PAX is over...

As quickly as PAX began, it ended. I had a heck of a time, not so much because the event was that well planned or that Seattle was THAT amazing, but just from the craziness of things that happened and the people I met. Here are pictures from today's events. Can you tell who is who?

Two guys from the all games network....

The man who stole my name and my dream life.....

We saw his lookalike in the movie Deuce Bigalow, but who is this video game journalist?

Answers and explanations on tomorrow's show,
David

Fallout 3 Gameplay and Impressions - Part 5

Oh my GOD that hotel looks amazing off in the distance. That might easily my cooler looking than anything I've ever seen in an Elder Scrolls game. I wonder if evil Biff lives up there.

Is that a grenade in your pocket... or are you just happy to see me with your boner?

Inside also looks beautiful. The way that woman said hello was so sweet. Dammit, I kind of want Bethesda to make a Firefly game. Fuck that would be cool.

Ok, the dude in the hat is just plain evil. And he sounded like the fat mean Goofy when he yelled "EXCELLENT!"

The explosion was amazing. The one in my pants was as well.

By the way, that town is gone. Yep, real consequences to your actions in Fallout 3. I don't know what kind of reward you get for completing the quest this way, but if you blow up Megaton, the town is no longer in the game. I really hope that: 1. There is more of this kind of thing in the game, 2. It doesn't get blown up some other way anyways, and 3. There is real motivation to take these kinds of actions outside of just wanting to be a dick in the game.


Please please please don't get delayed.

Brad

Sunday's Schedule

Real quick here's Sunday's tentative Schedule.

[11:00-12:00] - Penny Arcade Family Feud (Hosted by Alon Waisman)
[01:00-02:00] - The Power of Gaming Communities (With David Abrams aka Cheapy D)

Only two big things tomorrow, but a lot to see on the show floor. There are a couple panels I might go to, but nothings for sure right now.

Thanks,
David

Short Story

So in a story that I will tell on Monday's podcast, I ended up in the press room playing Left 4 Dead with Yuzo and Tobin from noobtoob.com.



Thanks again for the bumper guys,
David

Weird Day @ PAX

It's been a long day today. I've got about an hour or two before the minibosses come on. So I decided to connect to the PAX WiFi and blog a little bit. Keep in mind, a lot of this will need explanation, so wait for the show so I can flesh things out.

First off, I spent most of my day with 4PP chatter, Eagleeeyes8816, pictured above. It was cool meeting someone from chat and I hope that I'll be able to run into invader_random tomorrow. I showed him the next part of Project M, so if you guys wanna ask him about it, you can. We'll post the next part on Monday, Sept 1st.

Second, I somehow got into the Lead 4 Dead Press Room with out a media badge. I'll explain when I get back.

Next, two words....Noob Toob.

Finally, I won a contest from Pink Godzilla, a local video game store with imports and retro games. Turned out they were doing the panel for Sex in Video Games.

So MCFrontalot is on right now, then the minibosses. I was gonna skip it cause I'm tired as hell, but I figured might as well take advantage of the ticket I bought and the money I spent to get to Seattle.

I'll blog the rest of this tonight,
David

It's About Time Travis

OK hello! Hopefully you still remember me!
If not, I am in fact... Travis Miles Granger... Look that shit up.
College has been an experience for me, unfortunately it has been sucking up my gameplay time considerably. Very unfortunate!!!! very unfortunate indeed.
Nevertheless, I have squeezed a couple of games in... besides WOW.
With the beginning of a new Computer becomes the beginning of new games. I picked up S.T.A.L.K.E.R via Steam. Very interesting.
My immediate analysis of this game gives me the impression of a FPS Oblivion. It has the engine feel of Half-Life 2 and the story of perhaps... some bounty hunter game? Ha.
It is an interesting little game, I don't think too many people really looked into it other than a couple loyal PC fans.
This game starts you off as someone who has no memory of their past (how original), except for the sole purpose that drives you. That is to kill this one guy. His name is obviously not important or i would have remembered it. (this is coming from the guy who had oblivion day one and never beat one guild). Right from the get go i was surprised by the amount of freedom i had. Of course you have the basics such as kill or not to kill. save or not save. Whatever. The real freedom is in how you play and where you play. You can go where you want from the beginning, go to any "contact" you prefer or make new ones. Be evil or be nice. Use firearms, melee, and so forth. It is a nice little take on your basic not so distant future type of shooter.
The story is still a little vague to me, but I believe its along the lines of this. Stalkers are bad. You used to be a Stalker but lost your memory. So you pose no threat. You can tell who a stalker is because they have tattoos... of course. And that this fat guy thinks he owns you... So far that is all i got. If i stick with this (which is unlikely for spore is coming out, then fallout three, then every other game that decides to stick its selfish little nose out during the fall season.) then I might let y'all know. But probably won't. Sorry!

Speaking of Spore. The seventh of this WEEK!!! I was never too excited about this game for the sole reason that i had a POS computer. well problem solved. If you have yet to see anything of this game please!!! download the free Creature Creator at spore.com.
I doubt that game really needs an introduction though.

Oh, by the way. I'll be in town Friday night. If everything works out the way I plan it, I should be around David's Place at... oh lets go ahead and say three PM Central time? Sound good to everyone?
I'll make sure to bring my hard drive so i can download Castle Crashers and other games i've been missing out on.
Oh, and so i can have my gamertag.... I like being authentic when i play certain games.

See y'all later!!
with big amounts of love and what not,
Travis

Fallout 3 Gameplay and Impressions - Part 4

This video starts off well. I was worried about the indoor environment variety in Fallout 3, as it the caves and tombs of Oblivion got extremely repetitive, but this looks cool.

I still think the real time combat looks pretty lame. The game doesn't even reward the player with the badass kill animations the VATS system can lead to. Also looks at the guy not really react...

WOMYFMFOMG A POWER FIST????? HOLY SHIT HE JUST PUNCHED THAT DUDES HEAD OFF. OMG HE DID THE SAME TO THAT PUNK CHICK!!!! PUNK IS DEAD BITCHES!!!!!!! NOTE TO SELF: NEW LIFE GOAL IS TO MAKE REAL LIFE POWER FIST!

...Lock picking and hacking seem fine enough. My only big concern here is that it doesn't become as tedious and repetitive as the hacking in Bioshock.

Not he is using real time combat again. I don't like how the AI is reacting to it either. Seems awkward. This is also the kind of thing I doubt will be fix...

HOLY MOTHER OF GOD HE JUST SHOT THEY GUYS HEAD OFF WITH A NAIL GUN!!! DEAR GOD HIS HEAD IS NAILED TO THE WALL! THIS ISN'T YOU KIDDY FANTASY GAME ANYMORE KIDS!! BWAHAHAHAHAA!!

Also some seriously nice grenade effects.

I want Fallout 3 in my pants NOW!


One more part left.

Brad

Pax 2008 - Mirror's Edge

This new video straight from the show floor at Pax demonstrates variety in Mirror's Edge. By variety, I mean that players will be free to find new paths to follow and new creative ways to navigate the environment. If you listened to our last Top 5 podcast then you know that this game is my number one most anticipated game of Fall 2008. The game still looks amazing but I definitely see a few potential flaws in the game. First of all, I would like to point some minor animation glitches and areas that just flat out dont seem to run smoothly. For instance, the sliding mechanic looks a bit strange if not performed perfectly and there was an instance where a group of pidgeons performed a very awkward animation. While the main idea behind this video is to demonstrate the various ways of navigating the environments, it seems like their wont be as much variety as they seem to imply. To me, variety would be whole new paths you could take to get from point A to point B but all they seem to show is different ways to parkour around the world. Hopefully, the game wont be as linear as I fear but I still have a lot of love for this game because of its bold art direction.

I cant wait to see more.

-Nick

Saturday's Schedule

Here's my tentative Schedule for the 2nd Day of PAX.

Day 2

[1:30-2:30] – Game Criticism & Old Game Journalism
[2:30-3:30] – Bethesda Fallout 3 Exclusive Demo
[4:00-5:00] – How to Make the World Notice Your Video Game Blog
[5:30-6:30] – Giant Bomb Reunion Tour 2008
[6:00-7:15] – Ubisoft Live On Stage Demo: Far Cry 2 & Prince of Persia
[6:00-7:00] – Is Casual Killing Core?
[7:30-8:30] – Sex In Video Games: A Comparative Study (Japan & US)
[9:30-1:30] – Saturday Night Concerts: Minibosses

Another Big Day, Probably with a lot of waiting in line,
David

Live From PAX, Red Vs Blue Animated Series Announced

So this will be a hasty post because I'm kneeling in the cold, in front of a coffee shop, stealing internet from them, while uploading this video to youtube.

I just attended the Red Vs Blue Panel and they announced a new series and showed the first episode. I just thought you guys might wanna see it.



Hope you guys are having fun,
David

I'll make a real post tonight.

**Update** - Yeah, so I've heard people debating whether or not this is an actual series coming out. Here's my side of the story. I wasn't planning on going to the RvB panel because I had seen them before at Akon. I somehow ran into Gus about 10 minutes before the panel and he said they had something big to show off. I took this as I should be there so I went. I'm not best friends with Gus, I've just run into him a few times from my work and him being in Austin. I also remember them saying something about this was a new series before/after the events of Reconstruction. I'm not sure where on the timeline it will be. I'll ask him for sure at the RoosterTeeth Booth tomorrow for official confirmation.

David

Today's Keynote by Ken Levine

For all of you who weren't at PAX today, here's the keynote given by Ken Levine, founder of 2K Boston and best known for the recent game Bioshock. There were some slides with his presentation, but you can get the idea without them.

[download]

David

Wario Land: Shake

Another game I got my hands on today was Wario Land: Shake. It was right behind Left 4 Dead as one of my excited games for Fall of 2008. The game looks fantastic and doesn't play too bad either. I'm a little worried on the length as Wario World , I beat 100% in an evening. The guy shown here didn't really know too much about the game's length, heck, he didn't even know when the game was coming out when I asked him. September 23rd for those who are wondering. Yeah, I knew the date because I work in video game retail.

In short, the game is what I expected. Looks fantastic. Some average motion controls. A whole lot of jumping. Looks to be good, but maybe not 50 dollars good.

David

Left 4 Dead = Amazing

After seeing this on the show floor today I can say, it's going to be a blast. Most of the problems came from it being a demo and people going in not knowing what kind of game it was. It's hard for one person to sit there and try to explain to a group of four people in a loud exhibition hall what to do. A game like this where a group has to work and stay together, there was none of that today. Other problems I've seen are like cameras going through players. I'm not sure if this was intentional to counteract the cluster fuckery, but there are specific reasons why this game will be amazing and I'll explain them first hand on the show this week. Really quick though, people reactions to this game and having zombies running at them, that's the real gauge that game will be awesome.

I'll explain everything on the show this week,
David

Silent Hill Homecoming Excitement and Concerns

We are just over a month away from the release of Silent Hill Homecoming, the 6th installment in the Silent Hill franchise. I am both very excited to return to Silent Hill and wary of the release of its new, western development. I have been reading up on impressions from various trade shows and listening to podcasts to try and sort out my thoughts and address my concerns in my own mind. Here is what I have come up with.

Pros:

1.) All impressions have agreed that the game is well polished and has gone the extra step to provide intensity and immersion unlike any previous Silent Hill. Rather than blacking out and then awaking in the demonic world, the world will actually peel away around you to reveal the grunge beneath. Everyone has said that this effect is an incredibly cool effect and a welcomed addition to the series.

2.) The games soundtrack is once again produced by Akira Yamaoka and is apparently just as beautiful and brilliant as his past works. I can't wait to hear the music in this game.

3.) In addition to a well developed plot, the game will included bigger, creepier, and more threatening boss creatures. In the trailer above, you can see several of them and may notice that they come across quite differently than bosses from previous entries. In addition to new monsters, the game will feature the return of the infamous Pyramid Head.

4.) While apparently still a bit clunky, combat in Silent Hill Homecoming is supposedly the best in the series. Enemies will move at different speeds and demonstrate different attack patterns which will force the player to react differently to different enemies. The protagonist also demonstrates improved fighting ability with a variety of new melee and ranged weapons. Its also interesting that wounds will appear in real time depending on what part of the enemies body you attack.

5.) Lastly, trailers suggest that the protagonist will run into several characters from past games such as Travis Grady from Silent Hill Origins and Pyramid Head from Silent Hill 2. I really hope that the game will tie into some of the previous stories and provide some more insight into these characters.


Cons:
1.) While this may not be a problem for me, I can already hear Brad's rants in my head. Puzzle solving has returned in full force. Impressions have implied that the puzzles in this game do not seem to have evolved much since the previous titles. I have personally always been attached to Silent Hill's style of puzzle but I can definitely see how it could become frustrating for others.

2.) My biggest concern is that due to this games new western developer, it wont quite stand up to the previous games in the series. While Silent Hill: The Room received mixed reviews, many have hoped that the series would return to the same level of quality as the first 3 entries. Some don't even consider Silent Hill Origins and Silent Hill 4 legitimate sequels. My worst fear is that this game will fall short and wont become a widely accepted entry in the series.

3.) Combat, while I am happy with the apparent improvements, I can already tell the combat is going to be mediocre at best. I hope to be surprised.

Silent Hill Homecoming ships on September 30, 2008.

-Nick

Far Cry 2 Thoughts

I have had my eyes trained on Far Cry 2 for awhile. It was a game that I was incredibly excited for early on even when a console version hadn't been announced. when Ubisoft finally announced that Far Cry 2 would be coming to both major consoles, I was both excited and incredibly nervous. This is a game that looked like a game that might give Crysis a run for its money, but how would it run on a console? First, I want everyone to watch the this "trailer" from PAX to get an idea of the kinds of immersion that Ubisoft focused heavily on:


There are several things that have me incredibly excited about this game:

1.) Ubisoft's choice to switch environments from the bright, lush, jungle island to the seemingly dark, oppressive, visceral open Savannah's of Africa is a much needed change for the series.

2.) Its focus on realism and immersion with everything from weaponry to the weather and day/night cycle is exciting.

3.) VEHICLES! While cars don't get me all that excited, the ability to hang glide over an open world Africa or take a boat down the rivers has me drooling.

4.) And most of all, the game manages to still present a relatively simple but interesting story. The thought of hunting down an oppressive arms dealer (the Jackal) who is using Malaria vaccinations to maintain power is awesome and I hope it comes across well in this style of game.

Now for the question of how well it will run on consoles. Take a look at this video of the game running on an unspecified console and tell me if it still looks impressive. It may not have that extra layer of polish or detail that the PC version will obviously have, the game still looks incredible and will hopefully prove to be as fun to play as it is to watch.


On a side note, I may check out Far Cry for the Xbox 360 and give it a shot. I have a feeling that it will be very inferior to Far Cry 2 but why not.

-Nick

Fallout 3 Gameplay and Impressions - Part 3

The radio is fucking awesome in this game. I can't wait till they release the full soundtrack.

VATS is a necessity. I don't know why Bethesda keeps suggesting that real time action will be effective. Not even the game designer can hit shit with real time.

I'm really hoping for a variety in the equipment you can wear. The Oblivion armor options just seemed very limited.

The water looks nice but I'm a bit worried about everything they are saying about balancing health and radiation. Seems like it could be quit the hassle. I know this has been a part of the Fallout universe, but Bethesda is aiming for a wider audience this time, and this is a very hardcore micro managed feature.

CRAB BATTLE!!

Scorpion PWNT!


Brad

Fallout 3 Gameplay and Impressions - Part 2

Holy crap this town looks amazing. I was really worried about the diversity of a post-apocalyptic world, but this is fantastic looking. Bethesda really put a lot of detail into this world.

That man at the entrance is quite the jerk. The no hud conversation system is wonderful and the voice acting seems great. I love how he says "Fucking psycho wastelanders." Gives me goosebumps.

I like how you can zoom way out to an isometric view. Reminds me of the old Fallout games.

I notice that they have cut all the loading from these videos. I'm extremely curious about this, and hope David will report back on this specifically from PAX.

The females in this game don't actually look like men! OooOOoOoOooo!

The man in the hat looks very important. I even recognize the voice as someone important from Oblivion. Don't do it!! He's evil!

The "new quest" text is fucking awesome looking.

I need some of those smart pills.


More to come,

Brad

Fallout 3 Gameplay and Impressions - Part 1

First of all the game looks great, but I wish Bethesda would show more of the vault sequence from the beginning of the game. I've heard reports of these early parts from private viewings and it sounded very cool.

I'm getting very much an Oblivion vibe from the whole first part of the game, as it sounds like the vault portion of Fallout 3 will help determine what kind of play style you should use. It even has the last chance to change you character just like in Oblivion before you left the sewers.

The light effect when you emerge from the vault for the first time in your life is awesome. Kind of like coming out of the back exit of a movie theater into the mid day sun. The wide expanse of wasteland looks breathtaking, but I wonder if it will wear on the player. This isn't the beautiful forests, mountains, and rivers, we have become accustomed to from Bethesda's previous games.

Movement seems kinda weightless like in the Elder Scrolls games. I was hoping they would fix that. It sure as shit better feel heavy when I find some Power Armor.

The hud, menu system, and other interfaces seem very streamlined and easy to use. This is a step up from their previous games. The style of the menus seems to fit in the world better as well. I think Fallout 3 will be a lot more immersive than Elder Scrolls in this regard.

Robots yay!


Brad

Prince of Persia Development Diary

Check out this first Prince of Persia development diary that gives you a look at a brand new acrobatic move (roof run), an extended look at the combat, and a creepy glimpse at the voice acting studio. By creepy, I speak of the man screaming into the mic... check it out.



Still very excited.

-Nick

Yep, What he said....

It's game time fellas. It's 7:20, I'm all packed up. DS ready and charged. Check. Laptop. Check. Camera. Check. The doors don't open until 2 PM, but I've got to find some tickets before then.

I'm excited and there's only one way I can describe it.....


Yeah, He does it better than I do,
David

Oh, I forgot to mention last night. Seattle is full of diversity. It's a pretty equal mixture of all races. There's a lot more Asians than I'm used to in Austin. Diversity.....You know what that means, right? Lot's of cute girls.

Hello from the Past and Crazy Land

Here I am in Seattle. It's 11:36 PM I just got finished eating at Subway, which closes at midnight. Where I was listening in to the guy making the sub and the woman ordering the sub's conversation about Hilary Clinton and Martin Luther King, Jr. It's really weird here in Seattle. Everyone is nice, but I don't like it. There's this high brow snootyness that I just can't shake. I'm surrounded by people discussing where to go to get a good glass of wine. I really hope PAX tomorrow isn't the same way.

Anyways, here's what I'm looking forward to.

Day 1

The first day at PAX already seems like it’ll be an interesting one. The doors don’t open until 2 pm, but being that I don’t have a ticket, I don’t exactly know when to show up. Officially the “line” starts at 8 am. So either that means I’m going to have a lot of free time in the morning while waiting in line or well…nevermind….I’m going to have a lot of free time waiting.

I’m not completely unfamiliar with conventions, I’ve been to Akon a few times before, but I am a little unclear about how the Expo Halls will work. On Friday, PAX will run from 2 pm to 3 am, but the Halls I believe close at 7 pm. The one thing I’ve hated about conventions, there’s never enough time to do everything you want. A lot of panels are scheduled to overlap and with my experience with Akon, are cancelled or start late. I hope this is not the case tomorrow.

This looks to be my tentative schedule for my first day at Penny Arcade Expo…

[2:00-3:30] – Speed Run Showcase
[4:30-5:30] – PAX 2008 Keynote: Ken Levine
[6:30-7:30] – 1UP Yours Live
[7:30-8:30] – Video Games & Piracy: Issues for an Increasingly Complex World

Hopefully I’ll be able to squeeze in some Expo Hall times. These are just the panels I’m interested in attending.

The booths I’ll be looking to scope out are Nintendo, Valve, Sony, Sega, Udon, EA, and Microsoft.

I’ll probably be skipping the first nights concert as I am not a huge Freezepop fan, I am however curious to see the OneUps.

Look for updates all weekend,
David

Some high quality 'Left 4 Dead' clips!

OH

EM

GEEE


Brad

Not just Pokemon Snap.

Afrika is actually looking pretty slick. My interest pretty much all hinges on how the animal AI reacts to the camera man. I want the animals to react how they would in the real world. I also want to be killed by a hippo. Did you know that hippos are by far the most dangerous animal in Africa? That's right kids; hippos kill more people every year than all other African animals combined. To them, we are just white plastic marbles.

Oh, and I hope I don't have to drive around for 20 minutes looking for a pride of lions. That's right, I know my animal clusters.

I find it funny that people seem much less interested in Afrika now that it is somewhat of a known quantity. This game good be big in appealing to the more casual PS3 owners who perhaps bought the game for its Blue Ray functionality. All those people who bought Planet Earth on BD might also lean towards picking this "game" up. I wonder if Sony is even going to bother pushing this game over here.

David and Nick picked up Endless Ocean, so I'm curious about how they feel about this game. Though I doubt petting is aloud.


Brad

New Comic Thursday

This week Juan makes his appearance into the comic for the first time thanks to icarus94. And thanks to Keyweez360' for his brilliant art and ability to capture Juan's likeness.

A Gesture of Confusion - (icarus94)

Check out the other viewer made comics too.

I'm probably on the plane to PAX right now,check back for impression,
David

*Rumor* Dark Knight Game Cancelled *Rumor*

Well it looks like the studio that was developing the Dark Knight game has recently been instructed to call it quits due to multiple missed deadlines and quality control issues. This is still a rumor but it is most likely true due to the total lack of screenshots or cold hard facts more than a month after the film's release. Thats ok though... I still have another incredibly cool looking Batman game coming next Fall! Lets dry our tears and PUT A SMILE ON THAT FACE!



-Nick

Brad's Laundry List: "Excited about Lara" Edition

I'm getting really pumped for the new Tomb Raider this fall. It really came out of nowhere. Maybe it had something to do with Prince of Persia reminding me why I love that series, but honestly, I'm a super Lara fanboy now. Either way I'm in a rush to get ready for the new game and I will be playing more Tomb Raider!

This month:
Tomb Raider Anniversary - 100%
Prince of Persia - 100%
Braid - 100%

Tomb Raider Legend - 5%
Soul Calibur 4 - +50% Physique
Yakuza - 65%
Castlevania: Harmony of Poo - 70%?
Final Fantasy 4 - 15%
Trauma Center 2 - 70%
Bionic Commando: Rearmed - 95%
Streets of Rage 2 - 99.9%, 0% :(
Rainbow Six Vegas 2 - 0%
Pixel Junk Eden - 50%?
Fable - 0%
Red Faction 3 Beta - Over 9000%!



Brad











Will next week be HORROR WEEK???
Clock Tower 3 - 10%?
Silent Hill 4 - 50%?
Fatal Frame 3 - 0%

Nick's Final Laundry List Update

So summer is over and I feel that I have made the best of this gaming drought. Despite the lack of big blockbuster releases, I have managed to go back and finish up a lot of games that I have been intending to finish as well as a few newer titles. So lets take a look back at my summer accomplishments: (Keep in mind, 100% = finished the story mode)

The Bourne Conspiracy (PS3) - 100%
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots - 100%
Siren: New Translation - 100%
Grand Theft Auto 4 - 100%
Alone in the Dark (Xb360) - 100%
Prince of Persia: Sands of Time (PS2) - 100%
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within (PS2)- 100%
Zone of Enders: 2nd Runner - 100%
Portal (Xb360) - 100%
Lost Odyssey - 25%
Final Fantasy VII Crisis Core- 90%

So with summer over, these are some of the games that I hope to finish in the fall. The list will be much shorter because the fall is obviously loaded with tons of huge titles:

- Tomb Raider Legend (Xb360)
- Prince of Persia: Two Thrones (PS2)
- Beyond Good & Evil (PS2)
- The Suffering 2: Ties that Bind (PS2)
- FEAR (PS3)

Well thats all for me folks.

-Nick

This Weeks Podcasts

#077 - The Buggy Show - [Download] Nick, Brad, and I fight off the gnat invasion to talk about video games. [Live Recording]

#018 - The Top 5 Games of Fall 2008 [Download] - We go over the games for Fall 2008 [Live Recording]

#002 - The Dinner Time Podcast [Download] - This week from Whataburger


Thanks,
David

Why I Love Jeff Gerstmann

That is all....
David

This Week on the Feed....

Games are always better with friends, and to honor the much anticipated co-op games coming out this fall like Left 4 Dead, Gears 2, Fable 2, and Mercs 2, we will be dedicating this week to playing games with other people. So here is the lineup you can expect to see this week:


Castle Crashers has been receiving a ton of hype, and on Wednesday me, David, and two other lucky people from the community will take sword in hand and uh... kill lots of stuff. I really hope this game lives up to its lofty expectations. At the very least, I'm expecting a cool visual style from The Behemoth, creators of Alien Hominid.


I've never played a Rainbow Six game for more than mere minutes, but things are about to change. Co-op story mode is what is inspiring me to try out this game, and I will be looking to the community for someone to play this game with. Hopefully the more tactical gameplay will bring back memories of the best parts of the next game on this list.


David and I had a fun time with this game a couple of years ago, and now it looks like David will give it another go with Nick. The game is kind of old, but sadly the more recent Splinter Cell did not have story based co-op mission like Chaos Theory. I really hope to see a return of this fantastic mode in the next game in the series.


My brother Brian and I got to the final boss of the game last weekend and things didn't end well. This week, in the spirit of co-op, we will try once again to kick the shit out of that machine gun wielding ass. The real question is... WILL THE BACK KICK RETURN???


David and I are on the very last stage of Bionic Commando: Rearmed, and it looks like it's going to be long and hard. <_< Tune in for the exciting conclusion this week as we attempt to blow up Hitler's head.


Don't miss out! Just click the link in the top right corner of the site to view our live stream.


Brad

The New Batman Villain Confirmed!

LOL

Thanks guys


Brad

David's Contest

Earlier this week, I showed Air Guitar Nation on the feed much to the confusion of some of the viewers. It's a documentary about the World Air Guitar Championships and America's first entry into them. Overall it was pretty enjoyable and I hinted at a competition of some sorts. I've finally gotten around to setting up everything so here it goes.

Who: Anyone is eligible.
What: Air Guitar Competition
Where: The Best Place You Can Come Up With
When: Entries are due before Sept.1
Why: Because we can. Also, I'll let you have a pick out of something I get from PAX and a 4PP Shirt.

Email me via davidliao@4playerpodcast.com - Let me know you're interested. We can discuss the way you can submit your entry. Basically the rules are wide open. Just nothing we couldn't show on JTV.

Oh, we shot this last night around 2 am. I'm not entered, I thought I'd just get things going.


Sorry about the video quality, I had to slap everything together before work today,
David

EA and their response to the Jesus Shot

Back when Tiger Woods 2008 came out a fellow by the name of Levinator 25, posted this video of glitch in the game where Tiger hits a shot while standing in a water hazard.

So with the new one coming out, EA has decided to explain why they put out crappy sports games with glitches.

Hope you liked it,
David

kjh@$#ujj*13FFD# TWIIIIXXXX!!!!!!!!!!!

1. Parasite Eve: 3rd BirthdOH WHO THE FUCK CARES. I would have settled for another fucking survival horror knockoff like the shitty sequel, but no! They opted to copy from the brilliant Dirge of Cerberus. Square Enix has announced that the new game will be a pure 3rd person shooter. And we all know these work great ON THE FUCKING PSP!


2. Lords of Shadow is the new action adventure game from Konami for real consoles. He has a FUCKING WHIP! This better be a fucking code name for a new 3d Castlevania. FUCK! I'm all for new IP, but Castlevania has been needing the quality move to 3d for years. And they instead focus on this shit? FOR FUCK SAKE JUST CALL IT CASTLEVANIA AND MAKE THE DUDE FIGHT DRACULA. Here is the trailer:



3. Suikoden Tierkreis, the next Suikoden game, will be on the DS. Yep. Yep. *cries* At least it's not a port right? Right? *wheeps*


4. Bandai(I refuse to acknowledge Namco exists anymore) thought it would be good idea to sell level ups in the upcoming Tales of Vesperia. Who needs to waste time grinding when 100 points($1.25) gets you a whole level. OH FUCK YOU, SHITHEADS.



AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

WHAT

THE

FUCK

JAPAN?


Brad

New Comic Thursday

It's Thursday again, and we have a couple new comics from the community. Thanks to thecosmicfly and GreyFoxVinzin for submitting these.

Takes it to the Streets - (GreyFoxVinzin)

Brad + XBLA = <3 - (thecosmicfly)

Thanks,
David

Star Wars: Impressions Unleashed

The free demo of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed was released on the Xbox 360 today to give players a chance to test the waters and see if they felt like shelling out $60 for the game. While I normally don't play through demos because I like to be completely surprised by a games content, I thought it would help me save $60 in case the game sucks. As we all know, this Fall is a clusterf**k of great games and any oppurtunity to save some money would help. Unfortunately for my wallet, the game is impressive and definitely worth the purchase. That's not to say that the game is perfect because it definitely has some flaws but for the most part, this game seems like it will definitely live up to it's hype.

I'll start with the look and feel of the game because for a universe as big and as important as Star Wars, capturing the atmosphere is incredibly important. The demo itself follows the secret apprentice as he tracks down a Jedi Master through a large Tie Fighter plant. Everything from the story's presentation, the music, and events going on around you really do one of the best jobs of drawing the player into the Star Wars universe that I have ever witnessed. This really feels like playing through the next legitimate Star Wars movie. Hopefully the game will maintain this quality throughout the entire game rather than fall apart near the end like many games tend to do. As far as looks go, the game is gorgeous and packs an impressive amount of detail into the environments. This is definitely Star Wars and there is no doubt about it. With the exception of the explosion animations, everything looks crisp and clean. Maybe they will fix the fire animation before the game hits in September. Those of you who kept up with the game know that it uses the Euphoria Engine to realistically animate character movement and object interaction. If you played GTA4 then you know the implications of this and I can assure you that it works just as well here.

The game plays smoothly with very little complication in terms of the control. Force grip can be used by holding the right trigger wile the remaining force powers are assigned to each of the face buttons. The only awkward control was the force throw because it requires you to aim the left analog stick in the direction you want to throw and then release the right trigger which takes a little coordination but is relatively quick to get the hang of. The cool thing is that even if you mess up an attack, chances are that you will still do something cool. Combat is fun but I really can't comment on it too much because you don't have access to all the upgrades throughout the demo. I see where combat might suffer from the same problems that Assassin's Creed fell victim to because the game will likely not include a large variety of gameplay scenarios. While this may hold true, I doubt the game will ever become so repetitive that it becomes outright boring.

The demo ended with a boss fight against an AT-ST (two legged walker for all the non nerds) that showcased some fun combat but once again, not a whole lot of variety in attack combinations. The fight reminded me a lot of God of War because once the boss's life bar is depleted, the fight wont end until you successfully pull of a Quick Time Event (QTE). Some may hate this but I tend to enjoy the events as long as the entire fight is not one big QTE. Overall, the demo was impressive and I can't wait revisit the Star Wars Universe and see where the story goes from here. The game will hit store shelves on Sept. 16 here in North America and will be followed a few days later in Asia and Europe.

-Nick

My contest was a failure. Now for the... PUNISHMENT!!!

So here is a link to the contest. The goal was to design a Soul Calibur 4 character for me in CAS mode using the picture I posted.

Honestly people had a hard time coming up with a top that is similar to the one in the picture, but I felt Keyweez ended up with really the best option. The funny thing is that this was the top I had for her previously. Asher came in a close second though as I feel his coloring was the best. Special note to Foolishmofo for the wicked armored Chris which I will be using for my alternate outfit.

So I contacted Keyweez and he gave me a list of games he wanted me to play through live on the feed. He had some really good choices, some of which I will end up playing later, but I made my choice. Yep:

I've seen videos of this game and its executions. It is really really fucked up. So you sick fucks should love it. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA


Thanks to all who participated in this quickly made contest. We had many entries so expect more like this one in the near future.

Brad

We love our mods. And so do the chatters.

(CLICK TO ENLARGE)




Thanks SatuMitsumi and Hafjaw.


Brad

The Future of the PSP

We're not in Japan. We're not in the land of Monster Hunter. And because of this, the future of the PSP in America is shaky. There's a recently announced new PSP-3000 with improved screen for use outdoors, but people have got to want to play it outdoors in the first place. I've also heard that the LCD response time is twice as fast, whatever that means. I do understand this is an upgrade for a machine that seems quite unnecessary. The system ran fine before and better with the PSP-2000 upgrade. More important of a factor, there's about 2/3rds less games available to the consumer when compared to the competing portable and Sony feels that reintroducing another model will turn the tables. I'm sorry but I think it's time to call it quits here if that's all they have. The PSP put up a good fight here in America. But like I said in the beginning, we're not Japan. Maybe there's not a market here. Or worse, Sony didn't know who to target.

The PSP was an attempt at grabbing the gaming population. It wasn't marketed towards kids. It didn't have the sugar coated franchise to help it move systems. They had games created for people who played games. But in a time where motion controls and casual mini-games rule, Maybe there's there no place for the people who just want to play games?

Sony could pull it off. They could out of the blue announce triple A titles that would span across every genre, get every game player excited again, and then turn the sinking ship around. But that's not going to happen. Developers have lost faith in the system. I know this company said this, and Capcom said that. But that's what always happens. It happened with the GameCube and it happened with HD-DVD. But people/companies will always put up a front to avoid showing weakness, and that's when you know they're in trouble.

Here's a thought though. Make the PSP-3000 cheap. $149.99 won't do it. Make it less than the DS. Make it $99.99 MSRP. You've been pushed back to the edge of your territories. Make one last stand. The Christmas season is coming up. The opportunity is there. Get the system in people's hands. Then come the games.

Hell, at 100 bucks I'll buy another one,
David

Very Excited but Also Very Tired...

In case you missed it, this new gameplay video for Mirror's Edge hit the net today and watching it makes me incredibly excited about the game. Of course, it also makes me very... very.. tired. Check it out:



-Nick

Hooray for Split-Screen.... Oh wait...

I live in a Dorm, Why use internet for co-op games when i could play on my larger than LIFE... 27 inch television in split screen or shared screen?

I of course am frustrated with Too Human which i picked up earlier today. Very interesting game. The fighting system, while lacking in much complexity is still fun to look at and you can do some interesting things. Such as juggle, use firearms, and of course equip whatever the hell you want. The graphics are glitchy, but I am not Nick. They are shiny enough for me so i deal with it.
Story line i could care less about, I am playing a god, what story line could there possibly be?


"A god by he name of Baldur, not to be confused by the gate, goes around and kicks ass until he dies.... which is odd because he is a god. But none the less he kicks some serious ass."
That is the story line that i have see so far, and i am sticking with it.

Only problem? Co-op is nowhere to be found unless you have xbox live. which i really don't right now. So who am i going to play with? myself? PSH!!! thats hard enough to do with a hall full of guys.... This game is definetly on my to-do list... but i need a little community to enjoy it. So until that is possible for me, i guess once again, I'm going to stick with World of Warcraft.... Which i did pick up again... whoops.

Another game i've picked up recently is Team Fortress 2 for the PC. I get all Valve games for free, and since i got a brand new gaming laptop which will last a year before i need a new one, i decided to try out the "real" team fortress.
Damn guys, you were all right!!! It is pretty sweet. And honestly i think the only reason i say that is because of A: dedicated server, and B: upgrade system which i fully enjoy.
Let me explain this puppy to you. If you have ever played a battlefield game for the pc (not the newest for consoles) then its kind of the same deal. The more you use a certain class, you get more "points". Though i'm not entierly sure how to look at these points... im aware that if i play long enough i get STUFF!!! which is always enjoyable and is why i get hooked to games like World of Warcraft.
Speaking of Steam, we have a tiny community on there. the 4 player podcast Group that is. Check it out!!

Till later,
Travis

Intelligent Systems = Fuck Ups

I mean, it is fair to call someone a "fuck up" if they continually fuck up. Right?

Intelligent Systems is one of Nintendo's best first party subsidiaries. This developer is also one of my all time favorite game companies. They are responsible for some of my all time favorites like Advance Wars and Panel de Pon(Puzzle League/Tetris Attack), and other great franchises such as WarioWare and Paper Mario. They even had a hand in making the great Super Metroid.

So yeah, the "fucking up" part. Well, Intelligent Systems also develops another one of my all time franchises, Fire Emblem. This strategy/rpg series has had history since the NES, but in the US they have only released 2 GBA games, 1 Gamecube game, and 1 Wii game. I beat the first three entries, but never touched the Wii game. I imagine I'll get around to it eventually, but I'm in no rush. After all, it is just more of the same. While this isn't always a bad thing.... it is in this case.

So here is the basic info. They are making a new Fire Emblem game for the NDS. "New" only in the sense that the game will be coming out this fall, because the game is actually a remake of the very first Fire Emblem on the NES.

Here is where they are fucking up:
1. This series should never have been brought back to consoles, as Fire Emblem is a perfect fit on handhelds. The console adds nothing to this game but 3d graphics. And they are absolute shit. The graphics were clunky and rigid 3d models; and their animations looked awful. I swear I think the GBA look better. The only graphical effort they put into these console iterations are in the games' very few cutscenes. Like I could seriously give a fuck about cutscenes...

2. The new Fire Emblem on DS should not be a remake. The franchise needs to continue on the NDS, but this is a sign that the main series will stay on consoles.

3. The new Fire Emblem remake looks like shit. Complete shit. They actually decided to use shitty 3d models instead of beautifully animated sprites. This is what made the latest Advance Wars looks like shit, and they are doing it again.

Here is what I'm talking about in these videos. The top clip is footage from the GBA Fire Emblem. Over 5 years ago on a weaker system. You don't need to watch the whole video, as it is just a compilation of the attacks from the GBA games. The point is to take note of the badass animation. The second video is of the new Fire Emblem releasing later this year on a more powerful system. And it looks like dick.





Am I the only one who sees this?


Stop fucking up I.S.,

Brad

New Mad World Trailer

Mad World is a new Wii game being developed by Platinum Games and published by Sega. If you remember the company that worked on Viewtiful Joe, Okami, and God Hand this is basically the group left over from Clover Studios destruction. Being one of those people who loves Japanese weirdness, I thought this would be right up my alley.

First thing I can't get over is the color. Most of you should be able to tell, There is none! I want a beautiful game with rich vibrant colors. That's my biggest worry with this title. Black and White is an interesting take but if this is it work the entire game, I see myself running into a lot of headaches.

Thanks,
David

So instead of a time mechanic.... we get a double jump? Meh

So I took another look at the actual gameplay of the new Prince of Persia game, and there are aspects of this game that are beginning to bother me.

1. This woman partner isn't filling the time mechanic void. The time mechanic was what pushed the 3d Prince of Persia games from a decent series to a really good one. She appears to be nothing more than a glorified double jump.

2. Those orange leap pads look lame as hell. I understand that they are probably in their to add a sense of scale to the environments, it's just thats the "automatic" nature of them just seems very 3d Sonic. And yes, that is a bad thing.

3. The voice of the main character, much like in Assassins Creed, is fucking terrible. A prince of Persia shouldn't sound like... some dude I work with.

4. I want to be able to see my life bar. This is an action game; and if I see the enemies life bar, there is no reason I shouldn't see mine.

5. The "Save Me System" might remove all sense of urgency or danger. At least with the time mechanic you had a limit to its uses. I'm worried this game may be to easy and end too quickly because of this "system".


Just some honest worries I have going forward. They keep re-showing this gameplay portion, so there isn't much else to go on yet. I still love the art style and I'm sure the environmental navigation will be great, but I can't be all 100% hype all the time.


Brad