GamersUSA Video Podcast #02
In this episode, we review DLC for Fallout 3 and Burnout Paradise, take a look at Battlefield 1943 (downloadable for both Xbox Live and PSN users), and discuss some of the upcoming Xbox Live Arcade titles.
GamersUSA Video Podcast #02 from GamersUSA on Vimeo.
Before I get into this review, I have to address an issue I've found with the Playstation Network. Hardly any of thier games have demos, whereas if you went on, say, Xbox Live... Every XBL game has a demo. Playstation needs to hop on that train... ANYWHO!
Noby does include trophies however there are only a few and there is no platinum trophy. All trophies are attainable without getting to any planets that have not yet been unlocked. There is no word yet though on whether or not they will add trophies as more planets come available or whether the game will continue on past pluto. I give Noby Noby Boy a 7 out of 10. The unique concept and gameplay won me over, but it definitely isn't a game for everyone. The $5 price point helps though!
The game proves itself to be a serious competitor in the intense competition of FPS games. With the combination of new elements (controls, guns, enemies, environments, etc) it really shines especially if you've played the first Resistance title. They even got rid of the boring narrative story telling of the first for a more personal truly FPS style of story telling. In the end, Resistance 2 gets a 9 out of 10. I'd say it's a much have for PS3 owners. And if you play this game before the first and think you want to go out and buy the first... you might be left disappointed because it is THAT much better than the first.
What's there to say about Wii Fit that hasn’t been said before? Honestly, even grandparents know about the freaking thing.
Quick refresher if you don’t already know, Wii Fit is for the Nintendo Wii. It essentially has a balance board, which is ridiculously accurate, you may curse that you bought it.
Wii Fit is essentially a bunch of mini games, much like Wii Sports. Except all of these are designed with fitness in mind. Most of these got me sweating quite a bit. But I never exercise. I think most of the mini games that are here are good enough for most couch potatoes to get their blood flowing and to stop getting atrophy.
The problem with Wii Fit being a bunch of mini games is that if you would really like to use this for your primary source of exercise, is that it will annoy you trying to get a good workout going. And what I mean by that is, after every exercise, you will have to fiddle with the menus and get to your next routine. You cannot set up a “play list” of different mini-games, and just keep going.
The graphics in Wii Fit are very much identical to Wii Sports, so you will get no frills, Miis all over the place graphics. Not that's a bad thing. It fits with Nintendo’s whole vibe they are going with for this console. The only deviation you will get from this is when you do the real exercise training. You will get to choose from a male or female trainer. Both of which have NEVER seen, looked at, or touched a sun ray. But the thing is, viewing them makes it easy to see how to do an exercise correctly, so mission accomplished. Again, Wii Fit is not about wowing you with the graphics, unlike other games.
The sound is your usual no frills but strangely appropriate sounds. From the “Starting up” little girl voice, to the drum roll when obtaining your “Wii Fit Age” for the day, the game isn’t going to wow your ears with sound. The music is catchy but all together generic. Lets be honest, the whole point of this game is the balance board.
Now to the real reason this game is selling as fast as the Wii system itself, the balance board. Now Nintendo has had its fair share of useless peripherals. But this one really works. I its fun. As fun as the console that it came with is. It is so responsive, I could have sworn there was a fault line under my house, but I am wrong about that. I shouldn’t play this while strung out on coffee. Seriously, you lean forward it knows it. You lean right it knows it. You put a foot on the floor, it kind of knows it. This is a sold piece of equipment. It should be, its essentially 4 scales in one unit. So yes, Wii Fit knows how fat you are, up to 330lbs.
So the big question is, do you buy Wii Fit. For me the answer was a solid yes. I need to start exercising, I like video games, I hate gyms. I win. I mean, who is going to tell me I have a high score at push ups at a gym? No one! I need points, I grew up with them, so this satisfies that want and need. Is it going to end up collecting dust in my closet in a month, hopefully not but I think with most people it will.
For my review I will give Wii Fit a 4, simple because again Nintendo is creative and crazy enough to try something so weird, and it works. The balance board is innovate, not as much as the Wii Controller itself, but still amazing. I am just hoping Skate on Wii uses it.
Army of Two is about two guys who are part of a private army, run by corporations. Their company is so good at handling missions that the government is considering making these privatized armies the countries only military. Before that can happen some things come to light that put our main two characters to the test. Obviously they are up to it, I mean they wear steel hockey masks to battle. The story in itself is fairly decent and is very similar to the better action movies. The story revolves around September 11th, but in a tasteful manner. Overall the story is satisfying. Most of the jokes in the game will even make you laugh the first time you hear them. This game however is very M rated.
The graphics on Army of Two will not disappoint, make sure you get to see this one on a HDTV. The models of you main characters are nice a detailed, from their war torn masks, to their pimped out guns. I'll explain more about that in the game play section. But back to the graphics, the blood does indeed flow. And it looks decent as it splatters on the camera. Also the bad guy models are decent and easy to see from a distance. The environments are very nice and varied. Each location will not make you think you have already been there as it like a new spot.
The game play on this game is mostly great. Now the reason I say mostly great is due to the fact that it is a co-op game. With it being co-op means that your partner needs to be good. No problem if you are playing online with a friend online or at home. Not so good if you are using the CPU to control your partner. The computer sometimes is fairly decent. Other times, you may just want to get a pet monkey and give it the controller. That being said, the enemy AI is fairly decent, and at the professional level a bit of a jerk. The computer will actively seek out better cover if it notices you coming around a side, which makes the game that more challenging. A huge problem I have with the game is the distance at which shotguns can shoot, which is the equivalence of a football field. You will be struck down by enemies shooting from somewhere off screen and your power will quickly diminish. But the coolest part of the game is upgrading your weapons. What I mean by that is you can add all kinds of things to the front of you gun, including a shotgun or grenade launcher just to name a few options.
Overall Army of Two is worth checking out. It has great game play for the campaign mode. It also has an online two vs two mode where the teams are pitted against each other while trying to complete objectives. There is enough here to warrant a purchase, and if you loved Gears you will enjoy this one. I give it a 4 out of 5.
Ah, yes. The latest installment of the Lego Star Wars series. I figured I would give this a review in light of the upcoming Lego Batman and Lego Indiana Jones games. I'll start off with the console version, whereas I have the PS3 version. I had Lego Star Wars 1 for Gamecube and Lego Star Wars 2 for Xbox 360, so I pretty much thought I knew exactly what I was going to get. It was a matter of whether or not it would live up to what I expected. I thought I was going to get a polished version of both games with a few extras. Well, it did, more so than I even expected!
The graphics are as good as they are going to get for a Lego game, which is fantastic. You literally look like little legos running around (except they're a little more flexible than real legos). The music and sounds are straight from the movies and 100% perfect. Apart from the old versions, there are a few more characters, a few extra 'extras', and even a few extra'ish levels. But the fun doesn't stop there. 
In Lego Star Wars, you start off in what I will call, for lack of better words, the overworld. It's nothing like an overworld in most games but it is where you choose what episode and chapter you will play. But it is free roaming and such like an overworld area. Well, I found that there was so much fun that you could have in this little overworld area. (see pic below)
That is a picture I took with my camera of my TV (which explains the odd look to the picture), and I took this picture because of how ridiculous I thought this was (in a funny way). You don't just walk outside and there's a race track and go-kart thing, you have to do a few things to get them there, but this is one of the things I love about the Lego Star Wars series. Random stuff thrown in to make pure hilarious fun. The game is simple and fun, with plenty of game modes (including a new challenge mode for each stage), you won't get bored easily. The controls are great and easy, though the flying levels are still a little awkward. I give the console versions an 8 out of 10.
The only thing that really bothered me about the DS version is the cutscenes. They were basically stop-motion animation. A bunch of still images spliced together, they are so annoying to watch. They almost take the humor out of the cutscenes. The controls are the same as the console versions except for a few touch add ins (some you don't need to use). 
Now that isn't to say that the DS version is completely lacking. It has many extras that the consoles don't have. Quite a few mini games, most which utilize the touch screen. You can definitely tell that the game was built from the ground up for DS and not horribly ported. The game is great and if you like Star Wars, you'll like this game. I'm going to give the DS version a 7 out of 10.
Now I feel as though I've given too much away even though I've only told a tiny bit of the story. On with the review then! So the graphics... jesus, just look at the picture above, they're amazing. Bioware certainly didn't hold back in the graphics department on this one. In fact, the graphics are so good that the xbox 360 can't keep up. Bioware thought that they could be clever and mask this little fact though. When you start the game, its graphical default settings are set to film grain 'on' and motion blur 'on'. The film grain is there so that you don't notice when things are 'undrawn' as I like to say, then are suddenly super sharp looking. I personally hated the film grain so I turned it off and that made the 'graphical lag' as I like to call it, much more noticeable. Also, many people know that the motion blur is used in many games to help with framerate issues. If the image can be blurred, it doesn't need to be drawn super pretty, thus it hekeep the frame rate even. Well, when you turn the film grain off, the motion blur gets really annoying so I turned that off too. Now this might sound like a big deal to a lot of people but it really is not. The level which this graphical lag occurs is often yet minimal (happens frequently but it's never anything major). I don't know why they added the motion blur because through my entire first runthrough the game I never notice the framerate decline and I had it off. The game is gorgeous, hands down and graphically for this review... that's the bottom line.
The gameplay and controls are great, very easy to get used to even with technical moves. Like any rpg, you get experience points which lead to level ups as you progress through the game. With the level ups you get points that make your character stronger in whatever field you choose them in. Simple yet intuitive. You have 4 firearms on you at all times, a pistol, a sniper rifle, a shotgun, and an assault rifle. All guns are upgradeable and have multiple series'.
In the end, overall, this game is great. In depth story with a few twists make for a great rpg; solid controls and functionality make for a great shooter. With plenty of worlds to explore and seemingly endless amounts of side missions, you won't get bored with this game very soon. The graphics are amazing though the xbox 360 will sometimes have to play catch up, it is nothing that will hinder your gameplay experience such as framerate drops, etc. With great effects, and an incredible cast (of both characters and voice actors) you really can't go wrong with picking up this title. I give Mass Effect a 9.5 out of 10. If you're looking for an xbox 360 game to hold you over for a while, I definitely recommend this one! And if you don't have an Xbox 360, no worries for it is coming to the PC on May 6th. I can't wait for the sequel(s).
9.5/10
-CA
When I was about 13 years old, I had gotten an issue of Nintendo Power that had announced that the world famous skateboarder, Tony Hawk (along with Activision and Neversoft), would be putting out a game called 'Tony Hawk's Pro Skater (THPS)'. Me, being a huge skateboarding fan, was extremely excited about this new genre of gaming no one had thought of before now. In this review, I am going to attempt to score each of the games in the franchise so that you know which TH titles to purchase when you feel like some old school gaming.
Let's start off with the very first one: 'Tony Hawk's Pro Skater'. I had this particular version for N64 (also available on PS and Dreamcast). It was probably the most difficult thing for me to grasp at the time. Combos, lines, and the ever-emptying 'special meter' added to the difficult level (not to mention the two minute timer on every level); but after about 2 hours, I was a pro. The game included 10 pro skaters right out of the X-Games, plus 3 unlockable secret characters. Each skater had their own style, tricks, and special move that could be performed only when the 'Special meter' was full. It also featured a two player mode, where friends could challenge each other in horse, graffiti, or trick attack. This game was pretty basic, probably because it was the first title in the series. Nevertheless, it was tons of fun, and, once you got the hang of it, kept you playing for hours.
7.5/10
Now, 'Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2' (N64). What can I say about this title except: MANUALS!! Yes its true, you could now manual (or nose-manual) to link your tricks together for bigger combos and bigger scores. This game also introduced a new 'create a' mode where players could create their own skater and create their own skatepark. With 3 more pro skaters and a slew of new secret skaters (including Spiderman), this game not only looks better, but also plays smoother when it comes to linking tricks and pulling off big combos. The only downfall to this title: no new two-player game modes. It was still Trick Attack, Graffiti, and Horse. Still fun, though.
7/10
'Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3' (GCN). What a step! On Nintendo's brand new system, the Gamecube, the Tony Hawk series really has a chance to shine. The graphics were amazing at the time and I was very impressed. They had now added bigger levels to skate, complete with pedestrians, traffic, and other skaters. Better 'create a' modes included the ability to color hair and clothing whatever shade you wanted and even more pieces in the skatepark editor. Added to the tricksets were the ability to perform flatland tricks while in manual to give you even bigger scores while linking your tricks. This game still had 13 pro skaters, but the jewel was the secret characters. This time around you could skate as Darth Maul, Wolverine, Kelly Slater, and a Demoness; each with their own movesets and amazing special tricks (Wolverine's Berserker was very cool). Personally, this was probably the most memorable TH game so far.
8.5/10
'Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4' (PS2). Say goodbye to Mr. Two-Minute-Timer. The biggest step in the franchise: free roam skating. now you could take all the time you wanted to skate and not have to worry about being in free skate mode. You pretty much go about the level and find people to talk to to complete objectives, and by doing this unlocking more levels and characters, getting closer and closer to becoming a pro skater. Neversoft also added some pretty interesting new tricks and moves. These included the ability to 'skitch' behind moving vehicles, by crouching behind it as you held on to the rear bumper. You could also skate on moving objects, and (one of my favorites) spine transfer over the gaps between quarter pipes, to link tricks together in a whole new way.
8/10
'Tony Hawk's Underground' (PS2). The Tony Hawk series is now looked at in a whole new way. They've introduced a story-mode, wherein you create a skater to you and tour around the country completing goals to get closer to the top. On of the coolest things about this game is the addition of drivable vehicles, used to complete certain goals. You didn't need to be on your board the entire game; this time you could get off and on whenever you choose. Sometimes you needed to walk or run (or climb) to complete certain goals. The coolest thing about THUG was the create a trick option; you could create your own trick to be used as a special move, call it whatever you want, and assign it to whatever button combination you wanted. I myself have created some tricks with pretty wicked spins and flips, and upside-down, I might add.
8/10
'Tony Hawk's Underground 2' (PS2). Activision and Neversoft take the series in a whole new direction. In this game, you are chosen to be a part of Tony Hawk's team, who is in a competition with Bam Margera's team to see who can prank the best in Bam's World Destruction Tour. Reminiscent of MTV's Jackass series, this game takes skating to a whole new level. By incorporating skating and driving, this title is one of the most fun yet. It's laid out a little different than past editions. In each level you have a pro skater, special skater, secret skater, and, of course, you. Each skater has different goals he/she must complete. Usually your secret skater is on a vehicle: Jesse James has a suped-up, two-wheeled chopper; and Steve-O has a mechanical rodeo bull that he rides on. They have also incorporated a 'tagging' feature where you can create your own graffiti tag and tag wherever you want. Also, this is the first game to have both a story and 'classic' mode. Classic mode is old school TH. each level has 10 goals and the two-minute timer. This is an all-around fun game and should leave you with hours of gameplay.
8/10
'Tony Hawk's American Wasteland' (PS2). One of the best and my favorite TH game of all time. In this game you play a skater living in LA, who discovers an old skate park on some land owned by a renowned skater. Your goal in this game is to go around to the various cities and collect parts to add to the park to make it the biggest and baddest skatepark ever. In this game there are no load times; its just one massive world. The load times are cleverly concealed by hallways that link each level together. This is the first TH game to feature ridable BMX bikes, you are able to freely switch between bike and board. A cool feature that was added to this game are the various old school Dogtown-esque style of skating; including the cool 'bert-slide' that you can use to link some flatland tricks together. With a cool story mode and tons of hours of gameplay, this game is worth playing, even now.
8.5/10
'Tony Hawk's Project 8' (360). Just by the title you can tell that they were running out of ideas for the next in the series. Unfortunately, Neversoft failed to please gamers with their attempt at the next great TH game. Where should I start? First: one of the things that made this series great was virtually nonexistent, the 'create-a-skater' mode. A very weak story-actually, there really was no story at all. What happened? TH was doing so good. Sure the counting the number of bones that were broken when you bailed was cool, but besides the 'Nail-the Trick' (a matrix style slow-mo, fliptrick mode) that was the only thing that was different. Sure the graphics were alot better on the next-gen console, and the skating physics were cleaned up, but give me more story, more of that TH feel. Unfortunately, this title just doesn't cut it in my book.
5/10
'Tony Hawk's Proving Grounds' (PS3). Sorry, folks, the series is just getting worse as the years go on. With tough competition that year, what with EA's amazing 'Skate', Neversoft wasted precious time and money putting out the next installment. In THPG, you are, once again, a nobody, who is trying to hit it big in skating. This time you are living what they call the 'rigger lifestyle' (whatever that is). It pretty much means you make ramps and rails out of whatever you find lying around a deserted parking lot or warehouse. It, surprisingly, has worse graphics than THP8, which is weird considering its on Sony's powerhouse: the PS3 (8 cores, anyone?). Needless to say, I didn't bother progressing through any of the story. It was that much of a disappointment.
2/10
There is one thing that I would like to touch on. The music and song selection of all the TH games has been awesome in every title. Starting with just a few songs in the first couple of titles, to having massive 80 to 100-song playlists in the newer ones. The mix of music style is second to none. With artists such as Rage Against the Machine, The Bravery, My Chemical Romance, and even classic rock like ACDC's 'TNT'. Don't get me wrong, the games have also had many hip-hop songs including artists like KRS-One, Xzibit, and even N.W.A's 'Express Yourself'. The games even included Frank Sinatra's 'That's Life', and Johnny Cash's 'Ring of Fire'. The music, I think made the game for me sometimes. Its just good to have great music playing while your tearing up the town!
Thanks for reading
-JD
Look for a full review of EA's 'Skate' later this month.
