I’m a big fan of fighting games. It’s something of a lost art here in the 21st century. The console has largely killed the tightly-packed throngs of teens waiting their turn at the controls of the latest button-masher. It is my most sincere hope that Tekken 6 helps turn a bit of that around.
True to my word, I picked up a copy on release day at lunch and had the fidgets the entire rest of the day ’till I could crack what I was sure was fighting nirvana on a disc. To my great relief I was rewarded with perhaps one of the most balanced and deep fighting games I’ve played in close to ten years. Not since Tekken 3 have I been this happy with a fisticuffs title.
I finished the storyline for Halo3 ODST this afternoon and to sum it up in two words – it rocked. I didn’t quite know what to expect and it took a level or two to get my bearings but in the end I think many will agree with me.
The first thing you must remember is; “You are not Master Chief, you are The Rookie.” And in the beginning, being the Rookie is kind of a bummer. Your jump is about half what the MC’s is and though the 7 foot tall Spartan can handle two weapons at once The Rookie cannot.
NCSoft announced on Friday that it will be opening up the beta version of their new MMORPG, Aion, on September 6th for a one-week period before the game is finalized for their release version, which comes out September 22nd. If you pre-order your copy of Aion now, you can get a two-day head start on gameplay beginning on September 20th. NCSoft’s press release states:
Aion’s Open Beta Test featuring version 1.5 will take place 6-13th September and will include numerous Western enhancements, including improvements to Aion’s innovative character customization with a host of Western styles, as well as new zones, instances, skills, quests and continued game balancing and improvements. Open Beta will retain a level cap for both Elyos and Asmodians characters at 30 allowing players to focus on getting to the same level so they can explore the lands of Atreia together, as well as the Abyss.
If you wish to try the closed beta client to fight the celestial war as one of the four classes on Atreia, you can download the client from FilePlanet (you have to be a registered member of their service) or from GamersHell. This is a six-gigabyte file, so plan your download accordingly!
Zachary Quinto stopped by the Video West arcade in Glendale, CA, last week to get his game on and help promote Stride Gum’s mission to help Save the Arcades. To help choose which local arcade will get a $25,000 boost from Stride, old-school gaming fans can play the online Flash game Zapataur — then choose which arcade gets their earned in-game points. The arcade with the most points in the end gets the cash.
As most gamers know, the arcades of the 70s and early 80s met their demise (mostly) with the increased popularity and affordability of home consoles. The Wikipedia entry on arcade history explains how arcades began to develop a reputation for being “seedy, unsafe places” while home gaming technology like the Nintendo NES, Sega Genesis, and eventually the PlayStation advanced to become equal to and eventually better and cheaper than arcade gaming — not to mention longer playing times.
Have you always thought that a catchy pop tune about gaming would be the best thing since sliced rye bread? Even if you haven’t, The Guild’s new music video, “Do You Want to Date My Avatar,” is a great way to get in the mood for not only the new season of The Guild but also for the GWC podcast’s next few upcoming episodes! However, be prepared to be singing the song afterwards… be sure to check out the lyrics.
The song’s also available for download from iTunes and Amazon (ASIN B002JEEJ2A).
The Guild [website]
When I first made the jump to an iPhone I was very worried about becoming one of the pod people who can’t put them down. As it turns out, that’s a total non-issue — however, I did find a bunch of sweet, downloadable, free games from producer Storm8 that are wickedness personified.
There are seven games in the Storm8 arsenal: Kingdoms, Vampires, World War, Racing, iMobster, Rockstar and Zombies. Each has its own unique setup and bend to the overall game play but if you learn how to play one, the others will quickly follow.
I thought I could resist — I really tried, honestly, but Fable II was calling me. Even after the engrossing social aspects of Eve, I still felt the need to download the new “See the Future” expansion pack for Fable II. It’s a sickness really, a wonderfully crafted sickness.
If you’ve played the game at all, even for a few minutes, you’ve met Murgo the trader. He’s the guy who sold you the music box at the very beginning of the game. Well now Murgo is back and hanging around the Bowerstone town square with his stock of cursed magic items that just happen to take you to other worlds. Each world has a few problems that need someone like you to help fix them. Commence with the fun!
Bioware is teaming up with Dark Horse Comics to give you a much-needed Mass Effect fix: a four-episode comic book arc titled Mass Effect: Redemption. The arc will span the time between the end of Mass Effect and the beginning of the upcoming Mass Effect 2 and explains the disappearance of Shepard and his fight to survive.
“Fans of Mass Effect are going to be pleasantly shocked by the events in these comics,” says ME lead writer Mac Walters. “We worked very closely with Dark Horse to make sure this story was built into the Mass Effect 2 arc right from the ground up. Reading the series won’t just add to your experience of the universe, it will change the way you look at Mass Effect 2… and beyond.”
Felicia Day’s homegrown (and totally awesome) internet series The Guild recently wrapped filming on its third season, due to release later this summer. Production funds initially came solely from friends and fans and, of course, Ms. Day’s own pocket. But in their best move since releasing Win2k and merging with Nextel, respectively, Microsoft and Sprint now sponsor the show — with the caveat that creative control still rests firmly in the hands of Felicia and her evil minions.
You’re relaxing during your time off and an image of the opening credits of Star Wars: A New Hope scrolls through your mind. Or maybe it’s an image of ET’s glowing finger, the sound of Inigo Montoya saying “My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die,” or an image of the Charlotte’s Web cover. All of these things remind me of my childhood and teenage years. I’ve loved sci-fi and fantasy as long as I can remember.
But how did it start? Did my parents guide me into sci-fi or did I just fall into it on my own? I may never know the answer, but it definitely made me think: How does one introduce children and young adults to the genre? Read on for a few suggestions from me and fellow GWCers!
As a total Eve n00b, I find the game incredibly photogenic — so much so that I often switch to windowed mode and grab my tourist camera (read: screen shot) and snap away. I thought I’d share a couple:
1. Firefly In Eve (Above)
Eve offers a variety of missions to help newcomers to Eve get their feet wet, and the cargo one picks up during such missions can be pretty funny, ranging from “one unit of damsel in distress” to (as you see above) livestock. Of course, whenever I end up carrying livestock, I think of Shindig. In many ways the Eve universe does closely resemble that of Firefly, as players often find themselves running from station to station (to asteroid belt to annoying agent at a beacon in the middle of nowhere) hauling freight, transporting “one unit of passenger,” or eliminating various baddies (or goodies) for cash — known as ISK in the game. And Eve is just as dangerous as the Firefly ‘verse: with no dedicated PvP areas, you’re exposed to the possibility of attack always.
I’m a huge fan of MMORPG’s (Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) and have been for years. A few years ago I saw an ad for Eve Online and decided to see what it’s all about – and I’ve been playing on and off for a few years now. Eve isn’t just a flight game or a techno shooter or even an MMORPG, it’s a mirror of life with the restrictions removed and set 20,000 years in the future.
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