd rather have a Wendy's Baconator, and directly attack my heart for massive damage. In the end, the only difference is the sauce, and it's just not as good as whatever the hell it use they use for the stacker. So not only is there a lack of originality on the part of Burger King, but they turned a personal heart-stopping favorite into a weaker, more mild version of it's former self.
If you feel enticed by this sandwich, allow me to recommend you just stick with the typical BK Stacker. It's cheaper and it's better. And if you're feeling really lucky or you're ready to end your own life, may I suggest asking them to make it an "Octo-stacker," which really would have been nice if they had it for the release of Spider-Man 2.
I wanted to like Henry Hatsworth, I really did. I love 2D platformers enough that I'm almost always willing to give one a try. Panel de Pon (Planet Puzzle League, Pokemon Puzzle League, Tetris Attack... take your pick) is one of my favorite puzzle games out there, and with it being the basis of the puzzle half of this puzzle-platformer (puzzle puzzle puzzle, in case I haven't said it enough), I thought we were getting somewhere. Top it all off with an undeniably awesome paintjob of old men who like to explore random ass locations in search of golden pants and what have you, well it sounds like a match made in heaven.
Satan from Shin Megami Tensei II says hi, and hopes you are not enjoying Henry Hatsworth. Until you find out that it was actually concocted by Satan himself.
Like I said, I wanted to like this game. For a while I kept telling myself "no no, this game is really better than the sum of it's unreasonably mediocre parts." But by the time I reached world 4-6, the illusion was over and all that remained was the harsh fact of reality: I'm not finishing this game.
Calling it, dead on the table, 5:46 AM (sweet, sweet insomnia). A boss fight with some decrepid old dude being weilded by a gigantic nurse (which is awesome on paper) left me broken and disillusioned with Henry Hatsworth. This boss fight was simply poorly designed. I've played through Gradius games that pulled less bullshit. But when I'm getting hit by attacks from accross the room, then pinned in a corner and having random pills raining down upon me with no where to hide... I'm just too aggrivated to care. But that wasn't the clincher: I finally get Nursezilla and her immobile companion down to a third of the health bar and suddenly her attacks cause these icicle shards to rain down (in the middle of an underwater fortress, mind you.) I think "Well, whatever, let's just dodge these suckers." Only to find that 3 of the 4 of them have completely crippled my puzzle screen. For those unfamiliar with the game mechanics, that completely removed my ability to charge up my special abilities, regain health, or power up my shots. Then the game decided this bossfight was in dire need of more underwater combat.
Because you know, underwater combat, that hasn't sucked in roughly every game ever.
So now every action I make is painfully slowed, and the fat nurse is just bouncing around the screen coughing up pills that mutate into sword-wielding monsters. It's just too much for me, without the use of my puzzle to power up, to handle. I've played a lot of frustrating and clunky games before (*Cough*aloneinthedark*Cough*), but I've learned that at this point: I don't have to. I have a stack of almost 30 games that need beating, and I'm done wasting my time on this one. It wasn't even that fun to start with. The platforming was mediocre, the combat was slow and boring (having to do the same combo for 30 seconds on EVERY ENEMY is not fun), and having to stop every 2 minutes to clear out the puzzle on the bottom just makes for a tedius stop-and-go game that ultimately I decided just needed to stop.
Fortunately, I don't get any payment to write reviews, I just do them as a hobby. So if you want, consider this a review that I'm not going to score. I don't recommend this game, straight up. Get Kirby and Planet Puzzle League instead. Get two DS's and just switch between them every five minutes, if you really need to get your fix of a game like this.
Greasy insomnia please release me, and let me dream about making mad love on the heath; tearing off tights with my teeth. Faithless - Insomnia Satan from Shin Megami Tensei II in demon form. sa 5 Comments
Not as good as I wanted. Save your coins. Members of the "Club Nintendo" service have until June 30, 2009 to claim as many coins as they can in order to reach Gold or Platinum service. Doing so will make them eligible for a special reward. To earn a Gold status you need 300 coins and to earn Platinum you need 600. Coins can be earned by registering your games and consoles on the Club Nintendo website, and additional coins can be earned by filling out little questionnaires about the games.
If you are eligible as of June 30 you can visit the Club Nintendo website to get more information on the special reward. Once they've been announced, time will be limited to claim them.
Has anybody spent their coins on anything nifty, or are you just hoarding them up? What do you hope the special gifts will be? I'm personally hoping for that Wario colored Gamecube controller the Japanese got, though I suppose the timing would be off. Still, that thing would be sweet for a Wario fanatic such as myself. Or the Super Famicon (obviously going to be Super Nintendo) controller for Virtual Console games. 2 Comments
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