I'm going to start a new feature for myself to update this blog more often. I'm going to use my powers of research and awesome to list out major releases for each month, which systems they are out for, and what my personal picks are for the month. I haven't fully decided which time I will post these (Start or end of the month, for example), but this will most likely just be put up whenever I feel like.
The following is broken up into sections by console, which then have the game's title and it's release date in ()'s. Also, things marked with a star at the end of the title are downloadable games, not retail. I won't do seperate lists for PSN, WiiWare, DSiWare, etc.
Note: Since I am doing this in the middle of the month and apparently, sites that list release dates have no care about letting people research backwards, so I only have major things from before this date. This will be fixed in later months.
~ Wii ~
- A Shadow's Tale (1/4/11)
- Jam City Rollergirls* (1/24/11)
- Titanic Mystery (1/31/11)
- UFC Trainer (1/31/11)
Pick of the Month: ...Um. According to the major releases on stuff, the only one here that came up was "A Shadow's Tale", so based off that fact, get that. Or, just don't buy anything this month, Wii owners. Go get a game you might have missed, like DKC Returns or Kirby's Epic Yarn.
~ PS3 ~
- DC Universe Online (1/11/11)
- LittleBigPlanet2 (1/18/11)
- Mass Efect 2 (1/18/11)
- MindJack (1/18/11)
- Dead Space 2 (1/25/11)
- Two Worlds II (1/25/11)
- UFC Trainer (1/31/11)
- Star Raiders (1/31/11)
- Dungeon Defenders* (1/31/11)
- Conspiracy* (1/31/11)
Pick of the Month: LittleBigPlanet 2. This is the one I care about more than the others. Don't like it? Don't read. Plus, all the other good games are multiplatform, so they will get their time in the light, so quiet.
~ 360 ~
- MindJack (1/18/11)
- Dead Space 2 (1/25/11)
- Two Worlds II (1/25/11)
- UFC Trainer (1/31/11)
- Star Raiders (1/31/11)
- Dungeon Defenders* (1/31/11)
Pick of the Month: Dead Space 2.
~ PC ~
- DC Universe Online (1/11/11)
- Dead Space 2 (1/25/11)
- Two Worlds II (1/25/11)
- Titanic Mystery (1/31/11)
- Dungeon Defenders (1/31/11)
- Trapped Dead (1/31/11)
Pick of the Month: It's tough between DC Universe and Dead Space 2. I don't plan on playing either, but from what I have seen, I would say go with Dead Space 2.
~ DS ~
- Kingdom Hearts Re:Coded (1/11/11)
- Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective (1/11/11)
- Rocks N' Rockets (1/24/11)
- Paws & Claws Marine Rescue (1/25/11)
- Rec Room Games (1/25/11)
- Chronicles of Mystery: The Tree of Life (1/27/11)
- Gabrielle's Ghostly Groove (1/30/11)
- ATV Wild Ride (1/30/11)
- Titanic Mystery (1/31/11)
- The Mysterious Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (1/31/11)
Pick of the Month: While not a huge fan of the series... Kingdom Hearts has my vote. I won't play it personally, but I understand that people enjoy the series. Everything else here is fail, with the sole exception of Ghost Trick, which I have heard very good things about.
~ PSP ~
- Lord of Arcana (1/25/11)
- Samurai Shodown* (1/31/11)
- Enigmo* (1/31/11)
Pick of the Month: Get Samurai Shodown. Old game, but it was fun back in the day. If it means anything, I have no clue what the other two games are. So, I obviously pick the one I know about.
Overall Pick of the Month:
Dead Space 2. I know it's a super high profile game, but besides a few other gems, this game is something that should be played and bought. sadly, however, I say this with the fact that I don't have any system it's out for and I won't be playing it. But I'd like to think that I know a thing or two about games. So suck it if you don't like it. =D
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
A closer look at On-The-Go Rock Band
Rock Band, created by the very talented people at Harmonix, have a Rock Band game on every platform that is important. Today, I'm going to discuss the portable ones. I'm going to talk about the most reason games for the DS (Rock Band 3), PSP (Rock Band Unplugged), and iPhone (Rock Band Reloaded). I've played all of them and I want to let you know which ones have strengths and weaknesses. I'll just put this into sections for you to see.
1. Gameplay.
All three of these games have somewhat similar gameplay, in the fact that you don't have the add-ons like the guitar or things like that, since using those in a portable sense would be really hard and dumb.
Rock Band Reloaded is the second iPhone/iTouch game to hit the app store, with the first one simply being called "Rock Band". The game makes you hold your iDevice horizontally and you play notes off four lines going down. You tap the icons when the notes come down (The drums have pads that you tap, as opposed to tapping the notes themselves, like Tap Tap games). You can play the Guitar, Bass, Drums, and Vocals (Both by touch and by actually singing, using the iPhone mic or a headset for iTouch users), but you only play one at a time. I mention this because the other two portable games don't just make you play one instrument.
Rock Band 3 and Unplugged play more similar to each other than the iPhone version, but still have their differences. You play four tracks of music, each track is a different part (Drums, Gutiar, etc) and you cycle through them as you play phrases of notes and play parts of each instrument. You do this for the whole song, but you stop cycling as you hit a solo, where you just play the main instrument in the solo.
They key difference between these two is that Unplugged has been out for a while, while Rock Band 3 has the keyboard parts, which switches with the guitar track.
Overall, if you want a traditional Rock Band type of deal, the iPhone version lets you just focus on one part of the song. But the PSP and DS titles give you some challenge, keeping you on your toes.
2. Songs and DLC.
From here, I am just going to start listing each game and write about them. Yeah, I change styles in the middle of writing. Deal with it. Also, if you want to know everything on the music in each game, Wiki the game or something. I'm not listing out everything here. Do your own work, you lazy bastards. >_>
Rock Band 3 (DS) - This is probably the biggest letdown of this portable game. The songs on the game are good, but they generally don't fit as things I like listening to. Some of them have grown on me, but others are just kinda... there.
The second part of this letdown is that there is NO DLC. No WiFi. Nothing of the sort. When I bought the game new, it had a booklet for WiFi, but no features or anything that use it.
Rock Band Unplugged (PSP) - This game has my favrote songs of the three games, with things like Killswitch Engage (DLC), Black Tide, Nine Inch Nails, etc. I enjoy the songs a lot and have spent plenty of time with this game.
Unlike the DS version, this game has DLC. The amount of songs is decent, I suppose. It's more than the iPhone game, but this game has a year on the iPhone game in terms of how long it's been around. However, if you check it now, I don't believe there is anything new coming out for Unplugged, so whatever is there will be all that you get.
Rock Band Reloaded (iPhone) - This portable version has a decent setlist, one that keeps growing through DLC that is added on... a somewhat regular basis. Some free songs and things keep it good and keep your music list expanding.
Overall - If you want DLC, avoid the DS game. If you want to play the Piano, get the DS version. If you like DLC, then choose which playstyle you want to play more. Or get both and support Harmonix. >_>
3. Multiplayer.
Rock Band 3 (DS) - This game has multiplayer. Personally, I haven't tried it, but it features head-to-head or coop play. In coop, you play one instrument and that's all. In head-to-head, I believe you are going for more points. I'm basing this off what I remember from the instruction booklet, so don't kill me if I am wrong. Most likely, this will be the game that you want if you want multiplayer Rock band on the go, because...
Rock Band Unplugged (PSP) - This game has NO MULTIPLAYER. What the fuck, Harmonix? Rock Band is for people to enjoy with other people. How in the hell do you not have multiplayer? Argh. If you ever make a sequel, there had better be some damn multiplayer. Unplugged is awesome, and multiplayer is probably the only thing missing. Fix that.
Rock Band Reloaded (iPhone) - The Multiplayer is coop based in this one. I only played the first iPhone game multiplayer, and it was a lot of fun and I can only imagine it's more of the same. The upside to this version is that it's the only version to have wifi multiplayer, but no one ever uses it. I've never played an online game of Reloaded. >_>
4. Customization
Rock Band 3 (DS) - You get to name your band and pick a logo, choose from different outfits and different instruments for your band members to play. It's basic, but it's nice to give you a feel for controlling your band and their rise to fame.
To unlock stuff, you meet career goals. Once you meet a goal, you unlock something else. That's all. Basic, simple, works.
Rock Band Unplugged (PSP) - You have basically the same format from the DS version, since this game did it first. However, when you play you earn money that you spend to buy items and clothes you want. In my experience, you get more choices from this game as opposed to the DS game. probably from space limitations or something.
Rock Band Reloaded (iPhone) - And this game is the disappointment here. Why? Because you don't do anything to your band. You have no control over their look, they names, the band name, nothing. You are just there to play songs. I never even look at the background photos of the band "playing".
Final Thoughts:
Each portable version has a downfall. Two of the three play very similar, while the third is more traditiona Rock Band. Which one you want to play is up to you. I've played all three and I don't regret any of them, because they are all good games. They just aren't perfect.
Now if Harmonix came out with a portable version that fixed these problems, it would be a gold mine. I don't care which handheld it's on, I just want a Rock Band portable game that has:
1) DLC. It's not Rock Band without some DLC tracks.
2) Local and WiFi Multiplayer. Give us options, Harmonix.
3) Both styles of gameplay. If you like the Unplugged version or just a single instrument track, you should be able to choice one or the other. More options means more work, but it also means more people appreciate and enjoy the fruits of that labor.
4) More customization. It's already fine on the DS and PSP, just expand it more. Give us more options.
That's all I have to say on this matter. Get all 3 if you like Rock Band. You won't be disappointed at the overall, just maybe on the lack of features.
1. Gameplay.
All three of these games have somewhat similar gameplay, in the fact that you don't have the add-ons like the guitar or things like that, since using those in a portable sense would be really hard and dumb.
Rock Band Reloaded is the second iPhone/iTouch game to hit the app store, with the first one simply being called "Rock Band". The game makes you hold your iDevice horizontally and you play notes off four lines going down. You tap the icons when the notes come down (The drums have pads that you tap, as opposed to tapping the notes themselves, like Tap Tap games). You can play the Guitar, Bass, Drums, and Vocals (Both by touch and by actually singing, using the iPhone mic or a headset for iTouch users), but you only play one at a time. I mention this because the other two portable games don't just make you play one instrument.
Rock Band 3 and Unplugged play more similar to each other than the iPhone version, but still have their differences. You play four tracks of music, each track is a different part (Drums, Gutiar, etc) and you cycle through them as you play phrases of notes and play parts of each instrument. You do this for the whole song, but you stop cycling as you hit a solo, where you just play the main instrument in the solo.
They key difference between these two is that Unplugged has been out for a while, while Rock Band 3 has the keyboard parts, which switches with the guitar track.
Overall, if you want a traditional Rock Band type of deal, the iPhone version lets you just focus on one part of the song. But the PSP and DS titles give you some challenge, keeping you on your toes.
2. Songs and DLC.
From here, I am just going to start listing each game and write about them. Yeah, I change styles in the middle of writing. Deal with it. Also, if you want to know everything on the music in each game, Wiki the game or something. I'm not listing out everything here. Do your own work, you lazy bastards. >_>
Rock Band 3 (DS) - This is probably the biggest letdown of this portable game. The songs on the game are good, but they generally don't fit as things I like listening to. Some of them have grown on me, but others are just kinda... there.
The second part of this letdown is that there is NO DLC. No WiFi. Nothing of the sort. When I bought the game new, it had a booklet for WiFi, but no features or anything that use it.
Rock Band Unplugged (PSP) - This game has my favrote songs of the three games, with things like Killswitch Engage (DLC), Black Tide, Nine Inch Nails, etc. I enjoy the songs a lot and have spent plenty of time with this game.
Unlike the DS version, this game has DLC. The amount of songs is decent, I suppose. It's more than the iPhone game, but this game has a year on the iPhone game in terms of how long it's been around. However, if you check it now, I don't believe there is anything new coming out for Unplugged, so whatever is there will be all that you get.
Rock Band Reloaded (iPhone) - This portable version has a decent setlist, one that keeps growing through DLC that is added on... a somewhat regular basis. Some free songs and things keep it good and keep your music list expanding.
Overall - If you want DLC, avoid the DS game. If you want to play the Piano, get the DS version. If you like DLC, then choose which playstyle you want to play more. Or get both and support Harmonix. >_>
3. Multiplayer.
Rock Band 3 (DS) - This game has multiplayer. Personally, I haven't tried it, but it features head-to-head or coop play. In coop, you play one instrument and that's all. In head-to-head, I believe you are going for more points. I'm basing this off what I remember from the instruction booklet, so don't kill me if I am wrong. Most likely, this will be the game that you want if you want multiplayer Rock band on the go, because...
Rock Band Unplugged (PSP) - This game has NO MULTIPLAYER. What the fuck, Harmonix? Rock Band is for people to enjoy with other people. How in the hell do you not have multiplayer? Argh. If you ever make a sequel, there had better be some damn multiplayer. Unplugged is awesome, and multiplayer is probably the only thing missing. Fix that.
Rock Band Reloaded (iPhone) - The Multiplayer is coop based in this one. I only played the first iPhone game multiplayer, and it was a lot of fun and I can only imagine it's more of the same. The upside to this version is that it's the only version to have wifi multiplayer, but no one ever uses it. I've never played an online game of Reloaded. >_>
4. Customization
Rock Band 3 (DS) - You get to name your band and pick a logo, choose from different outfits and different instruments for your band members to play. It's basic, but it's nice to give you a feel for controlling your band and their rise to fame.
To unlock stuff, you meet career goals. Once you meet a goal, you unlock something else. That's all. Basic, simple, works.
Rock Band Unplugged (PSP) - You have basically the same format from the DS version, since this game did it first. However, when you play you earn money that you spend to buy items and clothes you want. In my experience, you get more choices from this game as opposed to the DS game. probably from space limitations or something.
Rock Band Reloaded (iPhone) - And this game is the disappointment here. Why? Because you don't do anything to your band. You have no control over their look, they names, the band name, nothing. You are just there to play songs. I never even look at the background photos of the band "playing".
Final Thoughts:
Each portable version has a downfall. Two of the three play very similar, while the third is more traditiona Rock Band. Which one you want to play is up to you. I've played all three and I don't regret any of them, because they are all good games. They just aren't perfect.
Now if Harmonix came out with a portable version that fixed these problems, it would be a gold mine. I don't care which handheld it's on, I just want a Rock Band portable game that has:
1) DLC. It's not Rock Band without some DLC tracks.
2) Local and WiFi Multiplayer. Give us options, Harmonix.
3) Both styles of gameplay. If you like the Unplugged version or just a single instrument track, you should be able to choice one or the other. More options means more work, but it also means more people appreciate and enjoy the fruits of that labor.
4) More customization. It's already fine on the DS and PSP, just expand it more. Give us more options.
That's all I have to say on this matter. Get all 3 if you like Rock Band. You won't be disappointed at the overall, just maybe on the lack of features.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Top 10 Games of 2010 (That I played) [Explicit]
It's like a law or something, but if you do gaming stuff, everyone wants a fucking list. This will be the post where you get mine.
Before starting, a few things to note. First, not all of these games will be released in 2010. This is a last of what I played this year, and which games were the best. I'm behind with the times, but I don't give a damn. Secondly, this is my opinion. Don't like it? Go somewhere else. Simple. And finally... Well... Enjoy?
Number 10:
Megaman Zero Collection
Platform: DS
Release: 6/8/10
This game was a nice buy for me. 30 dollars and I got four games (that could easily be emulated, of course). Getting Megaman Zero 1 to 4 was a nice little time for me, since I did enjoy the first game (the little that I did play of it) but I never picked up or played the other three. This game also allowed you to have an easier time getting through the story, since it allowed you to play through all four games in a row, on an "easy" mode, which pretty much gave you everything you would need, taking away some of the challenge. But it's not a required mode, which makes it nice. I had a lot of fun with this game, so it should have a spot on my list.
Number 9:
Angry Birds
Platform: iPod/iPhone
Release: 12/11/09
I got this game sometime in the middle of this year, finally giving into hype. And I must say that this game is very fun, even for just simple controls. Some of the puzzles are challenging and I had fun with this, losing hours of time to shooting very angry birds at green pigs.
Number 8:
Left 4 Dead
Platform: PC
Release: 11/18/08
Let's start this explanation off right: I love this game. And it would go higher on this list if I was able to play it more. I got this game only a month ago, on my nice new laptop. However, with life problems, I don't get much chance to sit down and play this game, since that new laptop is usually in storage. I haven't even beaten a single campaign in this game yet. So the fact that I even put this on the list is amazing. So no bitching.
Number 7:
DragonQuest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies
Platform: DS
Release: 7/11/10
Again. This game game falls under the same problem with L4D. But I only got it two weeks ago. And I am purely addicted. This game is an amazing RPG (And I love RPGs). This game is too amazing to not include on my list, in fact that only regret is that I didn't get this game sooner.
Number 6:
Secret Agent Clank
Platform: PSP
Release: 6/17/08
As a lover of the Ratchet and Clank series, I found this game charming and amazing as Size Matters, which says a lot, since that is the only game I have sat down and wrote a guide for. Secret Agent Clank is something special, which Clank, Ratchet and Quark all getting their own gameplay time, making the story fun to go through.
Number 5:
Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
Platform: Gamecube
Release: 10/11/04
Possibly the oldest game that I played this year, I enjoyed the fuck out of this game. Nintendo knows how to make fun RPGs, making them funny and charming as hell. If you have played this game, then you know exactly what I am talking about. The best part: Listening to Luigi's stories.
Number 4:
Muramasa: The Demon Blade
Platform: Wii
Release: 9/8/09
Discovering this gem off of a Let's Player Tatsudoshi, mid-way through his LP, I bought this game. By far, the art style and look of this game made me so into the game, that some of the repetitive fighting didn't bother me so much. The boss fights made that game purely gold.
Number 3:
Super Mario Galaxy
Platform: Wii
Release: 11/12/07
Just getting to this game this year, I loved it. Far better than the last 3D Mario platformer (The fucking retarded Super Mario Sunshine, I hate that game), this game makes Mario look good again. I haven't played the sequel yet, but I'm not too worried about it. I wanna get everything in this game first. This game hit a little sour with me, as I bought it used and the game kept freezing after beating Bowser the last time. So, I haven't played Luigi yet, which makes this a little less of a game than I wanted.
Number 2:
No More Heroes
Platform: Wii
Release: 1/22/08
This game is the best single player experience I played this year. It was pure fun. There was very little care for sanity in this game I enjoyed the hell out of how it just played off itself, having a good enough story to lead to an awesome payoff at the end. The end off NMH is pure gold. I personally need to play the second one to see what else Suda51 came up with.
Number 1:
Super Smash Bros Brawl
Platform: Wii
Release: 3/9/08
If you know me, then you know that I am a huge SSB fan. Over this last year, I have dumped hundreds of hours into this amazing game. I don't need to say anything else.
That concludes my top 10 list for 2010. And only two of those games came out in 2010. Awesome.
Other games I played worth a mention: ModNation Racers PSP, Rock Band Reloaded (iPod), Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, and Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Heroes 3.
That's all for now, guys
Before starting, a few things to note. First, not all of these games will be released in 2010. This is a last of what I played this year, and which games were the best. I'm behind with the times, but I don't give a damn. Secondly, this is my opinion. Don't like it? Go somewhere else. Simple. And finally... Well... Enjoy?
Number 10:
Megaman Zero Collection
Platform: DS
Release: 6/8/10
This game was a nice buy for me. 30 dollars and I got four games (that could easily be emulated, of course). Getting Megaman Zero 1 to 4 was a nice little time for me, since I did enjoy the first game (the little that I did play of it) but I never picked up or played the other three. This game also allowed you to have an easier time getting through the story, since it allowed you to play through all four games in a row, on an "easy" mode, which pretty much gave you everything you would need, taking away some of the challenge. But it's not a required mode, which makes it nice. I had a lot of fun with this game, so it should have a spot on my list.
Number 9:
Angry Birds
Platform: iPod/iPhone
Release: 12/11/09
I got this game sometime in the middle of this year, finally giving into hype. And I must say that this game is very fun, even for just simple controls. Some of the puzzles are challenging and I had fun with this, losing hours of time to shooting very angry birds at green pigs.
Number 8:
Left 4 Dead
Platform: PC
Release: 11/18/08
Let's start this explanation off right: I love this game. And it would go higher on this list if I was able to play it more. I got this game only a month ago, on my nice new laptop. However, with life problems, I don't get much chance to sit down and play this game, since that new laptop is usually in storage. I haven't even beaten a single campaign in this game yet. So the fact that I even put this on the list is amazing. So no bitching.
Number 7:
DragonQuest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies
Platform: DS
Release: 7/11/10
Again. This game game falls under the same problem with L4D. But I only got it two weeks ago. And I am purely addicted. This game is an amazing RPG (And I love RPGs). This game is too amazing to not include on my list, in fact that only regret is that I didn't get this game sooner.
Number 6:
Secret Agent Clank
Platform: PSP
Release: 6/17/08
As a lover of the Ratchet and Clank series, I found this game charming and amazing as Size Matters, which says a lot, since that is the only game I have sat down and wrote a guide for. Secret Agent Clank is something special, which Clank, Ratchet and Quark all getting their own gameplay time, making the story fun to go through.
Number 5:
Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
Platform: Gamecube
Release: 10/11/04
Possibly the oldest game that I played this year, I enjoyed the fuck out of this game. Nintendo knows how to make fun RPGs, making them funny and charming as hell. If you have played this game, then you know exactly what I am talking about. The best part: Listening to Luigi's stories.
Number 4:
Muramasa: The Demon Blade
Platform: Wii
Release: 9/8/09
Discovering this gem off of a Let's Player Tatsudoshi, mid-way through his LP, I bought this game. By far, the art style and look of this game made me so into the game, that some of the repetitive fighting didn't bother me so much. The boss fights made that game purely gold.
Number 3:
Super Mario Galaxy
Platform: Wii
Release: 11/12/07
Just getting to this game this year, I loved it. Far better than the last 3D Mario platformer (The fucking retarded Super Mario Sunshine, I hate that game), this game makes Mario look good again. I haven't played the sequel yet, but I'm not too worried about it. I wanna get everything in this game first. This game hit a little sour with me, as I bought it used and the game kept freezing after beating Bowser the last time. So, I haven't played Luigi yet, which makes this a little less of a game than I wanted.
Number 2:
No More Heroes
Platform: Wii
Release: 1/22/08
This game is the best single player experience I played this year. It was pure fun. There was very little care for sanity in this game I enjoyed the hell out of how it just played off itself, having a good enough story to lead to an awesome payoff at the end. The end off NMH is pure gold. I personally need to play the second one to see what else Suda51 came up with.
Number 1:
Super Smash Bros Brawl
Platform: Wii
Release: 3/9/08
If you know me, then you know that I am a huge SSB fan. Over this last year, I have dumped hundreds of hours into this amazing game. I don't need to say anything else.
That concludes my top 10 list for 2010. And only two of those games came out in 2010. Awesome.
Other games I played worth a mention: ModNation Racers PSP, Rock Band Reloaded (iPod), Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, and Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Heroes 3.
That's all for now, guys
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