Rumble Massage

Use the rumble to

release the stress, don’t forget

the happy ending!

This has to be one of the most interesting uses of the rumble functionality in game I’ve seen thus far.  You’re able to set the pulse and strength of the rumble and there’s also a setting that allows you to control someone else’s controller’s rumble for interactive massaging that can be done over Xbox Live or while in the same room .  It blows my mind simple yet inventive this game is because it has functionality that spans not only massages and stress relief but could also function as a way for adults to have some personal fun which is quite innovative.

RC-AirSim

Fun RC plane sim

that gives you a backyard to

perform your tricks in.

This game is fairly simple but is definitely a fun time waster.  You get to choose from a good sized list of RC Airplanes and you’re immediately thrown into a huge backyard to fly your plane in.  While the game will most likely grown stale after an hour or so of play it is well worth the 200 Microsoft Points price tag (about $2.50).

Groov

Groov-y  tunes created

from the shooting I’m doing

and I’m loving it.

I’m glad to say that the gentleman that made this game is a member of the boards on 1Up.com and I have to say that he did an amazing job on this game.  Yes it is a bit of a throwback to Geometry Wars and Everyday Shooter but at the same time it has its own flavor that is a fun experience.  Groov is a game that could easily be on the regular Xbox Live Marketplace and is an absolute steal for 200 MS Points.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Vote for Your Fav Xbox LIVE Arcade Games Next Week (amazon.com)
• A Busy Week For The Xbox Live Marketplace (lockergnome.com)
• Xbox Live tallies 1 million Netflix Watch Instantly activations, 1.5 billion minutes served (engadget.com)

Real Time Strategy games have had quite the difficult time attempting to come over to consoles.  I’m not sure if it’s the constant moving around the battlefield that is the difficult thing to compensate for due to the limiting controller on consoles or whether there are too many commands and too little button real estate.  From what I’ve seen of Halo Wars it seems to be a solid attempt by Ensemble Studios (unfortunately closed prior to releasing the game) to focus the overall feel of an RTS into a tighter package that may outrage the hardcore but in a lot of ways is a more streamlined experience because of the changes.

One of the major places Halo Wars moves away from its RTS brethren is restricting the player in where they can build bases.  Yes this can be limiting in some ways but at the same time it is good to know that whenever I need to I can quickly get to my base and start cranking out units at will rather than searching around to see exactly where I placed my barracks.  I think the fact that you’re also limited on how many buildings you can make around your home base only adds another layer of strategy to the game.

The control scheme can get some getting used to but draws a lot of parralells to the Command and Conquer 3 and the Battle for Middle Earth II games that came out for Xbox 360 awhile back.  Halo Wars is simplified enough that it allows you to bypass the minutia that was originally associated with using controllers with RTS games and allows you to enjoy the pure dumb fun of sending your troops to attack the enemy.  The one major problem I noticed is the fact you couldn’t group certain squads together to better attack situations from multiple sides.  I’m not sure if this will become a greater problem when faced with the full game but as of right now in the demo it seems to be a deficiency that can be a headache at first be serviceable.

I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed the Halo Wars demo.  My feelings of the game went from a title that I was slightly interested in because it was based on the Halo universe to one that I’m really looking forward to getting a copy into my hands.  Halo Wars doesn’t seem to reinvent the RTS wheel with it’s mechanics but it does provides you with an experience specifically geared towards consoles and should be judged solely on that fact rather than how “dumbed down” it is compared to PC RTS games.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Halo Wars: Making Console Real-Time Strategy Work [Behind The Scenes] (kotaku.com)
• Robot to develop further Halo Wars content, new IP (joystiq.com)
• Ensemble Studio vets start a Bonfire (joystiq.com)

The Cartoon Network animated series Afro Samurai has arrived onto the console scene in the form of a action game for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.  The game plays very much like the PS2 era Shinobi games rather than either of the Ninja Gaiden games.  While the Ninja Gaiden games can be satisfying when you master them the ease of both Shinobi and Afro Samurai allow you to use your sword and focused attacks to destroy your enemies while still being able to have a good time.  It’s befitting that Samuel L. Jackson reprises his role from the animated series because you definitely feel like one badass motherfu(ok you get the idea) when playing the Afro Samurai Game.

It’s almost like poetry in motion when you get into a rhythm while fighting the hordes of ninjas and thugs you’re put against in the Afro Samurai demo.  The art style is shaded almost like a graphic novel and has super saturated colors that make the gushes of blood that come out of your enemies look like the old kung fu movies from the 70s.  The simple yet deep controls make moving through the environments a fluid dance as you hop from one enemy to another.

The Afro Samurai demo does a great job of showing how visceral of an experience the game can be and stops at a climatic moment leaving you wanting more.  I was curious about this title prior to getting my hands on the Xbox 360 demo and now that I’ve had a taste I definitely plan to get my hands on a retail copy to see how the full Afro Samurai adventure plays out.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Afro Samurai Continues Its Run (wired.com)
• Church’s Chicken Hypes Afro Samurai [Cross Promotions] (kotaku.com)
• Samuel L. Jackson is the Next Karate Kid (derekhail.com)

The only bad thing about zombies is becoming one yourself, otherwise they’re a blast.  It can be quite viseral to take out a whole group of them with abandon.  One of my favorite  zombie games was the original Dead Rising for Xbox 360.  The great mix of gore and outright silliness (Mega Man costume!) created a sandbox that allowed for dozens of ways to tear through the zombie horde.

With great enthusiasm I’d like to pass on the news that the inevitable sequel to Dead Rising was officially announced by Capcom on Feb 9th of this year.   The story is set to throw at you, “tens of thousands of zombies” while you roam the “new gambling paradise of Fortune City” which seems to have a bit of Las Vegas flavor (zombie Elvis impersonators anyone?).  From the screenshots that were released along with this announcement Dead Rising 2 looks to be on par with its predecessor and seems to be attempting to up the ante in every way possible.

I really enjoyed the first one regardless of the technical difficulties (limiting save system, timeline based story progression).  If Dead Rising 2 dixes those issues and just follows the original’s flavor this entry will only add to the franchise’s appeal.  There’s currently no announced release date for Dead Rising 2 but I predict the game to be out sometime during the 4th quarter of ’09, til then I’ll be waiting impatiently to get my hands on it like the sick zombie fiend I am.

I, like many of you gamers out there, have tried and failed when trying to share my love of games with others.  While all of us may have the best intentions from the beginning, we usually meet failure because of lack of forethought or over enthusiasm for our hobby.  Instead of adding new gamers to the gaming community’s numbers we usually only succeed in solidifying their already negative view of gaming.  With this in mind I created a short list of ways to introduce people to gaming and what pitfalls could occur while doing so.   

1. Gentle and Accommodating

Just like taste in movies, you have to respect what your significant other’s tastes are when choosing a game to play with them.  Make sure that whatever your choice is, that it doesn’t expect too much from the player right from the start.  Watching that it both satisfies their sensibilities, as well as doesn’t drop them into something difficult, will make the transition into gaming all the easier.

Things To Watch Out For – Don’t make it too easy, just because they can breeze through it doesn’t instantly equate they’ll get any satisfaction out of it.  Try to respect their inexperience and taste – don’t mock them.

2. Size Does Matter

You’re going to have to give some thought into what their tolerance will be for lengths of time between save points or time needed to complete levels.  In most cases there has to be some satisfaction of accomplishment when the person plays the game.  Whether it’s Xbox Achievements or being able to play a full level from start to finish, the game has to have some built-in situations that they can strive to overcome and eventually beat in one sitting.

Things To Watch Out For – Accomplishment is a great thing to get from a game but make sure that the difficulty isn’t too steep.  Us hardcore gamers can get frustrated and we’re already prepared for the headaches video games can be so you could only imagine what someone who doesn’t care about games can feel if they die three or four times during a boss fight.

3. Have It Your Way

Being able to customize your own avatar or gamertag within a game can be a fun addition and playing up this fact to a new gamer can only help in drawing them in.  Perfect examples of this is the Xbox 360′s Avatars, the Wii‘s Miis, and to a lesser extend  PS3‘s Home application.  But even if they personally don’t want to play a particular game, giving them the chance to make your character can make them curious as to how the person they made becomes part of the world.  This will only add another point of sharing between the two of you.

Things To Watch Out For – Grin and bear how long it may take for them to complete this process.  While it may take you three minutes to make yourself a character, it just might take them three times that time to do the same.

4. “Couch Punch” Games

Try to find games that emphasize playing co-op with others rather than just sitting around taking turns on games.  Having the ability to share in the experience together can make bringing the other person into the gaming fold go a bit smoother.  Rather than emphasizing the sometimes anti-social nature of gaming you’ll be showing off how great it is to have someone next to you helping you along with the game.

Things To Watch Out For – Make sure you don’t rip through the game without them getting a full experience of what it is to play.  They’ll feel like a placeholder rather than an active participant in the experience.

5. The Wonder Years

Utilize the different compilation discs and retro downloads that can be found on each of the Big Three’s consoles.  Many of these classic games can instantly rekindle the fun factor they enjoyed experiencing in yesteryear.  Some great franchises to revisit can run the vary from Pac-Man and Galaga to Mario and Sonic.

Things To Watch Out For –This can be a great starting point but it would defeat the point if their only want was to play Centipede for the 1000th time to date.  While these are fun to experience you don’t want old arcade games to be the only games they want to play.

6. Like Tyson Vs. A Baby

While your gaming ego may take a hit in doing so, not being too competitive while playing with the other person is a must.  You’ve been playing games for quite some time and completely dominating multiplayer games will only help to alienate your loved one.  Give them a bit of space to begin with and they just might surprise you by providing quite the opposition after getting the basics down.

Things To Watch Out For – Don’t be a complete pushover. It’ll be pretty easy to see right through your ploy to give them some wins before you whoop them into submission.  Once again respect their inexperience, don’t under estimate it.

7. My Very Own Cheer Squad

Be enthusiastic about getting them to play with you.  You don’t want to make it seem like it’s an arduous situation for you to go through.  While it may seem a little cheesy this will only help for it to be more of an experience for both of you, rather than them just sitting on a couch in silence while playing a game.

Things To Watch Out For – While it can add to the experience, try not to overdue it.  No one likes to feel like some kid at their soccer game with their mom cheering from the sidelines.

8. Backseat Gaming

No one likes someone standing over their shoulder nitpicking each and every move they make.  So don’t do the same while the other person is playing the game regardless of how many times they try to open the door that clearly wasn’t programmed to do so.  Many people learn by experience and you showing your frustration could only prompt them to give up on the game all together.

Things To Watch Out For – Give them their space but also let them know that you are most likely aware of what to do next or how to go about beating a boss.  You definitely don’t want them to just toss down the controller in frustration once they’ve hit a seemingly dead end.

Knowing is HALF the battle

While following any of the above can help make the introduction into gaming go as smoothly as possible, it’s not an all access golden key card.  It will not just instantly happen, it might not even happen at all.  Some people just don’t get the idea that pushing these buttons for hours on end could be fun.  If they continue to show lack of interest, chalk it up to differences in tastes and stop “taking one for the team” while watching HGTV when you know every fabric of your being wants to put on Spike or ESPN.

I will start this semi-review with a caveat, I did not finish Far Cry 2.  While Far Cry 2 is a very competent shooter, there seemed to be way too much working against me ever beginning to enjoy it.  Whether it was the lack of a quick travel feature, the random battles, or having malaria, there were things in this game that seemed to work against everything the game excels at.

First and foremost I have to say that Far Cry 2 is one of the most gorgeous games I have ever seen on my Xbox 360.  The vistas are absolutely jaw dropping and at times can feel alive when you’re in the dense jungle and surrounded by the sounds of the native fauna.  The only problem is you actually don’t get to encounter many of the animals firsthand.  I’ve seen a water buffalo, deer, a couple chickens, and a poorly placed zebra that I fiercely ran over last night.How could they waste the opportunity to have a lion chase the player for a mile or so just before you turn around with your machete drawn in hopes of taking down the beast…just another drawback chalked up to poor execution.

I do like the “buddy” system in the game which allows you to meet other mercenaries and have them help you with the different tasks you’re given throughout the game.  Unfortunately other than them coming to your rescue or offering you different ways to tackle a situation there’s really no other use for them.  It would have been a bit more beneficial to allow you some control over these guys so that you could tackle situations with some strategy rather than running in guns blazing hoping that your team mate doesn’t get taken out by a stray bullet.

Overall, I can’t pinpoint anything that is all that bad with the game.  You’ll learn quickly that the best way to attack situations is from afar, then play clean up while up close, and repeat ad nauseum.  So while you’ll be completely equipped to beat the game right off the bat but there really isn’t anything to compel you to do so.

2. Netflix can be directly streamed from your Xbox 360 to your TV as an added feature that Microsoft and Netflix have offered to their mutual subscribers.  Man of the titles have HD versions that you can Watch Instantly with more being added on a regular basis.

3. Your Xbox 360 also has the ability to connect to Xbox Live which is the premiere way to play games online.  Through Xbox Live you have the ability to connect to your friends and have live chat while playing games together or even while wathcing TV.  It’s extremely easy to use and has a slick interface that allows for layers of customization that you can tweak to your tastes.

4. Some of the best HD graphics around can be found on the Xbox 360.  The Xbox 360 offers a level of realism that meets or trumps the competition in almost everyway.  Developers are also continuing to push what the Xbox 360 has under its hood so the best could still be yet to come.

5. Price tag…period.  For $199.99 you get a system that does all of the above and is slick piece of technology that can be utilized as the central hub for most of your family’s entertainment.  The Xbox 360 is a versatile piece of equipment that has the unique ability to be enjoyed by every member of the family.

When Microsoft first announced Microsoft Community Games at 2008′s GDC conference, I was amazed by the prospect but doubted whether I would ever see the platform come to fruition.  While not perfect, Microsoft Community Games was released into the world late last year with a wide variety of “home-brewed” games to try and/or purchase.  They ranged from artistic reinterpretations of older games like Groov to downright experimental craziness like Rumble Massage.

The simple fact that the people featured in the Community Games section of Xbox Live have a chance of getting their work seen and bought by gamers around the globe is a amazing in itself.  Because of the suite of product and services provided by Microsoft you also don’t have to be some programming genius to start making your own games.

Thanks to my rekindled love for Community Games I added a Haiku Preview for my standout favorite of the games I’ve downloaded so far:

CarneyVale Showtime

Simple game with charm

galore.  Makes me laugh without

realizing it.

I am not joking about the laugh part.  It escaped on its own as I saw my guy twirled through the air doing cart wheels as he made his way up the level.  CarneyVale Showtime is a simple physics game but can be an awesome time waster that is well worth the couple dollars it’s being sold for on Microsoft Community Games.

To refresh my memory on how F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin (Xbox 360) played I ran through the Demo level they have up on Xbox Live right now.  I remember attempting to play through the original F.E.A.R. way back when and loving the paranormal stuff that was going on but realizing that I spent most of my time in static office building environments waiting for generic grunts to come running at me.  The slow motion stuff was quite cool at the time but didn’t make for much amusement after the 20th or so time you watched some dude fly back in slowmo from a strategically placed shotgun blast to the crotch.

I am glad to see that Fear 2 is shaping to add a little more variety into the environments that you’re traversing throughout the game.  Thankfully I have not been through a single office hallway, though I did visit a creepy blood-coated school.  I am glad to see that just within the 30 minutes or so worth of gameplay contained in the demo there already seems to be a substantial amount more of the paranormal activity that drew me into the first one.  I also loved the fact that you will have a chance to enter the badass mechanized suits that were huge headaches in the original game.

Overall the Demo seems to be a perfect vertical slice of excitement that I’m hoping is duplicated throughout the rest of the game.  The game is absolutely gorgoeus and gives equal graphical attention to the gore and the destroyed world around you. Each of the weapons I was able to get my hands on felt and played like exactly how I would like them to have.  I know it’s hard to judge how a full game will be just from what companies provide you through demo’s but I can say in confidence that I am thoroughly geeked about F.E.A.R. 2′s release on Feb 10th, 2009.

The Maw

Visuals out of

Lilo and Stich with just as

much fun to be had.

When I first fired up Twisted Pixel’s The Maw I was shocked by how cute this game looked and the fact that it was a really good looking game.  There are many stylized games on Xbox Live Marketplace that look gorgeous but The Maw is one of the first that look on par to late Last Gen graphical quality.  From the taste I got in the demo I would have to say that if the humor and quirkiness found there is held throughout the game it looks to be a fun action platformer that is easy to pickup and play.