Gainboy

E3 2011, the highlights....

2011-06-08T03:36:00.000-07:00

Well well well, It's been...eventful this year, some surprises, some laughs and Kinect. LOTS OF FRIGGIN' KINECT! Microsoft kick started the first press conference of the event by showcasing footage of Modern Warfare 3, complete with the most bombastic sequences that would even put Michael bay in hospital. Hot on the heels of this - new Tomb Raider, looking pretty sharp (i wont be buying, but it looks enough like a 360 uncharted

to maybe entice some.) Peter Moore's EA Kinect onslaught came next, along with his Horrendous English / American hybrid voice. This is what pretty much happened for the next hour - Mass effect featuring Kinect, Molyneux was wheeled out to describe another Fable letdown, Ice-T made a tit of himself on stage playing Gears 3 (snore), HALO 4 (surprise suprise), Ghost Recon showed us a fancy new trailer with...yep, you guessed it Kinect playable options, UFC showcased Live TV interactivity (nothing for Europe, yet.) Youtube and Bing will be available soon on Xbox WITH VOICE CONTROL VIA KINECT, nope I'll just use my smartphone and be on the web before my 360 has a chance to warm up. Jesus, Microsoft what a shower of dribble. I'm not gonna even mention the other Wii sports style titles announced for Microsoft's glorified web-cam. Look for yourself. Waste of time...

To see this in all it's glory click the links below -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77c2S0V4__w Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0l9H0gRlXM&feature=relmfu Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0LTmJWkqFs&feature=related Part 3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXGPDJXMdws&feature=related Part 4

SONY

Sony's conference up next. Jack Tretton took to the stage, using his opening speech to talk about the 'Elephant in the room!' He talked openly and honestly about the PSN-outage, apologising to customers, vendors, press, 3rd party publishers and anyone who would listen. Ok, onto the meat and veg of the show - GAMES!! First out of the gate was the mightily impressive Uncharted 3 followed by Resistance 3. Playstation Move came snapping on the heels next. 2K brought out Kobe Bryant to show off his 'skills' in NBA 2K12, and some Move bloke played a crappy 1st person Zelda game called Medieval moves. BOOOORING. Jack returned onstage to help things along by demoing new in-game footage of Infamous 2 (released this week) one game i would like to play, along with Uncharted if i owned a PS3! 'Dust 514' from 'CCP' the company behind Eve online showed some space battle goodies, PS3 exclusive that will integrate Move and your home PC for the first time ever. Right; time for the big news eh? The announcement of the 'PsVita' the sequel to the PSP. Fully integrated touch screen, fully 3G compatible, social networking on the go...sounds like a bog standard smartphone so far (cough cough i have an Iphone4 cough.) Admittedly the graphics for the demo'd Uncharted handheld is impressive, but i thought that about Infinity blade a year ago. Is meh? a good enough statement for how i feel about this new tech, maybe, maybe im just not bothered about using any handheld consoles anymore... unless it's my DSlite, i love that!

Click these 'ere links to see the FULL show in action-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuZBYuRHZrs Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuryrgGVGJQ Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rg1OfvU-1W8 Part 3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2tjhXAoVBU Part 4

Ubisoft

I watched the Ubisoft conference with some anticipation, over the past few years Ubisoft have released some pretty good titles (Beyond Good and Evil, No more heroes, Prince of Persia) but the one I'm looking forward to this year is 'Assassin's Creed: Revelations'

Yves Guillemot kicked off proceedings with Rayman Origins, a nifty Super Mario style 2D platformer with charming cartoony graphics. The reveals came thick and fast with Driver San Francisco (not for me) Farcry 3 (again, not for me) Brothers-in-arms Furious 4, Tintin, Ghost Recon Future Soilder, and Rocksmith. A pretty strong line-up for the next 12 months. The last 20 mins of the show was dedicated to the beast i mentioned at the top of this paragraph; Assassin's Creed: Revelations. With a brand new trailer and 6 minutes of in-game footage to show off, Ubisoft defiantly left the best till last. I can't wait to play through this chapter and close the book on this awesome and beautiful trilogy to Ezio's life.

Linky, linky, watchy watchy -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1UcNNB9Oxs Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SABxkB2_tR4 Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pplfHsDiOY Part 3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=romcDvH2Ins Part 4

One of the worlds biggest game publishers and distributors kicked off their E3 2011 with a chunky section of Mass Effect 3. Having never really played any of the Mass Effect series, this entire sequence meant nothing to me, it looked nice, but that's it. Need for speed: The Run came next, looking very pretty and showcasing 'for the first time ever that in a NFS title' you'll be able get out of the car and RUN about on foot. More like a collection of QTE's than GTA, even so it's not a game i'll be investing any time in.

The next title i can see getting into, Star Wars Old Republic showcases its snazzy CG intro followed by rapture of geek applause quickly followed by brand new footage of SSX (coming jan 2012.)

Arrgghhhh i can hear the horrible tones of Peter Moore arriving next, I've mentioned how fucking ridiculous his accent is previously so i wont stay on it long, blleerghh cross Atlantic rubbish. He brings a cavalcade of EA Sports gubbins on stage with him including Fifa 12 and Madden 12, so i'll skip over that (not a sports fan.) I'm gonna skip over the gay Sims social Facebook 'thing' as well.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning reared its head to bring us a game not a million miles away from what Fable should have been all along, its shows promise but we'll see when the finished product is finally released. If your an RPG fan this may be worth a look. It's no Dark Souls or Skyrim though.

Into its final stretch the EA train rolled out it's big guns, Overstrike and of course Battlefield 3. The former looking like a team fortress-y run and gun squad based shooter, think Brink with more woman. Now I'll be honest here, I've no intention of ever playing Battlefield 3 BUT as one of the two towers of popular FPS gaming along with COD (re:SHIT), this does look mighty impressive. COD has always looked very OTT and bombastic, there's something about BF that kept it grounded or so I've been told, maybe, what do I know, I'm an RPG fan!

All the press conference, including that Battlefield 3 footage is here -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSoMfutC9eU Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFLGrex4wRo Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UqUt1rgvJ Part 3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFPk-hDItP4 Part 4

Nintendo

The granddaddies of E3 kickstarted their conference with a live Orchestra playing various 'Zelda' themes, all part of Nintendo's 25th anniversary celebration of 'The legend of Zelda'. The man himself Myamoto then took to the stage along with a translator to...act out various stances from past Zelda titles accompanied with music. Odd!! "opening a treasure chest - duh duh duh duhhhhhhh"

As it's the 25th anniversary Myamoto announced various re-releases of older zelda franchises, but we know about this already.

Mr Nintendo himself Satoru Iwata took to the stage after another little orchestra fill, to give word on how is company are bringing the world together and to 'serve every player.' He exited after this to let their backdrop do the talking, an impressive digital screen delivering a sharp presentation of future 3DS titles including - New Mario Bros, Luigi's Mansion, Star-fox, Mario Kart and Kid Icarus. Reggie Fils-aime filled the gaps between other 3DS games on the big screen - Mario and Sonic at the Olympics 2012, Resident evil Mercs, Ace Combat 3D, MGS and Driver 3DS.

And so; the biggest announcement of the week, the new and official name for the Wii's successor - Wii U! So far the console hasn't been seen and probably wont be seen by the public till at least next year, just the new touch controller that can be used completely separate from the machine itself. It looks shiny and bright but will it really work as well as they want it to come release date. Only time will tell, I honestly think it looks like all Nintendo releases these days - Gimmicky!

The last 10 minutes of the final press junket Nintendo did what they do best, bringing shiny white toys to the masses, showing off the 'stats' of their new device. Split screen action, bigger and better graphics and total interactivity 'bringing power to the people.' They even managed to bankroll other famous studio heads to praise the new console. Meh?!!

So, the final bit of linkage for you (see what i did there)...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DeQUW-bFZ0 Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9XAcefNlXE Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBKrD64DTH4 Part 3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCHuiOmOwKY Part 4

Thats it!! Random highlights from this Year's E3. as ever hope you've enjoyed this, please comment and tell your friends about us on Facebook and Twitter. I have just updated a TONNE of new trailers on our Youtube channel as well - Subscribe and enjoi !!!! xx

http://www.youtube.com/user/channelGainboy?feature=mhee

Thanks guys, peace and love to you all

Dr Sanchez

Another year, another E3....

2011-06-06T04:41:00.000-07:00

So, here we are again; another year and another E3. Over the next couple of days the Los Angeles Convention Centre will open it's doors to draws tens of thousands of professionals to experience the future of interactive entertainment. The most influential people leading the most innovative companies in the business attend E3 Expo to see groundbreaking new technologies and never-before-seen products for consoles, handhelds and the Internet. Over the 6th-9th June LA's gonna be swamped with leading game companies, business partners, media darlings and industry swots from over 80 countries.

Now the introduction's out of the way lets talk about the meat and veg of the show - the Keynote speeches and of course ALL OF THE NEW YUMMY GAMES that are coming the world's way over the next 12 months. As it's the first day of E3, this is more of a run-up to the big event with no real reveals...yet!

From Monday through to Thursday this week i'll pop back on here and give a daily round-up of all the best news, trailers and showstopping moments from this years BIGGEST game expo.

Have a look at this years mental line-up i've grabbed from a close source.

Monday, June 6th

Microsoft Press Conference | 9:30am
Electronic Arts Press Conference | 12:30pm
Ubisoft Press Conference | 2:20pm
Sony Press Conference | 5:00pm

Tuesday, June 7th

Nintendo Press Conference | 9:00am
Mass Effect 3 | 1:00pm
Battlefield 3 | 1:30pm
Batman: Arkham City | 2:00pm
Resistance 3 | 3:00pm
Starhawk | 3:20pm
Twisted Metal | 3:40pm
NGP Demos | 4:00pm
Journey | 4:20pm
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception | 4:40pm
Gears of War 3 (Campaign) | 5:00pm
Forza Motorsports 4 | 5:20pm
Super Secret Remake | 5:40pm
Ms. 'Splosion Man | 6:00pm
Modern Warfare 3 | 6:30pm

Wednesday, June 8th

Spider-Man: Edge of Time | 11:00am
Dead Island | 11:20am
Gears of War 3 (Horde Mode) | 11:40am
Rage | Noon
Prey 2 | 12:20pm
Shinobi | 12:40pm
Saints Row III | 1:00pm
Lord of the Rings: War in the North | 1:30pm
Ninja Gaiden III | 2:00pm
The Darkness II | 3:00pm
Street Fighter X Tekken | 3:20pm
Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City | 3:40pm
Deus Ex: Human Revolution | 4:00pm
Tomb Raider | 4:20pm
Super Secret Sequel #1 | 4:40pm
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim | 5:00pm
WWE 12 | 5:20pm
Super Secret Sequel #2 | 5:40pm
Prototype 2 | 6:00pm
BioShock Infinite | 6:30pm

Thursday, June 9th

Star Wars: The Old Republic | 11:00am
Dark Souls | 11:20am
Inversion | 11:40am
Warhammer 40k: Space Marine | Noon
X-Men: Destiny | 12:20pm
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning | 12:40pm
Jurassic Park: The Game | 1:00pm
Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 | 1:30pm
Bastion | 2:20pm
Assassin's Creed: Revelations | 3:00pm
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier | 3:20pm
Rayman Origins | 3:40pm
Sonic Generations | 4:00pm
Catherine | 4:20pm
Need For Speed: The Run | 4:40pm
SSX | 5:00pm
Madden 12 | 5:20pm
FIFA 12 | 5:40pm

Pretty decent line-up, quite a few goodies on that list. Hope this puts you in good spirit for this years Expo. I'll be back in 24 hrs with more juice from E3

All my love, Dr Sanchez

Tech Traps and Option Selects

2011-04-16T03:16:00.000-07:00

Competitive gaming. It's such a weird term, and one which almost drowns in it's ludicrous nature. The idea of playing a 'game', an almost pointless task in itself, seriously is one which doesn't hold much merit with the modern community. It's like being a professional movie watcher. But it's there. People make money out of it these days. They're pseudo-celebrities, and enjoy respect and admiration from the scene they play in.

Millions of people line up in Korea to play Starcraft against each other. They take the game so seriously, that people are now facing jailtime for match-fixing. In other places, Call of Duty is universally played and considered the peak of online FPS. Just type 'no-scope cod' into YouTube, and watch how people have made thousands upon thousands of videos, just on using sniper rifles in a interesting way. People all over the world have stopped playing games just for fun. There's more riding it on it, and the level of competition and passion found in these circles is undeniable.

Since the dawn of the online age, I've always enjoyed playing against others on a casual level, but now something has took hold, and has started to change the way I look at gaming.

I am completely hooked on fighting games.

It's such an odd little pocket of gaming. It's competition condensed down into a strangely pure form. It's about skill, completely and utterly. In the same regard as fighting sports, it's all down to the player's individual ability, both mentally and physically. I'm not going to pretend that playing Street Fighter is as difficult as boxing or light vigilante work, but it still requires a level of commitment, and a degree of knowledge and understanding about exactly what you're doing. It requires complete concentration, and a level of intelligence to understand your opponent's moveset, and ways to beat exactly what he's doing. There's a well known phrase in the SF community, 'Street Fighter is Checkers, that with time, turns into Chess'.

A couple of months ago, I bought a copy of Super Street Fighter 4, to see what the fuss was about. It was relatively cheap, so I thought I'd take the plunge. At first I hated it. It's slow, and it's not flashy. There's no easy to way to win, and you can't unlock achievements easily. To a modern gamer, it feels broken. But that's when I started to speaking to the guys at Street Fighter Preston, a Facebook group dedicated to playing fighting games and getting better. Think of it as Fight Club, but for geeks. I asked them what's so special about this, and why a group of them felt compelled to set up a group about this game.

And that's where it happened. They were basically crack dealers, and give me a taste of it, and 'plugged me in' to the Street Fighting community. I was introduced to some streams, live videos of American tournaments with top players competing. It was something completely new to me, but I could see what was going on. There were hundreds of people, all crammed into a hotel function room, all jumping up and down whilst looking at a projector that was showing the match taking place at the front of the room. There was commentary. Just like a sporting event, there were two people talking over the match, explaining what's happening, and screaming as someone pulled off an Ultra move at the right time. It was infectious. It's what I had been looking for. People taking gaming seriously, and still having fun. It was hyped up. It was ridiculous. It was competitive. It looked FUN.

I could see, then and there, that this was something special. Here was a genre of games that was closed off from the rest of the world, but only because a degree of patience was required to sit down and try and understand it. Those who did so were rewarded with a community. Groups of people all over the world meet up and brawl, shunning online as a poor substitute to beating an opponent sat right next to you. There's No 10 year-old COD heroes sat in a bedroom, singing down a microphone. These are dudes in a pub, playing in the corner, and genuinely honing a skill that they've learnt.

I realised I had to do something, so I have. I've helped Street Fighter Preston locate a venue. Once a week, I'll be joining them to meet up, have fun, and practise.

There's local venues and tournaments springing up all OVER the North West. There's a rivalry with Blackpool and Lancaster, where people are striving to represent their town, to show just what they're made of. It's infectious, and that feeling of pulling off that combo and finally beating that opponent you never could, it's like crack. Believe me when I say, this is only going to get bigger.

If you've got any questions about any of the garbage I've just burbled out, or want to come and join us and see what all the fuss is about, check out Street Fighter Preston's Facebook page. HADOUKEN!

Retro Monday: Metamorphic Force (Arcade)

2011-03-26T05:24:00.000-07:00

I know we haven't done one in a while, but for the last year, Retro Monday has been churning out the nostalgic goodnees on a weekly flex. We're now going to be slowing down a bit. Our brains have quickly dumped all the sweet and cherished game memories, so we'll be releasing Retro Mondays on a more sporadic note. When the games or inspiration hits us, we'll write about it. After all, you can't really plan memories.

But this is one such time, a time when a memory takes hold, and reminds you about how good gaming can be. This is Metamorphic Force, a Konami arcade brawler from 1993:

It's nothing special, if I'm completely honest. A standard 90's-era Konami/Capcom brawler, it's got all the standard features one would expect. The USP of this particular one being that the characters transform into beasts with the help of a power-up.

In fact, I don't expect ANYONE to have heard of this, let alone have played it. It took me about an hour of typing in various game features into Google to track it down properly. But this is one of those games that completely encapsulates everything your childhood represented, and just how gaming can take you back there. I remember this being at a campsite in the Lake District, at the first and last time I saw it. I remember pumping a shitload of money in it the weekend I was there, and I remember vividly the characters and the enemies.

I recall completely obsessing over it, the friend I was with and I running through the woods, actually acting out the game when we weren't playing it, and then begging our parents for some change so we could go and play this bombardment of flashing lights and colours. I only went to this campsite once at a young age, but this was more than enough to firmly seal this game into my sub-conscience.

Playing it today is an absolute joy. The gameplay isn't particularly brilliant, and the graphics are good (although dated), but this obviously isn't why I love this game. It's that feeling of nostalgia, and it always amazes me how much games can affect me like that. Games seem to encapsulate time, perfectly preserving a feeling and place, easily remembered when that start screen lights up.

Games do this to me more than most things. And I think that's one of the reasons I love them so much. This game is from an awesome time in my childhood, a time when I had no worries, and could pretend I was a French Swordsman called Claude, who could also transform into an Arctic Wolf. I still believe that one day that will happen to me, of course, but back then it felt a little more achievable. And by playing it again, I remember all this good stuff, and good times. Games are the closest thing I have to a time machine, and are often much cheaper than forking out for a Flux Capacitor.

A soundtrack for the Retro generation....

2011-03-03T14:54:00.000-08:00

Orchestral soundtracks, 8 Bit jingles, soothing mellow tones. All great games scores have the ability to burn into your brain and stay there; sitting. humming away at the back of your head. We all have fond memories of the first time you heard 'that' track or being moved by a beautiful piece of in-game music.
So, because their are so many superb tracks that spring to mind, the other day (for laughs!) I decided to challenge a colleague and myself into coming up with a tracklist, a 15 strong 'Ultimate Video Game Soundtrack' any game, any system the only rule being NO covers or remixes. I also asked the fellow Gainboy community on facebook to contribute, so thanks one and all for your suggestions. It was really hard to chose so don't be to mad at me if you don't agree on the finished list. Each to his own etc...
Ok, here we go may i present to you, in no particular order (this is an album, not a top 15) Dr Lucian Sanchez's 'Ultimate Video Game Soundtrack' :-

Track 1. Area 5 (fear is a mind killer) by Adam Freeland - Rez.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMMWwqwRggQ

Amazing track, a great walking song and 'that' sample .... epic!

Track 2. Tour of Venice by Jesper Kyd - Assassins Creed 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJz9OGYmPvs

First time i heard this, escaping from a rooftop chase, i found myself on top of a church looking out onto the beautiful Italian vista the song hit its soaring peak at 1:30 (clink the link) Wow, needless to say i had a moment...still one most moving games I've played.

Track 3. MegaMan 2 title theme by Takashi Tateishi - MegaMan 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOQhuuG1rfs

A brilliant little ditty that encapsulates the feeling of pixel perfect jumping and charging headlong into robotic battle. The tune also sounds great as the notoriously hard game's protagonist stands aloft a building, hair blowing in the wind. A classic action-hero pose!

Track 4. Mass Effect main theme and intro by Sam Hulick and Jack Wall - Mass Effect
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVm_ljDSdwA

As a 'noob' to Mass Effect (having never finished the first game OR even touched the sequel) I'm not well versed in the full spectrum of the score. I do know, however, from the moment the title card fades in, Joker's voice coming through the Comm system and Shepard stepping onto the deck of the Normandy... BOOM! done, quality game moment.

Track 5. Sewer Surfin' by Masahiro Ikariko - TMNT Hyperstone Heist
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Y-9LO6gHMA&feature=related

Yay childhood, i remember playing this over and over again on the megadrive, messing with the various BGM's on offer in the option screen. It fits the feel of the level so well, in fact when i play it now i can still hear the muffled digitized voices of Michelangelo exclaiming 'Pizza time' whenever i'd run over health.

Track 6. The Moon by Yoshihiro Sakaguchi - Ducktales
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPkhhLC1tf8

Starting with a few notes that perfectly capture space and the surrounding lenvironment of the level this track (apart from the AWESOME title song) is the standout melody for Ducktales. Hey Capcom you've done it again!

Track 7. Metropolis Zone by Matsato Nakamura - Sonic the Hedgehog 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRuJfhEeCe8

Probably one of hardest choices i had to make when sorting the list, it's well known (if your a geek) that the Sonic series had a tonne of excellent songs. Marble Garden, Greenhill and Chemical Plant all had brilliant bits to them, but i needed something that had it all...
Metropolis HAS. The scratch effect, the 'guitar' sections, mad synth notes and the best drum pattern in any sonic level. Yeah, this had to be on the my album.

Track 8. Evil Destroyer by Toshiharu Yamanishi, Takeshi Yoshida and Tomomi Ootani.- Thunder Force 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8yI3BXkLuM

The Metal runs deep in my soul....Amazingly epic boss fights over 16 bit music was the best recipe for HOURS of level re-try's on TF4. Some great remixes of the originals can be found on Youtube also. J-Rock at it's best.

Track 9. International Karate theme by Rob Hubbard - IK+
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzlK_JNuOGE

Now hear this, you can keep your street fighter's and your Marvels, the real battles lie in this Commodore 64 fighting gem. There is only one track in the game that loops every 10 mins but wow those 10 minutes get filled with all sorts of Sid player goodness. Trust me, it goes all over the shop.

Track 10. Downstream by Shira Kammen - Braid
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uejW9xIFCMw

A genuinely moving and brilliantly arranged piece of music that can't help but move me every time i hear it. The combination of the story and the artwork in Braid married with this track, oh it gets me every time. Perfect !

Track 11. Under Logic by Yuzo Koshiro - Streets of Rage 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GO14WFh1k-I

On a list like this you must have a track from S.O.R 2, the greatest side scrolling beat'em up ever. FACT! This song in particular i always thought was a sound-alike to Shamen's 'Move any Mountain' honestly, have a listen = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzbUPISS6gw ... see!
A great slice of 16bit heaven.

Track 12. The Necromancer Theme by John Guy , original title Simple Sight - Castle Crashers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_LXeDg3_TM

A great game needs great music, look no further than this mental piece. Hyperactive as fuck and unrelentless to boot! I dont think it matches with the boss of the level too well, but it's still a superb piece of tunage. It's that penetrating double drum kick pattern that cements this as one of the best. The soaring synth middlepart deserves an honorable mention also.

Track 13. Mute City by Taro Bando and Hajime Wakai - F-Zero X
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZpQ4i9c82A

There are several versions of this track, earlier mute city songs on the older F-Zero games were good but i think this one is the best. Heavier sounding with a better arrangement this adrenaline fueled powerhouse really makes me feel like I'm going at 300mph when I'm bombing through Mute City.

Track 14. Bubble Bobble theme by Tim Follin - Bubble Bobble
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFcSBLP_4n4

A pure classic in every sense, released in 1986 and available then (and now) on 26 systems! Its the tune you hear when you'd walk into an arcade and scramble to get that 20p from your pocket. It's dream like feel and light touch never really intrudes into the game, and its a simple enough tune that you'll be humming it for hours after your last bubble has been popped!

Track 15. Loops of Fury by The Chemical Brothers - Wipeout XL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltm0RvVH49o

Boom, and a banging track to go out on. This somes up everything about Wipeout for me, the moment the extra beats kick in on the 0:42 second mark i can feel the speed of these machines rip through the course. Playing this gives me a similar feel to when i play F-Zero and the song i chose for that. They blend so well, the pace of the track and mood of the race. Great stuff!! Oh, and it's the Chemical Brothers so, yeah its gotta be on the list somewhere !

So there you have it the 15 track Album complete with links for your listening pleasure, no doubt i'll do a Vol.2 at some point so keep commenting and posting on mine and Gainboy's Facebook and our forum on P-Town.
Hope you do enjoy the tunes and i apologise if your 'fav' isn't on the list. It was difficult narrowing down from a list of 30 odd songs.

Until next time boys and gals

Dr Lucian Sanchez

5 Alive

2011-02-26T10:02:00.000-08:00

Recently, we've managed to set up a GainBoy Forum. Cool, right! On there, basically we discuss everything game related, as you'd expect, and have a jolly time. Local fighting game tournaments, tech help from experts and general nonsense chatter all go on in there, and it's growing. We're loving it, and it's where I got the idea for my latest post you're hopefully about to read.

The bodacious Hopkin Green Frog started THIS THREAD, in which numerous folk have been talking about their favourite games of all time. Naturally, this kind of thread is awesome, and so it's flourishing. I posted a list, and was told that I should of written some kind of story. Always up for a self-indulgent ramble, I thought I'd post mine...

Super Mario Bros 3 (NES)

This, right here, is the greatest game of all time. I don't think some people will agree, but most admit that it's up there in the list for everyone, and for gaming. It is completely perfect, in every sense. It invented the idea of the overworld system in gaming, perfecting the jumping mechanic Mario set up, and all kinds of shit we see in pretty much every game you've ever played.

Plus, it's just fucking brilliant. It's so vibrant, and genuinely thrilling. I remember that beautiful yellow box glistening in the Toys R Us plastic cases in Warrington, the first time I saw it. I remember playing it with my dad, and I remember him leaving it on overnight, because he worked nights and you could only save the world, and not completing specific levels. I remember seeing the little red light of the NES glistening as I was about to set off for school, and the entire school day I spent thinking about it.

Mario 3 is perfect, and it is the greatest game ever made.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 (PS1/Dreamcast)

I never owned a PS1. But when this game came out, my cousin did, and I was in love. This is another game which is near perfect, expanding and crafting an experience set out by a predecessor into something that is magnificent. Everything about the game works. The physics are spot on. The level design is so good, that the replay factor of the levels is almost infinite. In a game where the 'line' the skater takes is vitally important, every single point and piece of terrain has been designed with inch-perfect precision. The game flows like no game before or since.

The amount of time I've spent on this is scandalous. I remember being round my cousin's house, playing Ventura skatepark and losing entire afternoon's on one level. Also, the soundtrack is the greatest gaming soundtrack of all time. Hip-Hop and Punk, done to a turn.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (PS2/Xbox)

When I was at a school friends house at the tender age of 14 or 15, I first saw Grand Theft Auto 3. I'd played the first one, but it was nothing of note, apart from running over monks, which at about 11 was HILARIOUS. But when 3 came out, I couldn't mentally grasp what was in front of me. Where do I go? What level is this? How do I get game over? All these questions had instantly become irrelevant, leaving me with one: What do you want to do next?

But yet again, it's the process of the sequel taking what the designers have learnt, and going that extra mile. I think it's the process of developing the idea, mechanics and general basics to get the game off the ground that eats up the original game's budget. A sequel allows them to take all this good stuff for granted, and concentrate on making the game good. And the usually have more money to do it.

Vice City was astonishing. I remember getting in a lowrider, and driving into the Haitian district, and thinking this was one of the greatest atmosphere in any game I've encountered. The soundtrack, the neon lighting, and the hazy filters applied. It was a bold move for Rockstar to do something like this, and it paid off dividends. Who remembers that ridiculous 12-cd soundtrack box set? LOVE FIST.

Bioshock (Xbox 360/PS3/PC)

I don't really have to say anything here. This game is a triumph. On every single, Art Deco level. I think this is one the first games I played that I felt was truly for adults. It's not about the guns or violence in a game, but the themes. This game doesn't treat you like a child, and well and truly fucks with you.

All the postmodern commentary about gaming decision and falsity of choice are absolutely superb, and are still kicking off whilst the discussion of the ideas of communism, and dictatorship versus state control. AND ANOTHER LAYER, where the debate rages throughout on the corruptibility of man and how much power is too much. This game is so densely layered, and so full of story and narrative, it breathes. It is alive in every sense.

You don't have to talk about the fantastic set design or gunplay, because everyone knows about it. Such a complex, beautifully constructed game, and one I feel really signifies the places videogames can go.

Fallout 3 (Xbox 360/PS3/PC)

Very similar to Bioshock, in that this is an adult game that I've played in the 'adult' section of my gaming life. As I've grown up, I'm part of a generation that has always had video games. Some of us are a bit more obsessed than others, but adults are now a major buying force for these 'toys', these pieces of entertainment once designed solely for children. And Fallout 3 knows this. And it knows exactly what it can get away with because of this.

Full of twisted, darker-than-dark humour, this game is a masterpiece in Black Comedy. When you pickpocket a person in the Washington Wastelands, the suggestion is placed that you can put things back in their pockets. Live grenades is the example it gives. You can choose an in-game bonus that makes everything twice as bloody, with limbs falling off at 'an increased rate'. You're asked to blow up entire towns, help a talking tree commit euthanasia, and everything inbetween. A game that should take itself seriously, but revels in it's cheek.

I've never played a game I've felt so involved in the world with. Oblivion came close, but I felt IN Fallout. From feeling weary and anxious in the confusing subways, to the feeling of safety and comfort from reaching a settlement, this game feels like nothing I've ever played before.

For some reason I decided to do a top 5. I imagine if I did 10, I would spend the rest of the night arguing with myself over which would go in. Honourable mentions do go to the following though:

Jet Set Radio (Dreamcast)

Mario Kart: Double Dash (Gamecube)

Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64)

Gitaroo Man (PS2)

Pro Evolution Soccer (PS2)

Tetris (Gameboy)

Assassin's Creed 2 (Xbox 360)

And loads more, but these are those 'special' games that would definitely be fighting for a top 10 spot.

If you wanna join in the debate, and what you think the greatest games ever are, then come and join the forum, and get talking!

Fighting Games!! - Round 2

2011-02-15T15:49:00.000-08:00

Firstly, a quick apology on taking so long to follow up my previous article.

(If you haven't done so already, it would be better off reading that first)

In the last article I touched on how I was of the belief that 'Fighting Games' as a genre just didn't have what it takes in terms of depth and staying power, in comparison to other games I owned. I also know for a fact some people reading this will probably have nodded there head along with that statement in agreement, because it really takes something special to motivate you into playing Fighting Games for you to uncover the beauty within them.

Now. Even though I had yet to uncover the depth and endless replay value a good fighting game can provide...I was still arbitrarily buying them, in fact let me go over some of the ones off the top of my head I've bought over the years;
Street Fighter Alpha (series) [PS1], Tekken 1, 2, and 3 [PS1], Soul Blade [PS1], Street Fighter ex plus a [PS1], Clayfighter 63 1/3 [N64], Super Smash Bros [N64], Fighters Destiny [N64], Tekken 4 [PS2], Super Street Fighter II Turbo [GBA], Mortal Kombat Shaolin Monks [PS2], Mortal Kombat Armageddon [Wii], Primal Rage [SNES], Bloody Roar [PS1], Virtua Fighter 3tb [Dreamcast], Hyper Street Fighter II [PS2], Smash Bros Melee [GameCube], Soul Calibur 2 [GameCube], Capcom vs SNK 2eo [GameCube] Dead or Alive 3 [XBOX], Smash Bros Brawl [Wii], (plus re-purchasing of some classic Snes fighting games on the virtual console), SSFIIT HD Remix [XBLA] Garou: Mark of the Wolves [XBLA], not to mention Street Fighter III as well as plenty of other great Capcom, and SNK fighting games on the Dreamcast...

When I heard of Street Fighter IV coming out, I was definitely excited to see what it would be like. For the most part Street Fighter IV was expected to mainly just be a visual improvement over the previous Street Fighter games, although personally I was excited to see an actual new entry in the Street Fighter series after a number of years of not having anything original released. Now, again...at this time I hadn't really uncovered any of the true depth within fighting games, it just happened to be a big franchise that hadn't been fresh in a long time, and the nostalgia of the series led me to pre-order the limited edition, which I received a day earlier than it’s release date (internet shopping ftw).

When I finally popped it in, I was immediately loving it on a visual level. Straight away I dove into arcade mode with “Ken”, scraped through on “easy” by mashing out the special moves I knew from previous Street Fighter games, and was loving that it had a familiarfeel to it of the great Street Fighter games of the past in terms of controls.

I played about with other characters and used the internet to get move lists handy, so that I would at least know how to do each characters special attacks. Played some VS mode when I had friends round, partly to show them that the new Street Fighter game was cool, and partly to show off anything I had learnt from my time playing it.

Now...here’s where my eyes on fighting games slowly started to become much more open. I occasionally dabbled in the online mode on Street Fighter IV, most of the time getting my ass handed to me by people that would just overwhelm me... similar to how the computer would do on one of the harder difficulties. For a while I just sat with the thought “they’re well good” and just leave it at that.

Eventually though (through more playing), I started to grow more aware. It started with some really close matches online against people on a similar skill level to me. I’d have some narrow defeats where I would actually ask myself...”what do I need to do to beat [insert character name]/ [insert specific move I was always getting hit by]?”, and through playing more and more, I would learn little tactics that seemed to have a high percentage of working for me, as well as getting an idea of what other people would do with different characters, a.k.a. getting match up experience!

I primarily stuck with the character “Ken” for a while, although this was beneficial as through doing so I got fairly good with him. I was no longer simply mashing out move inputs hoping for the move to come out, I knew what I was doing with each button press. I was fully in control of my own actions. Fighting online meant I got to fight a variety of different people using different characters, and not only that but I’d see how different people I played online actually usedcharacters differently. For instance you could get “rush down” type players who will be in your face and be all out offensive, or you could get “turtles”, which are people who sit back, and look for opportunities to punish unsafe moves etc that you have thrown out, there are more types of player than that, but those are just 2 common examples.

Anyway, no longer was I mashing buttons, and hoping for the best.Each match was becoming a mind game. If I won, I felt great for it. If I lost, I would try to recap what I was doing that was getting punished. Clutch matches (when it’s really close) became on par with one of the most intense ‘edge of your seat’ moments I’d ever experienced as a gamer (and on a much more common basis than say...narrowly beating the final boss on Sonic 2 with no rings left).

It was around this point, whilst I was getting more and more interested in getting better at Street Fighter IV that I came across “I Got Next”. It’s basically a documentary on the fighting game community of Street Fighter IV (as well as giving you an insight to the Fighting Game scene as a whole).

I Got Next is free to download via a legal torrent distributed on the official site, a longer and more updated DVD version of the film will be available in late 2011. >>Click here to go to the official site<<

This was a massive eye opener for me on just how intense and how serious fighting games where, and it made me even more hungry to get better and learn more. It was somewhere around this time that I dragged one of my local friends into Street Fighter IV too. I showed him “I Got Next” and it really pushed him into appreciating the depth to Fighting Games, and the drive to become a great player. This was somewhat a blessing to me too, as thanks to this I had someone local I could play on a regular basis, and if I improved, he improved, and vice versa.

I’ve come a long way with fighting games over the past 24 months... To a point where Fighting Games have become like a sport to me. Thanks to a rise in internet streams over the past 2 years, I get access to watching some of the worlds greatest fighting game players going against each other in tournaments with money and respect as the motivation to win. I’ve found myself staying up late into the early hours (due to time zone difference) watching some of these streams as the intensity and hype is equal to that of a major sporting event. Plus at the same time...I can learn things from seeing how high level players use or abuse specific characters.

The infamous Street Fighter III Daigo vs Justin Wong "Parry Video"
From "EVO" 2004

Personally, my main game right now is Super Street Fighter IV. I have sunk more hours into SSFIV in the past year than I have any other game (and I'm an avid gamer, I've put 180 hours+ in Pokémon Heart Gold [released March 2010] and SSFIV easily beats that on time played). I've grown much more fond of a lot of the older fighting games I never really understood growing up either, through playing a game for a few hours as well as reading up on them, you can really see what makes a truly great fighting game (as well as what makes a truly awful one).

I also would really love to go to Las Vegas to attend "EVO" one year too. Evo is basically a big 3 day fighting game tournament held annually, where a lot of the worlds best players all meet to battle it out through a double-eliminator tournament bracket to prove there skills at a game.

Last year Daigo Umehara from Japan took 1st place in Super Street Fighter IV, along with roughly $20,000 in prize money for doing so.

Amazing EVO 2010 montage.

EVO 2010 on Vimeo.

If/ when I go, I’m not expecting to go over there and be a threat to the big name players I admire, I will definitely train hard building up to it when I do go though, and do my very best. Although just being at Evo itself will be an amazing experience, meeting some great people, getting some great photo’s as well as doing some Vegas holiday/ tourism stuff once the tournament is over, naturally.

It’s safe to say that I will never look at fighting games as simple shallow time killers any more. Even the fighting games I suck at, I know that if I invested the time into them, I would see a return for it.

To try and break it down simply. You should try and think of fighting games in a similar way to how the mainstream FPS games are these days... In which although these FPS's have solo modes chucked in, the real meat is generally in the multi-player!

It's awesome that online gaming is so commonplace these days, and that all the new fighting games include online modes in them, meaning you can always find real opponents to play with, as well as the internet speeds and netcode to keep up with fighting games online.
Although local offline multi-player is truly where it's at if you have the chance to experience that (hence the reason I've tried to round up local fighting game players where I live).

Seriously though, with fighting games...if you play people on a similar level to you, if you enjoy the game you're playing, and if you enjoy levelling up your skills at it, then you'll find yourself wrapped up in one of the most rewarding video game experiences you'll ever find.

Vanilla? I prefer mint choc chip.

2011-02-15T14:22:00.000-08:00

So, it's been a while, huh? I haven't posted for some time, maybe it's because I've been busy, maybe it's just me being lazy, I'll leave you to guess.

*ahem*

I haven't even started and I digress. Let's outline what I'm about to talk about, the subject of modification. Before you get all "Microsoft ban you for that shiz", I'm referring to PC games primarily, and the ability to modify, improve upon and add content to games.

So, why did I decide to descend this article on you guys now? Because it interests me, and through my interest, I think perhaps I might inspire some others to try it out, and explore the vast world of content that other fans have created.

Let's start off with a fairly obvious example, Counter-Strike (CS). What started out as a team of a few guys making a mod for the Half-Life engine, with modern weapons and some nifty game modes, turned into a phenomenom, which in turn led to some of those guys getting paid some big bucks from Valve, who bought out the idea and have been working on it, refining it and making it their own ever since. Funny to think such a polished product, with achievements, worldwide leagues and tournaments started out with a couple guys in their spare time huh? Alright, CS is a bit of an exception, but it's a great success story for the modding community.

So what is there these days? Well, sticking with Valve products, there's a whole wealth of mods for the source engine, from cyberpunk team shooter, Dystopia (below), complete with it's tron-esque data hacking sections, to everyone's favourite sandbox playtime game, Garry's Mod, a single-player or co-op "tool" that alows you to go crazy with the source engine's various functions, building combine soldier catapults or ridiculous rube goldberg machines.

Dystopia, a world of cyberpunk badassery in the source engine.

Mods such as these are usually large projects, with separate communities of their own, dedicated websites and teams of people working on them, for a first step into modification, mods like this are a great way to get going, being easy to get hold of and install and with the dedicated community, it's easy to find help if something's going wrong.

So, what if you feel like going deeper? Good question, and one I'm happy to go into more detail about. The humble RPG (most prominently western RPGs) generally has a large community behind it, wether the game is online based or not. Mods come from the community, and by and large, the community continues long after the credits roll because of it. One major example is Bethesda's TES4:Oblivion, by no means a game lacking in content to begin with, but with the passion, dedication and tlc of it's community, it transforms into a world with next to no limits. When Bethesda released the Construction Set in the months after release, the community went mod crazy, and still is today. Anything ranging from custom weapons and armour, to entire gameplay and graphical overhauls, with new lands, quests and dungeons somewhere inbetween. After a few minutes browsing one of the most popular sites dedicated to modding TESNexus, it's apparent that there's something for anyone to improve their Oblivion experience in some way.

My Oblivion, with dual wielded swords, improved
graphical effects, custom armour and a custom character race.

Oblivion's mods are more focused on implementing functionality to the standard (or vanilla) game, which means installing and using these gets a little more complicated than hitting an install button. For the Bethesda games (Elder Scrolls, Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas), the community has mod managers, and these exist for other games too (Dragon Age: Origins being one that instantly springs to mind). The mod manager is a way of organising your mods and keeping the process as user friendly as possible, but not all mods use it, and require direct installation, adding files to the game directory manually. An important note when manually installing mods, is to KEEP BACKUPS of any original files that may be overwritten. Not every mod might be to your taste, and you don't want to spend the rest of the day reinstalling the game to make it work again. So, from this view, we can see that this is a little more in depth, but by no means needs a degree in computer science. Thankfully, the support individual modders provide with their work is again, usually great, taking feedback, updating and patching their work and helping people getting them to work, so if you do run into trouble, there's always someone you can ask.

The last example of modification I want to give is though a little program called TexMod, which is a handy tool for replacing texture files in games, it allows you to boot up the game and browse through currently rendered textures, then save them as editable files. After you've edited them, you can then package them up with TexMod and fire up the game with what you've done. There's a wealth of games it's compatible with, including Mass Effect and popular online RPG Guild Wars.

A quick before & after shot of one of my characters in Guild Wars,
using TexMod to edit the texture file.

Existing mods that use TexMod are limited, sadly, at least with the games I've used it for, so it falls to you to do it yourself, for the most part. This kind of modding is a first step into making your own mods, albeit quite simple, limited to changing textures in game. Nevertheless, it's rewarding seeing the results in game, the efforts of your work, as part of the game you're playing.

So what does it all mean, really? For some, it's a way to extend the life of a beloved game, by creating extra content. For others, it's a way to get experience in working with different forms of game development, which, to a degree, it is. The best part of it all, is that by and large, people choose to share their work with others, for free.

As an afterthought, if all this interests you, one good place to start is the Mod Database, which is something of a library of mods both released and in development, take a look around, there's a lot.

Over to you, then. Maybe I've quirked someone's interest, maybe not. Talking about stuff we're passionate about is the Gainboy way, and this is certainly something that's eating up my time these days. If you've got some recommendations, let us know, I for one would love to check out your recommendations, so long as I don't have to spend any money, of course ;)

Hands On with Marvel vs Capcom 3

2011-02-12T08:21:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday I got to spend a decent amount of time playing a near final version of Marvel vs Capcom 3, thanks to the "Capcom Fight Club" event in Manchester.

So, let me take ya for a literary ride on how the game felt.

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The information provided comes from a guy with a big interest in fighting games, in fact no game comes nearly as close to Super Street Fighter IV on my XBOX 360 in terms of the time I've played games on the console...and considering my 360 gets a lot of use, that's saying something. So hopefully I can give you a better insight into the game than someone who doesn't 'get' the true joy fighting games can bring.

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There is no better place to start this off with how the gameplay feels...

Saying that, there is also no better way to give you an impression of how the gameplay is than for me to compare it to other Fighting Games, specifically ones made by Capcom.

So with that I can straight away point towards 2008's "Tatsunoko vs Capcom" (2010 for the rest of world). It's less than a week until Marvel vs Capcom 3 is released, so if you want to get sort of familiar with MvC3 in advance, then I suggest you play a bit of Tatsunoko vs Capcom for the time being.

The similarities to Tatsunoko vs Capcom is a positive one though, as TvC is definitely an improved gaming experience over Marvel vs Capcom 2. I'm not trying to say Marvel 2 played bad, but Tatsunoko vs Capcom was a more sanded off product overall, Capcom had definitely gained a lot of experience with there vs. series of games by TvC. Where as in hindsight Marvel 2 needed a lot of rough edges shaved (especially in character balancing).

Thankfully we're now living in an age of downloadable patches, so even if exploits or problems occur with MvC3 (as players around the world throw everything at it) we will hopefully be able to see any major errors (such as dreaded infinite combo's) get fixed.

Marvel vs Capcom 3 does more than enough to set itself apart from Tatsunoko vs Capcom though, I'll give a few examples covering the more obvious, and the not so obvious.

First up, the controls.

Tatsunoko vs Capcom ~> 4 button game (Light, Med, Heavy, Assist).

Marvel vs Capcom 3 ~> 6 button game (Light, Med, Heavy, Aerial (Launcher), Assist 1, Assist 2).

Strategically you're still mostly trying to work some light attacks through to medium and to hard in regards to the average characters combo methods, however Marvel 3 is a lot more Aerial focused than previous vs series games. Not only are you encouraged to take your combo's from the ground to the air, but you're encouraged to get your team involved if possible to keep those air combo's alive!

I can't even begin to go into the advanced details of the possibilities MvC3 brings, mainly because the game still isn't out, and there is soo much yet to be fully explored! However just going off the brief streams I've seen already, as well as the information gathered and posted on the likes of Shoryuken.com and other Fighting Game Community hot spots, it seems MvC3 does a lot in terms of allowing for some very creative and unique set ups. So once you find that team of 3 you like, and you start putting in the hours of training and matches to see how your team can flow together, you'll be "wow'd" by all the unique options there are. Heck! I myself and many of the local "serious" Super Street Fighter IV players still manage to find new little things that we didn't know worked to this day during casual sessions, and that's after nearly a year of heavy play on a game that [in comparison to Marvel vs Capcom 3] is quite linear. So I think it makes sense to presume that MvC3 will be making jaws drop and we'll be seeing new things for a long long time.

Below: Some of Wolverine's high damage combos as shown in the "Bradygames Strategy Guide". That should shut up those whom believe Fighting games are determined by button mashing and luck ¬_¬

It's not just the new combo and team interaction possibilities in Marvel vs Capcom 3 that set it apart from TvC though. Marvel vs Capcom 3 is also a faster game than Tatsunoko vs Capcom. I don't think it's quite as fast as MvC2 was, but it's still a very frantic game. The first time I got to play a game was on an arcade cab that was missing a configured "Assist 2 button", I was trying inputs to get some moves out (not really knowing what the characters I'd picked where capable of), and had my 3 character teams' ass handed to me in just over 1 minute by a guy who'd spent the morning cramming valuable time in. Importantly though, you can get an idea of the pace of the game from the video below, as well as get a basic idea of how n00b mistakes can and will go punished by those whom know how.

You can also see in the video above (as well as from the other trailers you've probably seen by now) that MvC3 is also a visually impressive game too. The videos can only do so much justice too...it's even better in person. The cel shaded art style works very well, not just at delivering a game that will still look great in 10 years time (unlike Marvel 2), but the cel shaded art style is pretty much the perfect fit for bringing comic book characters off the printed page and into video games. Another thing I should mention is that no matter how much was going on at screen at a time, the game always ran at a consistently smooth frame rate too (which is more than I can say for SSFIITHD Remix :|).

Some of the stages you fight in have some cool fine details too, in fact some that you'll only catch when you're watching a replay or a friends match. Although some stages were a bit on the bland side, or that didn't press enough nostalgia buttons to make them that memorable, although at the Capcom Fight Club there was no stage select option, and I'm pretty sure it was only a limited number of stages in rotation in the 'near-final' build of the game that was on show, so hopefully in the final game the 'good' will out number the 'meh' in terms of the background scenery.

Another area of improvement in Marvel vs Capcom 3 over previous games is the differences in the character selection. It's usually common to have a few "copy and paste" type characters in a game like this, or to have too many characters that require pretty much the exact same sort of play style. Whilst playing this game last Saturday I experimented with around 24 of the 30 characters we had to choose from, and I can certainly say there are some big contrasts in terms of play styles. Super Street Fighter IV did a nice job of having a nice range of characters that play different (apart from the 6 shoto's).

[Below: 30 character's we had available to us last Saturday. 36 will be in the final game, with more available in time as DLC]

It'd be too ambitious of me to say Marvel vs Capcom 3 does a better job at making all characters feel unique, as some of my play time with certain characters resulted in nothing more than eating big combo's with them, but I think it's safe to say it is at least on par with SSFIV in having enough different character types amongst selection for you to eventually find characters that 'fit' with the way you like to play the game.

To elaborate a bit more on what I mean about the differences, you have characters like "Haggar" and "Hulk" whom are grapplers, they're generally slow in speed, useless from afar, but if they manage to get close and in your face, they'll deal heavy amounts of damage, then you have characters like "Ryu" and "Deadpool" whom are somewhere in the middle in terms of speed, but seem to be like the all-around types in terms of having options to deal with a variety of opponents. Characters such as "X23" and "Jill Valentine" are unbelievably fast, and at the other end of the speed scale there is "Arthur" and "Modok" whom are slow, but rely heavily on fighting people from afar (playing keep away). As well as numerous high execution characters in the middle of the foray for those who go to bed at night dreaming of combo chains.

Hopefully those whom are familiar with previous "vs. Capcom" players overall can sort of get the impression from my comparisons and observations above of what to expect when they finally play the game.

For those that are reading this out of curiousity, or those whom have never really given fighting games a proper chance and want to board the MvC3 hype train, then you'll be happy to know Capcom included a "simple mode" in this game. It's basically an option to overly simplify the inputs required to do some of your characters special moves. I didn't try out this mode myself, but the mode does seem to do a nice job of making the unskilled players put together some basic flashy moves (as opposed to just random punching air and trying to break the controller). Simple mode doesn't give you the range of moves or the creativity you'd have if you put the time into learning the game properly, nor will Simple mode make it so that you can hang with those whom have banked 50 hours+ into the game. It will allow 2 people with no fighting game experience playing the game to have fun easily pulling off some of there characters trademark moves though, which makes for a more entertaining experience for that type of player.

Overall...

Marvel vs Capcom 3 is a fresh experience and a lot of fun to play (unless you're one of those "all fighting games look alike" prejudiced types). It also makes fantastic use of the 2 licenses with many subtle references, alternate costumes, background cameo's, story crossovers, and more...

It will no doubt prove to be the next big multi-player sensation in the fighting game community, with tournaments already popping up all around the world. Not forgetting that the online multi-player is meant to be one of the best Capcom have produced yet, as well as hinting at being more rewarding than the already fun SSFIVs online experience.

All that's left to say now is...Roll on February 18th!

[p.s. If you happen to be reading this from Preston, or even just the North West of England, take a look at "Street Fighter Preston". It's a group set up to try and round up Fighting Game players from the region. Allowing for some great local players to level up there skills by playing each other online and offline].

Great TV returns....we are saved at last.

2011-02-08T09:43:00.000-08:00

Evening campers, the good Dr is back. After seeing the excellent post about the sublime 'Mad Men' by my good fellow Brapscallion, the creative juices are now flowing. I'm absolutely smitten by the current run of TV shows airing stateside, and i want to give you wonderful people an insight into what's happening at the moment and the episodes to look out for in these excellent programmes.

After an almost torturous season break the big hitters are all back and each one is knocking it out of the ballpark. All the shows are currently hitting their highest ratings so far this season and if we take a look at some of winners of this year's Golden Globes you can start to see the pedigree of comic talent that's on display here.

1. The Office

135 episodes in, 25 Golden Globe wins & 89 nominations later this show has REALLY come into it's own. 5 years have passed since its premiere, 5 years since the inevitable 'it's not as good as the Gervais version.' The 'American' Office has evolved into an altogether different beast. This may be Steve Carell's last season but i can guarantee he's gonna go out with a bang. Will Michael finally end up with Holly and who will fill his shoes as the new manager of Dunder-Mifflin-Sabre (Scranton.)
This past week old school-hardcore office fans were rewarded with a meeting of the Jedi masters of awkward conversation, the long awaited 'David Brent meets Michael Scott' scene. This 3 minute blink and you'll miss it cameo was short and sweet, but it was a nice hand off and Gervais looked completely in place in the American version. Speaking of cameo's my wife would kill me if didn't mention Deadwood's own Timothy Olyphant, suited and booted playing rival salesman Danny Cordray in a rib-tickling two episode arc.
I will be genuinely gutted and may shed a tear or two when Carrell leaves before the end of the season, but we do have 1 major factor in the Office to hold on to. A 5 episode arc which features non other than Mr Will Ferrell. Boy Howdy...all good things come to those who wait.

2. 30 Rock

Tiny fey's comedy monster keeps on rolling, with 45 Golden Globe wins & 111 nominations under its belt since first airing in 2006 it's NOT for stopping. Having had several celebrity cameos in its past seasons the one that leaves the mark is Matt Damon, playing Liz Lemon's male equivalent and love interest Carol. Now Carol the pilot hasn't been in it too much so far but there's still time for a reunion of epic nerdiness and social awkwardness. This season has also seen the introduction of Liz and Jack's new parent company 'Kabletown' along with its VERY friendly boss Hank Cooper. The last episode in particular saw Jack really struggle with his bosses new 'hands-on' approach as a desperate Jack steals Kenneth's creative ideas and passes them off as his own. The highlight of the show so far sees Jack trying to put together a benefit for a disaster that hasn't happened yet codenamed 'Operation Righteous Cowboy Lightning'
Perfect !

3. Parks and Recreation

This is new to alot of people in this wee country of ours as its not yet aired on Comedy Central over here. It's a real shame too, as the premiere of the 3rd season has landed and its a CORKER. The series follows the ambitions of perennially upbeat mid-level bureaucrat Leslie Knope, on her quest to better the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana. As deputy director of the city's Parks and Recreation Department, her sense of enthusiasm is rarely shared by her unmotivated colleagues. By the creators of the US Office, its fly on the wall docu-style is a tried and tested formula but works well in this little town mockumentary. Season highlights so far have included the Ron Swanson Pyramid of greatness, Rob Lowe's government admin Chris Traeger's fight with his perfect body and its bout of first illness in 40 years and of course the playboy life with Tom Haverford played by Aziz Ansari. The show is really picking up speed now and has found it's feet after the launch of its 3rd season since 2009, the P + R's crew are currently hitting their highest ratings for the show so far and have won 5 Emmys to date. I heartily recommended the purchase of this superb creation. Seasons 1 and 2 are available now.

4. Community

Also one of current favourites (and another one ignored by the U.K) the show is based around a smarmy lawyer whose education is deemed void by the bar, and is forced to attend a local community college with an extremely eclectic staff and student body. The series heavily uses pop culture references often parodying film and television cliches and tropes. The best of this season's community comes when its 'specials' air, the Christmas, Halloween and most recently the Dungeons and Dragons episode. These HAVE to be seen to be believed, 'Abed's uncontrollable Christmas' is a stop motion animated episode top to bottom, while 'Epidemiology' sees the college run amok as a Zombie virus spreads thick and fast. The previous season saw an episode called 'Modern Warfare' air and received the shows highest ratings ever; its one to watch as, well how can i explain it, Call of Duty meets 28 days later meets unconventional uses of paint balling. Its a classic. The latest show 'Advanced Dungeons and Dragon's' stands comfortably alongside these other brilliant programmes, its a must see.
Oh it also has Chevy Chase in it as the study groups resident old man Pierce Hawthorne a bigoted moist-towelette tycoon who has been married seven times. Like the other shows in this list this is classically warm in that American way. These are great TV shows, very funny to watch but all share a common theme, a fantastic core of friendly family/group type characters that gel and stick with you. A must for the best programmes.

Other shows that warrant a mention since the season break are - Modern Family and How I Met Your Mother. These haven't aired much so far this year and have had several breaks in their run. This year we'll no doubt see the second Seasons of the mighty 'Boardwalk Empire' and 'The Walking Dead' air in Q4. But that's another post for another day.
I really hope you guys get the time to invest in these shows; I'll be honest I'm quite picky and fickle when it comes to TV, but these have nailed it since day 1.

Look after yourselves, and each other (wink)
Dr Lucian Sanchez

This is Madness...

2011-02-06T11:47:00.000-08:00

I'm always late to the party when it comes to Television. I'm not a tastemaker, or even an early adopter. I wait until enough people I know shout about it enough times, and I grab the entire series and either feel disappointed, or obsess over it. I don't watch many TV series either, so for something to grab my attention enough, it has to be pretty special.

Mad Men is probably one of the best things I've ever seen.

You've heard at least one person recommend it and try and explain it to you, so I'm not going to try. If you haven't already, I urge you to pick it up. It's just incredible. I'm up to about episode 8 of the first series, and I'm really savouring every minute.

Of course the 60's setting is fantastic, and the outfits and midday drinking all add to it, but what's stood out for me is the writing. Not since Deadwood have I been so excited about a show's themes and characters, and the way those characters develop.

I was talking to HopkinGreenFrog (Fellow GainBoy Dude) at a party last night, and we were discussing it. He said to me that "Mad Men is great, because when you think about it, it's a really good Soap Opera. It's not a drama, it's about the characters, and the way they develop, rather than the situation." And I couldn't agree more. It could be any office, the set up isn't particularly special. It's the characters that make it what it is: Unmissable.

I don't want to spoil, or to talk about every character and plot line, because that would quite frankly take all night, and I have a Superbowl to watch. But let's look at Pete Campbell, the young newly married Junior Executive. One of my favourite characters. So far, Pete has shown the writer's true strength.

This guy is deeply troubled. Just married, he's trying to do right by his wife, whilst trying to comply with a world which wants him to do just the opposite. Shades of Norman Bates creep in when he monologues about hunting animals, hinting at a deeper level of unrest, bubbling under an expensive suit. Pete then shifts gears into straight-up devious, playing the women in his life against themselves, to his own gain. All the while, he's constantly being put in his place by older males, as he desperately covets their Alpha Male status.

And you can see all this happening. You can see him happy. You can see that he genuinely feels a need for being a good husband and bucking the trends of his peers. But then, just as he almost reaches this state of awareness, he's cast back down, by the very people he's trying to do right by. In most TV shows I watch, characters don't have anything approaching this level of complexity. In those that do, none of them carry it off with such aplomb. All these subtle nuances are so well written, that they're plain as day. The writers don't have to smack you around the head with clumsy dialogue. The direction and the few words spoken speak volumes.

The themes and issues the Pete character explores shows us a new generation of male, and the slight shift in attitudes towards sexism that's occurring. In Donald Draper's world, he can sleep with whoever he wants, and they'll wait for him. Even if he gets his come-uppence, and I'm sure he will, he still runs his own show. And revels in it. Pete doesn't get this. Pete's playing field is a little more even. His wife tells him what to do. He gets put in his place regularly. This sort-of push-and-pull struggle Pete endures makes him such an unsettling and fascinating character to watch. Absolutely mesmerising. Like a firework you lit that didn't go off, you are both scared and excited by the uncertainty and ferocity lurking within.

Believe me, I could of written a massive diatribe for pretty much every character in the show. I continue to be blown away by it, and engrossed by one of the finest Television Shows I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing. Go watch it.

Bulletstorm Demo: First Impressions

2011-01-25T09:33:00.000-08:00

So today, the Bulletstorm demo came out. I was reminded of this by my girlfriend. She is indeed a fine example of a woman. I've just downloaded it and gave it the once over, and I want to share my thoughts.

It's excellent. It's basically Gears of War, with a camera shift and a sense of humour. I welcome both of these features, as I prefer first-person view, and I always thought Gears was a little cumbersome and poe-faced when it came to the absurdity it was showing you on screen.

Just like Gears, I think it's also going to take a bit of getting used to. I found the leash interesting and instantly understandable. Other mechanics and layouts initially tripped me up though. Things like the run and the kick being assigned to face buttons instead of stick clicks are trivial however, and just require a bit of practise.

The main gripe I had is the lack of options I found when dispatching enemies. This is of course a demo, and so I'm fully aware it could be nothing like the finished game, and I really hope not. Maybe it was my lack of imagination, but I found the number of ways I was dispatching enemies to be a little restricted. Again, I'm going to put it down to needing practise and looking at the way I play FPS, but I hope Epic put in enough variation to constantly make me go 'WOAH!'

It's hard to explain, but this makes me feel like Little Big Planet makes me feel. It's not that it makes me feel stupid, just slightly less creative than I'd like to think I am. We all think we're creative, and capable of great works of art, even if you're chosen canvas is a wall covered in rusted spikes, and you're brush a Carbine Assault Rife. It's not that I feel stupid when I play, just a little bewildered when faced with possibilities. Towards the end of my playthrough this was subsiding though, and I was slowly learning just what to look for, and just what to do.

So yeah, it really did feel like I was playing something a little different. If the game maintains it's brilliant post-modern tone, and provides enough variety and weapon selections, I can see this game being something quite special.

With this and Duke Nukem on the cards in the next few months, could this be the year the shooter goes post-modern, and at the same time, gets even better?

Un-Marvel-Ous vs CrapCom

2011-01-17T12:02:00.000-08:00

I couldn't resist the title.

So today, after getting a final answer from Capcom, it seems that Europe will NOT be getting the Marvel vs Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds Special Edition. In it's infinite wisdom, Capcom has decided to release this edition in the US only. It looks something like this:

When I asked Capcom if we were getting it or not, we got this response:

Now personally, I feel this is a very shitty deal. It seems a no-brainer and obvious money-spinner that Capcom could of produced this, and given the ardent fanboys following this, it would of been an easy product to sell. In fact, surely this is one of the big games in which a Special Edition would flourish?!?! Fighting Games Fanatics are a special and committed breed, the kind of dudes who don't think twice about dropping £100 on an arcade stick controller. It seems logical that this crowd would go crazy for the luxury package.

I'd also like to point out that due to some awesome digging work by our very own Kermit1986, it seems like the 2 major tangible things in the edition will still be available to UK consumers. The steelbook and the comic will still be available, but you'll have to order 2 copies of the game, as they're pre-order rewards from different companies.

Kermit also found out the fate of the DLC Characters offered with the special edition, Shuma Gorath and Jill Valentine. We'll still be able to download them, but 30 days after the launch of the game, and we'll have to pay extra for them. This sucks. Big time. I'm all for extra, non-essential DLC, but not 30 days after launch fellas. That's bogus.

It feels like this whole build-up is a bit of a flop already. Of course I'll be buying it, of course I'll enjoy it, but it seems I can't even GIVE Capcom my money these days. This game has been 10 years in the making, and I've been waiting for a good portion of those years. And now, in the final hurdle, the ultimate MvC3 experience is still just out of my reach, dangled in front of me by Shuma Gorath's unobtainable tentacle.

Audio-Philes

2011-01-02T09:39:00.000-08:00

Well now, it's 2011! What a wonderful treat!

Instead of top ten bullshit lists, or ill-informed predictions for the coming year, I thought I'd do something a little different. I'm suffering from extreme post-Christmas lethargy, and watching Alan Partridge, so excuse the shortness of the post, but I didn't feel this needed to be huge in length. That's what she said.

At the moment I'm taking a break from listening to Ricky Gervais' podcasts, and I'm dipping my toe back into the gaming podcast world. New contemporary podcasts are all well and good, but I have a few recommendations of classic podcasts which are both fly and dope.

Don't be scared by the apparent nerdiness of the idea of gaming podcasts. Yes, they are a bit on the geeky side, but the ones I'm about to recommend have something else about them. That little bit extra. They all revolve around similar characters, and some recurr, but here's 3 that I would recommend to anyone who likes games.

GFW Radio

Calm down, you don't have to like PC games. The archive go ALL the way back to 2006, and for 3 years this podcast grew into something spectacular. Tales of griefing, people marrying Sonic and everything inbetween, this American magazine's podcast was absolutely superb. Funny, off-the-cuff jokes are met with clever gaming insight and a genuine love for gaming. Don't worry, I haven't heard about half the games either, but that's kinda not the point.

1Up Yours

If there was ever a battle between Xbox and Playstation, this Podcast was the battleground. From the mediocre 1Up website came this fantastic Podcast, where 4 Games Journalists would duke it out every week, discussing the news, and projecting the future. Noticeable stars of the Podcast were Shane Bettenhausen and Luke Smith, both staunch defenders of Sony (Bettenhausen), and Microsoft (Smith, who now works for Bungie). Funny, fuelled by Scotch and always heated, listen to the archived stuff from around 2006/7, just before the current gen consoles came out for the best stuff.

A Life Well Wasted

Probably the best Podcast I'm going to recommend, and a real work of genius. Robert Ashley, contributor to GFW Radio, has made this very sporadic radio show which looks at the more obscure side of gaming. Absolutely spectacular in every single sense, this honestly feels like nothing you've ever heard before.

Ashley's band I Come To Shanghai provide the soundtrack, and a colourful selection of interview subjects make for a show that is absolutely spellbinding. From the man who infiltrated communist Russia to buy the rights to Tetris, to the Stanford University professor who's been tasked with preserving online MMO's for future generations.

If you're going to heed one of my badly-written pleas, heed this. You NEED to hear this show. It's probably the most inspiring creative thing being produced about games at the moment, and an absolute pleasure to listen to. Indeed, the only downside is it's sporadic release schedule. This somehow makes it a little more mystical, and although frustrating is ultimately well worth the wait.

If you're looking for another use for your iPod, try one of these for your walk to work.

Fighting Games!!

2010-12-22T01:40:00.000-08:00

The greatest genre you’re not playing

Episode I - Button Bashing Roots.

When I was growing up my first exposure to fighting games was Street Fighter II’ Turbo - Hyper Fighting on Super Nintendo. I didn’t actually own the game myself, but I played a lot of it at a friends house. This was back when I was about 7 or 8.

Having served my years with the NES I had seen my share of games where the objective was to kick ass...but Street Fighter II was different. It was 1 vs 1, I could either walk towards or away, crouch or jump, and every button initiated a punch or kick of varying strength. This was my first true taste of a “Fighting Game”.

Basically you had 2 ways to play... either against a friend, or we could choose a character and then try and complete the arcade mode with them. Although both ways of playing were essentially a mess, not because of Capcom (who made this great game) ...but because in “Arcade mode”, we would get our ‘n00b’ asses handed to us by the computer, and in “VS mode” neither of us had any real grasp of our characters, and thus the natural human instinct of “button mashing” kicked in. Although because of that, any wins (via button bashing) never really felt like wins.

Still, regardless of the frustrations and the complex difficulty the game threw at me...my fondness for the Street Fighter series was born with my very first hands-on with it.

I credit that to a mix of the following; the characters stood out, it was my first taste of a true fighting game, and although I sucked at it...it was rewarding when I managed to learn something, whether it was remembering 1 of a characters ‘specials’ or simply a tactic that would work against the computer (M. Bison’s Slide for instance, [cr.hk]).

There was also a sense of unique-ness to every fight too. Sure I’d taken Little Mac to as far as I could memorise attack patterns for in “Punch-Out” [NES], but that was more about timing than fighting...
I’d also fought my way through random henchmen a plenty in “Turtles” on the NES, Final Fight on SNES, or Streets of Rage/ Cyborg Justice/ Golden Axe, etc on the Megadrive, but your movesets in these games were always quite limited...

However with Street Fighter... as well as Mortal Kombat, Clayfighter, Killer Instinct, Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story, and other crazy fighting games I played as a kid. It felt more like what a fight should feel like...even with the addition of fireballs and many other crazy shenanigans.

Fast Forwarding to my teenage years... I still had respect and nostalgic love for Street Fighter II, backed up by the fact I usually had a copy of SFII on each and every system I had (except my N64...because the once rumoured Street Fighter 64 never got made).

Still though. Even during my teenage years, and closing in on hitting twenty, I had never really “up’d my game” in terms of making any real improvements at the fighting games I would occasionally pull out from time to time. At the most I would go as far as to perhaps look up a characters move list on the internet or someplace, and try to mash those moves out as much as I could in hopes it would get me the win...and sure it would work against much less experienced friends, and perhaps get me through the first 3-4 matches of the 1 player Arcade mode, but this never was enough to motivate me into putting that many hours into whichever games in question.

It was a trend between many of my friends too. Everyone I knew had at some point or another owned a fighting game, but in comparison to the rest of the games they owned, they barely got that much play time. Nor did I know anyone who was actually truly impressive at any of these fighting games.

I didn’t really give it any extra thought though. I just presumed fighting games were just destined to not really last you that long, that they pretty much where the kind of games you would whip out every other month...perhaps to see if you would randomly be any better at the game now... or maybe you had some friends round and wanted to mix up your multi-player gaming sessions with something violent and different to whatever else you’d be playing...

...and that was that. I remained oblivious to the true depth, the true reward, that lay within fighting games. That was until...February 2009, but I'll fill you in on the rest in Episode II.

Retro Monday: N.E.S (original and best)

2010-12-12T07:17:00.000-08:00

In light of the recent 25Th Anniversary of the brothers Mario and the release of Super Mario Bros All stars on Wii (which Brapscallion took a look at in last weeks Retro Monday) i decided to talk today about perhaps my favourite console of all time. The original and best, the 8-bit monster - The Nintendo Entertainment System. A CLASSIC !

Originally released in Europe and Australia in 1987, I received mine quite late on in 1990 for my tenth Christmas. The main reason I'm writing this is the warmth I feel every time I think of playing the old dear titles. Amazing games like Mario bros 3, Zelda and Duck Tales. My fondest gaming memories all took place whilst burning away the wee hours hooked up to this genius piece of kit.

I can honestly say the single reason why I'm such a game freak now; is because of this machine, as I'd got it late on the wealth of cartridges that were available to buy was HUGE. Well to a ten year old, I'd say so.

As one of the best presents I had received came all sealed up bundled with Mario bros, Double Dragon, Duck hunt and the Zapper i was literally beside myself. I'd been buying (well, my mum had, as i said i was 10) as many game magazines around winter as i could in anticipation in what Father Christmas could be bringing, it was too much, I had to know everything about the Console, titles released, new games coming out, graphics, everything. I attribute that OCD behavior and quest for game knowledge in every console and every title I've played or heard about since. It's made me how I'am today, always seeking info, the next nugget of news, scanning sites such as IGN and Kotaku everyday. Listening to hours of podcasts from the Gamespot team or the U.S Hotspot. Other people will be just like me on this front, they'll all have similar stories and fond memories about their first love.

BINGO, their it is, my first love, that's why i chose the N.E.S to write about today, it kickstarted my official geekdom. It was the first machine, my first machine.
xx Nintendo xx

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c98Rh4xljaQ
Check out this American advert for the full NES Rob the Robot pak. Cheesy but timeless...

Boxart for the OG zelda, still good....

So what kept me glued to this machine, every night after school and every weekend for YEARS. I'll tell you; no, I'll list them for you... this is a blog site after all and i do love lists.

My top 8 NES titles:

NO.8 - Double Dragon 2

I spent MANY a play-through's with a buddy on this wee beastie. I can still remember arguing with my friend about who would be Jimmy Lee and who would be Billy Lee. As their moves where identical and they looked just the same (was a NES remember) i guess it came down to playing the guy with the blue shirt or the guy with the red shirt.

NO.7 - Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers

Oh gooood times spent on this mad-cap platform game, as a BIG TIME fan of the show i loved the fact i could play as all the characters. I'm humming the theme in my head as i write this. An underrated classic.

NO.6 - Mega Man 2

Officially one of the HARDEST games ever made. I never finished it. I did spend godless hours trying to hone my platforming skills on it though. As tough-as-they-come monster that became a NES poster child for smashed up pads everywhere. Curse you Dr.Wily. Loved it !!

NO.5 - Ducktales

Another TV game adap, this one featured Scrooge McDuck and the pint size trio Huey, Duey and Looie. A classic platformer where i'd spend half the game time on foot and the other half bouncing on Scrooge's cane. It was a masterclass in capturing a brilliantly designed world with it's TV counterpart. Everybody - "Ducktales, woohoo"

NO.4 -Kickle Cubicle

Sublime level based 1 screen puzzler, mixing action and ice. I spent so long trying to finish this one, eventually i broke through to the final level. My tale doesn't have a good ending because in the midst of doing so, i leapt of my chair knocking my NES and freezing my game in the process. It didn't register my save and I'd lost everything... i should have written down that damn level code.

NO.3 - Legend of Zelda

What's to be said about this game that hasn't before...
A timeless piece of work that introduced us to the kingdom of hyrule. Will always be in my top 5.

NO.2 - The Adventure of link

What! Top down action, and now this. Side scrolling too. Amazing stuff, for the first time i felt at home with my new genre of choice. Action RPG. Splitting the games view' into 2 modes was genius and a great use for a hub world, infact that leads me nicely to my number one spot...

NO.1 - Super Mario Bros 3

The king of platformers, one of the greats and my personal favourite game of ALL TIME.
Never to be toppled in my eyes. It left an echo so loud that every other Mario game since has borrowed from it, the overview map, the choice to store power-ups, the suits.
Untouchable!

(to read more about this giant, check out one of my early Retro Mondays for a full gush)

Punch out!

Castlevania

Metroid

So, the NES, in a nutshell the machine that made me, me. Right I'm off now Albion needs cleaning up some more before i can move onto pastures new, Rome for example (wink.)
For more Retro fun with us at Gainboy remember to check out our footage at Blackpool's Retro Expo '10. Loving the sites and smells of the old-school.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpZynfcSTZo

Peace and Love
Dr Lucian Sanchez (aka Marc)

The Wii-Nut

2010-12-08T11:12:00.000-08:00

4 years late. If you were 4 years late for something, you might as well not turn up at all. Imagine turning up for someone's 18th 4 years late. They'd be 22. Yet that's what I've done. Spurred on by a combination of my girlfriend gently nagging and the beautiful limited edition Mario Red console, I decided that I would reward myself. The first Paycheck from my new job, I rushed down to my local Gamestation after work, and picked it up. I had just bought a console that Grandmas and JLS are currently promoting.

Look at these Douchebags.

And I really like it. I reckon you've heard enough from absolutely EVERYONE on the subject, but it's a really enjoyable experience. I'm completely sold on the idea, and have been frankly blown away by the level of innovation the console sometimes comes up with.

I'm sure it'll gradually get less appealing over time, and it'll gather dust until the next Nintendo-developed title is released, but I'm ready for that, and fine with it. For the moment, however, I'm fully enjoying it. I was having a couple of beers and playing it with my girlfriend at the weekend when I figured it out. I had a moment of clarity, a breakthrough!

The Wii is a snack. a Peanut. No, a Wii-Nut!

If gaming is food, then the Wii is the snack element of it. It's a light bite, a bit of what you fancy in a small portion, that perfectly fills a hole with frivolity and brazen-ness. It's not classy, and it's not particularly well thought-out a lot of the time, but it's just what you need.

And I don't mean this in any derogatory way whatsoever. Of course I don't, I just told you how I'm absolutely loving it.

But imagine the Xbox or PS3 is like a meal. Depending on the game, it could be a steak dinner or a plate of crap. But it's aim is to fill you up, give you a full experience and be 'everything you need'. Most of the time, this is what I want. The DS and especially the PSP is a lunchbox. It's trying to fit the meal into a smaller form, but trying to give you it all still.

Mii. Bowling.

But the Wii, the Wii is a pub snack, and it's absolutely brilliant for it. When I'm having a few beers with my mates, or my missus, I don't want a meal. I want a bowl of peanuts there, for grazing and to allow the fun to flow, without anyone being bogged down. Same with my gaming. Wii-Nuts. Get it! Yeah I know, it's terrible, but it makes some kind of sense. The snack can be shitty, but it can also be brilliant. It could be a stick of celery, or it could be organic handmade honey-roast cashew nuts. See, you're now hungry from just reading that.

It's so good for it, too. I'll fire up Boom Blox and play it for 30 mins, get another beer, and then plug into Wii Sports resort and play a bit of Table Tennis, before deciding it's time for New Super Mario Bros Co-Op. All 2 player, all the time. It's an experience that demands human interaction, and demands company. It's a console that strips back to it's roots in the days of playing with others for the fun of it. No achievements, no online lag, no collectible gun camo. Just straight-up playability. Miyamoto made a bold move by dismissing all these things and more, but I finally get it. He's made the NES again. He's made games about family, and about friends, and about beers. He stripped it down, and to great effect.

And what a fantastic addition to my gaming, and to gaming in general. As time has indeed proved for the Wii, the market can accommodate both casual and hardcore audiences, and thrive. And those of us who sit in the middle? Well, we're getting spoilt.

Retro Monday: Super Mario All-Stars (SNES/Wii)

2010-12-05T11:34:00.000-08:00

Within the last month, I've decided to finally succumb to my girlfriend's wishes and my inner Nintendo fanboy and purchased a Wii. I'm building up to some mega blog post filled with insightful metaphors and loads of fancy talking about it, but it's going to take me a while to summon up that kind of brainpower. In the meantime, let's talk about about Mario All-Stars. See, we CAN be topical! A Retro Monday that is both retro AND contemporary, the little Italian's plumbers greatest hits collection, or 'Now that's what I call the invention of game mechanics and industry-changing techniques and ideas'. Yeah, Mario always has been kind-of a big deal.

Released on Friday, Mario All-Stars is a compilation based on a Super Nintendo game, in which the 3 Super Mario Bros titles are put in one neat little package along with 'The Lost Levels' (Super Mario Bros 2 in Japan). All re-touched and re-done for the 16-bit era, the games were a great introduction to people who may have not played Mario before, and a great refresher course in those that did. All in a single package, I liked the game.

My main problem with the SNES game is the touching up though. As any die-hard Mario fan will attest to, the memories are what drives the series. When I switched on the SNES, the graphics overhaul was undoubtedly an improvement on the original, but it didn't feel the same. It felt a little more rounded, a bit too colourful for my personal tastes. I always thought it was a bit like eating an ice cream with extra sugar sprinkled on the top. Just a little too much.

Old Nes Super Mario Bros

New All-Stars Super Mario Bros

Nevertheless, it meant I got to play the Japanese Mario Bros 2, with it's invisible platforms and general bastardry, and got to properly get to grips with the Western Mario 2, which I never got a pop at first time round. Both were lovely additions, and the package itself was a delight. The little touch of the characters chatting before the title lights up was lovely, and it felt like real value, and a proper addition to a SNES collection.

This time round, it's a little more disappointing. Why? Because it literally hasn't changed.

In reality, it's a SNES Emulator on a disc. They haven't even bothered to fix the screen ratio properly. It's a pretty lacklustre attempt. One which, in my opinion, doesn't really celebrate the 25 years of Mario (we all know it's 27 really). What it does is more cement Nintendo's reputation for laziness when it comes to some of it's titles. Would it of killed them to add a little more to the package? The CD and booklet that came with the game was good, but the game itself could of been just that little more special.

I mean, they could of released a new package, included Super Mario World and a whole host of stuff. Put some Yoshi's Island on there? Paper Mario? All this would of EASILY fit on a Wii disc, and would have made it astonishing. I know it would of been more effort, and I know it might have taken a little longer, but come on guys, give the little plumber a bit of a celebration. He is getting on a bit, after all.

So what can I say? For a grizzled Nintendo veteran, the package was ultimately a tad on the disappointing side. I can see parents showing their kids this and getting them excited about the good old days, but for me, I just wish they'd done a bit more. I reckon you'd fare much better by getting yourself an original Nintendo Entertainment System, and blowing into a good old grey cartridge with 'Super Mario Bros 3' emblazoned up on it's plastic case. Either that or Mario Galaxy. Wahooooo.

GainBoy Gets ART- 4

2010-12-04T04:09:00.000-08:00

Bonjour!

Another installment is here. Our fantastical series in which our good friend and all-round solid chap Heartbox to come up with classy Game Art. Well, we think it's classy.

Check it out below, and let us know what you think!

Click here for Full-Size GLORY

Kinect. Should you believe the hype?

2010-11-30T09:48:00.000-08:00

When I first heard of Kinect I was definitely intrigued by it, instead of simply copying and pasting Nintendo's Wii success with Motion Controls they opted for some new technology that showed some good potential.

Yet post-release, after checking out several video's, reviews, write-ups, etc etc... It seems that at the moment the Minority Report controls are the only reason to own it...but that doesn't justify the cost for me.

This is coming from someone who is a very open-minded gamer too. I play a whole bunch of games from what's considered 'hardcore' to 'party games', and I'm not shy about it either. So please don't take me as one of those close minded "motion controls...f*** that" type of people. A game like "Kinect Adventures" I reckon I'd get a kick out of (providing it is more fun than frustration to play).

I came across THIS interview on Eurogamer the other day (that although quite long, is worth reading). After reading that it seems clear that Kinect is before it's time. The motion tracking camera itself has a weak resolution, and thus this is definitely going to limit it's ability to keep up with games that require precise inputs. More importantly, this means the precision Microsoft led us all to believe Kinect had...it doesn't have.

Some games have already acknowledged this issue.

For example...

"Joyride" basically has you on training wheels so you can't be THAT bad at the game.

Sonic Free Riders is an example of a game that gives you no assistance and leaves you too it, and [Click Here] if you're interested to see how that went :\

Kinect as it stands doesn't look like it will be able to give you the 1:1 control for a more serious game. Especially since they took out the extra processing power that was once in it during the development stage (to keep the cost down). Another issue with this is that Kinect is controller free. It was speculated pre-launch that there could be hands free FPS games with Kinect, but any that did it would have to be 'dumbed down' drastically.

With the Wii and now also Move...those FPS games are about replicating real life aiming and shooting, with perhaps a few gestures thrown in to simulate a re-load or grenade throw etc, you still do all the moving around in game with an analogue stick, as that method is still very much king when it comes to in-game character movement. I'm getting the impression anything on Kinect is going to have to put your character movement 'on-rails', and if a controller was to be used along with Kinect, then that will mean losing the freedom to do things with either 1 or both your hands, and having your hands free is integral to what Kinect uses to differentiate itself from Wii and Move.

Still, the limitations of Kinect aside, I will be picking up Kinect at some point as I like to be able to try new things like this out for myself, it's just a case of fingers crossed that game developers find ways of utilising the peripheral for fun, and keeping the product alive.

Kinect is still somewhat new to developers, and things may improve a bit once smaller developers are able to release some quick XBLA/ indie game type stuff that use it. It's my personal opinion that if and when you can download things via Xbox Live Arcade that use Kinect, you can then potentially get some quick fun games that use it without making you take the risk of spending £40 on a full fledged game, and generally the sort of games you'd enjoy playing using Kinect are shorter attention span type games (which Xbox Live Arcade embraces).

My Final thoughts:

Early Kinect adopters, it's a case of hoping the product you (and 2.5 million others) have backed will get the support and creativity it needs to go the distance.
Those on the fence, make that seat as comfy as possible, and give it a few more months to see what games get announced, and keep your eyes on the reviews the release games get.
Those whom hate motion controls, yet read this article. Try opening your mind, you might find yourself having some fun outside of the latest Fifa and Call of Duty >_>.

Getting Myself Kinected

2010-11-30T06:19:00.000-08:00

So lucky little me, I went and got myself a Kinect (along with yet another 360, since they have a terrible tendency to blow themselves up). Microsoft say they've sold more than 2.5 million units of this bad boy since it was launched, and I can tell you that it's like magic. Actually, better than magic - it's like Minority Report.

Kind of.

Y'see, you have to get used to it. It does work straight away, but you have to tune it for the ideal experience. You have to teach it who you are, a tortuous process that involves assuming all manner of undignified positions. It's a bit like an invasive airport search, or being measured for trousers in a way that seems just a little too invasive. It's so Kinect can recognise you in different lighting positions and angles. So they SAY.

Navigation in the Kinect system (once it's rolling) is like a trip to Hogwarts. Just wave, or use voice commands "XBOX KINECT" - the thing responds immediately, dropping you into the Kinect Hub, the menu system for all the Kinect based McGubbins. Hold up your hand, and your position is tracked with a hand cursor and you just pause briefly over your selection to fire that selection up.

So far, I've only had a chance to play Kinect Adventures, which is surprisingly a lot of fun - even for a crutch-bound fatty with little to no agility to speak of. In fact, I'd go as far as to say the Kinect may show potential as a rehabilitation tool - you don't get to omit the leg motions from the games on account of some weak excuse like "oh well I don't have any legs".* The games are simple and accessible, perfect casual gamer fodder.

It's easy to get carried away with the Kinect's mystical powers, and it is lovely to not have to put up with any irritating controller at all (especially one with a glowing ball on the top). There are some disappointments, though. First of all is the amount of space required. You need a LOT, and most regular folks don't have a lot of space. Second, and this really chaps my crack, is that the voice commands are not in play universally across the xbox platform. Apparently you can use voice to control videos that you play via Zune and Microsoft's downloads - but you can't use them to control videos you might be streaming over your network in your video library. You can't voice control DVD's either. I'm hoping that future dashboard updates will fix these glaring omissions.

Now what does the Kinect mean to the serious gamer? Right now, roughly two points shy of diddly-squat, if I'm any judge. It's too new, and developers haven't had the time to find ways to really put it to use. I imagine the motion detection will remain firmly entrenched in the world of casual and family games - although it does seem very precise, I can't see it being precise enough to use in an FPS - though I suspect that it would be fun to shoot folks with your fingers. However, the voice recognition could prove very useful, in games like Rainbow Six being able to give your squad voice commands instead of pressing stupid button combinations would clearly lead to more fluid and immersive gameplay.

Really, we'll have to wait and see what the world's game developers come up with to make use of this astonishing bit of technology. It's cool, it's friendly, but will it become an essential? Only time will tell. In the meantime, I'll wait for my copy of Dance Central to arrive and see how easy it is with a cripply leg. It says something for the Kinect that it makes me WANT to try to dance to hits of Lady Gaga with a broken ankle.

* Now I'm curious to find out how the thing responds to amputees. If there are any Gainboy readers out there with less than the regular complement of limbs, do feel free to get in touch. Or if you have more than the regular complement of limbs, come to think of it. Usual address, of course.

Retro Monday: Psycho (Film)

2010-11-28T13:57:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I've written anything about film, but I feel there's no better excuse than with what is, in my opinion, the finest horror film ever. I studied Alfred's Hitchcock's masterpiece at high school, so my insight to the film is juvenile at best, but I still aim to stumble along, and try and make some sense out of it.

I think the best way to understand Psycho, however, is to study it. The first time I saw it was in A-Level Film Studies, and my love affair began. The film is so clever in it's approach that it deserves looking at properly, and deserves a bit of hype behind it. My babbling over the next few paragraphs is simply a few pointers of everything I love about this film. I could, and indeed have, write essays about it, but it's boring to read, and certainly not as much fun as looking into it yourself. If you've ever considered yourself a fan of Horror, then it makes for an incredible Sunday afternoon, trawling through Wiki archives, and reading about this masterpiece.

Everyone knows Psycho, whether you actually know it or not. I personally guarantee that everyone one amongst us has done the 'shower' sound effects and stabbing motion, and everyone has heard of the Bates Motel, even if they don't know where from. I think it's a testament to the impact it's had on popular culture, and how much it's affected the world at the time. In a cinema landscape where it was all about aliens from the future, or giant lizards from the past, here's a film which was a dark and brooding film, filled with tension and genuine horror.

It's when you look into the plot of Psycho really shines. Down to the combination of the original novel by Robert Bloch and Hitchcock's brilliant storytelling, this film contains within the best twist I've ever witnessed. A film that was billed as a thriller, and spends almost an hour of it's playtime as a thriller, then shifts straight into what we now know as the 'slasher' genre. It's how it should be. It still gets me now, but I can't imagine what it would of been like 50 years ago. Imagine going to a cinema to watch some sort of Denzel-esque thriller. It's all getting a bit much for Denzel who's acting his heart out. It's getting a bit psychological and tense, then from nowhere Denzel dies, and it turns into a horror film. It's so unique, and so unsettling, it's what's given the film a lasting appeal, and is the reason the film is a cut above most horror films.

EVERYTHING about this film is completely ground-breaking. From the strings-only score, to Perkins' flawless performance, Every single part of Psycho is astounding. If you haven't seen it yet, then I honestly have no idea why. You should rectify it as soon as possible, and watch one of cinema's finest moments.

Gainboy Gets Art- 3

2010-11-20T14:01:00.000-08:00

It's been a while, but we're back! Gainboy gets ART. We've teamed up with our good friend and ferocious graphic designer Heartbox, to bring you some delightful computer games-based art. We've done enough talking anyway, hope you enjoy it. We'll the fourth one next week, and if you click the link below, it'll get bigger.

That's what she said.

Link to a delightfully larger image.

Retro Monday: Blackpool Retro Games Expo (EVERYTHING!)

2010-11-15T13:41:00.000-08:00

I've been a bit quiet recently. Mainly because of the new release schedule. I've been so buried in games upon games, I've found it hard to do little else. I've had COD-itis since it dropped, racking up some silly statistics on multiplayer and enjoying the single-player campaign. Transformers is on it's way, I've got Undead Nightmare and New Vegas waiting in the wings, and this is all before the new Assassin's Creed drops this week. But in amongst it all, I broke free.

One bleary Sunday, 3 very hungover Gainboy writers made a trip to Blackpool, to the Retro Games Expo.

I had the brilliant/stupid idea of filming it on my phone, and these are some of the best bits. Hope you enjoy it:

Youtube loves cutting off bits of our video, so to see the full version, go HERE.

Thanks for watching!

A Morale (Cheat) Code

2010-11-03T14:31:00.000-07:00

Before I start, understand this. I'm going to talk about Fable 3, and Fallout: New Vegas. I have completed Fable, and I'm a considerable way into Fallout. But I'm not going to indulge in any spoilers, don't worry. The things I'm going to discuss are pretty clear from about 10 minutes into both games, and other things I discuss are pretty obvious if you haven't been living under a rock. I don't want to talk about combat, about quests or even about graphics or loot.

I want to talk about morality, and how Fallout manages it magnificently, and Fable crashes and burns. Horribly.

It seems that this season, the trend in computer games is morality, and all the subtly grey shades that this can bring. The previous incarnations of these games, Fallout 3 and Fable 2, both dealt with morality and it's implications, but with kid gloves, and in a very simple way. The sequels have made a very strong move towards taking it further, but one manages it much better. I think I'll talk about Fallout first.

New Vegas, to a large extent, knows exactly what it's doing. There is SO much choice, all with consequence, and all with repercussions that will properly affect you in-game. The choices aren't obvious, either. Often I've found myself in real dilemmas, having to choose the lesser of two evils, but real evils. Truly grey in it's moral compass, Fallout exhibits how it should be done. You feel like you're making decisions, and that some are shitty, but are necessary. Indeed, in a post-apocalyptic nuclear world, I can't really imagine there's much opportunity for making decisions that are best for everyone, all the time.

Fable tries this approach, and fails miserably.

I loved Fable 2. It was charming, funny, quirky and generally great. The morality in the game was a quirky gimmick, a different line in voiceover at the end, and the ability to get horns or a a halo. It was a little feature that never mattered, never detracted from the game, or never carried any real weight.

But the new one is clumsy incarnate. It's no secret that Peter Molyneux's grand design for the game was to split it in two, but it also seems he did this with the budget also. The first half of the game is exciting and fun, fast-paced and generally engaging. It's when you take over the kingdom that the games falls absolutely flat, it's second act being more like a tragic comedy. Again, I'm not trying to spoil anything here, so I won't talk about details, but it is very, very poorly executed.

You're faced with decisions. But these decisions are seemingly obvious. If you can't tell whether you want to build an orphanage or a brothel, the flames around one choice and the angelic aura around another put it in crystal clear perspective what path you're choosing. This isn't the problem though. I can dig this, and don't mind it at all. If it carried on in the Fable 2 ilk, I would of been happy, and indeed pleased. But it didn't.

It half-arses being morally grey. It wants that slice of the complex, grown-up pie, but it isn't quite prepared to pay the price for it. It tries to make you think about the choices you make, but the choices are so obvious, it's incredibly hard to ever make an un-biased decision. The pay-off, however, is fully ready to make you pay for your choices. With very little physical repercussion, but every piece of narrative designed to make you feel uncomfortable, the promises you make earlier in the game counting for nothing.

Fable is a game truly half-finished. An intriguing and exciting idea, falling prey to the 'Molyneux Effect'. Often known for his over-hyped self-promotion and ambitious boasts, this time he's actually built them into the game, rather than simply talking about it. He's built a game that promises so much. Not only does it fail to deliver, it also detracts from the other parts of the game. Such a shame, as it's such an easily avoidable mistake.

Morality is just like hair. If you're Mr Fantastic, a bit of grey in there is fantastic. You've just got be delicate how you handle it, or it could end up like Noel Edmonds.

New Vegas, New Challenges.

2010-10-23T15:01:00.000-07:00

I don't really want to say much, as I'm a bit busy playing it, but oh my lord, it's good.

You'll be hearing that everywhere, so I reckon I'll concentrate on the collectors edition, and how flabbergasted I am with it. They know their target audience, as they even came numbered. Look, here's mine:

The sheer quality of this product has astounded me. The box, the flipping box, is even mock leather. How many times have you sat and felt a box? Well when I got mine I spent at least five minutes just stroking it. I'm pretty sure that makes me a mentalist, but I don't care.

And when we open the box? It just gets better. The poker chips are so detailed, the Platinum Chip has been designed with so much care, and the cards are so, so beautiful. This is a product made for gamers. Something so lovingly created, so precise is just a joy to behold, and shows just what a special edition should be, and makes it an absolute must.

Fuck you Call of Duty, with your shallow attempt at prying more money from gamers. Fuck you bullshit downloadables, and your shitty medal. Fuck your £25 medal. THIS is what it's all about. This is the heart of the special edition, and makes the game that little bit more unforgettable.

Fable 3 next week. Let's see if that Special Edition can match it. Now if you don't mind, I'm back off to New Vegas. You dig?

Hands on with Fallout: New Vegas! Eurogamer Expo Series pt 1!

2010-10-18T15:58:00.000-07:00

So I hit up this year's Eurogamer Expo in London with a few fellow nerds, and I’ve got to say it left me with a even bigger itch for all the games I got to play. It feels like I've been waiting form them for years! Im the next few months, they'll be here, but before then I’ll be posting my views on the few games that I’m excited for, and others that have now grabbed my attention more than ever before.

First and most importantly in my gaming timeline for the next few months is the amazing Fallout: New Vegas. From the brief snippet of gameplay I managed to land myself, it looked as amazing. Well, as much as you’d expect a nuclear war torn wasteland to look, but even nicer (if that’s possible).

Whilst it may initially look like a slightly improved Fallout 3, from the off it felt like the formula I loved from the original but new and improved. I tested the new faction system by opening fire on some fiendish, well-dressed ‘Powder gangers’ only to find myself bartering with the nearby settlements guards to let me in because of the murder he just saw me commit. This looks to make the game interesting enough have the player finely balance who they side with. And I didn't even get to explore the story and weapon upgrading system, but it already felt pretty deep.

The guys from Obsidian have managed to snag original members from the first two PC Fallout games, to help with the lore and overall feel of the gam. With it they definitely seem to have given the Fallout universe a new lease of life.

Bleak. Sinister. Special. I can't wait to play more.

Time to wake up and watch the good stuff...PT.1

2010-10-17T10:49:00.000-07:00

First off, an apology, it's been a while since i graced these excellent pages with my presence. In between the holiday, change of job and my general lack of self control i admittedly found that i haven't posted in time. Everyone OK...? good.
With that now said it's time to focus on what really matters at the moment, T.V. The good Dr is here to tell you guys and gals what you SHOULD be watching and all the good stuff that's currently being shown (mostly) to our American cousins. These programmes are accessible on Sky, Cable or just a small download away. Most of the major American network sites even let you watch episodes for free so there is NO excuse. ABC, HBO, NBC, AMC and FX for example.
Before we move on to the shows, if you will, permit me a little rant.

Perhaps the strongest reason Ive chosen to post about this is the fact that these shows are good, no not good, Fucking excellent. Sublime, original, heartbreaking and funny. AND NO-ONE WATCHES THEM !! We have had (and still do) produce some of the best T.V programmes around lets not forget that, but what i don't want to see is another celebrity dance-on-ice jungle up your arse show. What I don't understand is when people ask me "Who do you think is gonna win X-factor/ Pop Idol" and my answer is "I don't fucking care, i don't watch TV." They look at me like I've got 3 heads "What do you mean you don't watch TV, you don't know who might win."
BINGO, that ladies and germs is your answer. If this is Television, shitty hand-fed-to-the masses garbage i don't want to watch, i don't need to watch. It's not challenging, not thought provoking, it doesn't make me laugh or cry, so i can't see myself getting attached to some dickhead singing his balls off to a panel of paid-off twats who already know whose going to win. It's not me being elitist or smug (well, a little) but if people like the described programmes then it's all well and good, I'm just saying there is more to T.V than just Pop factor, reality shows and crappy ITV 1 dramas.

And breathe...

This isn't a swipe at just those types of shows, its TV in general. I can't understand why my top picks aren't more popular, they're infinitely more special than any of that tripe.
So prick up your ears, here we go....
I'm currently watching on a weekly basis around 12 new shows, some brand new some with new seasons. A quick list for you and then in part 2 (coming soon) I'll get to the reasons why you NEED to view them. In no particular order -

Boardwalk Empire - Steve Buscemi starring, Terence Winter writing, Scorsese producing. Best show on T.V. 'Nuff said.

Community - The strongest riser on the comedy block, and Chevy Chase BOOM!

30 Rock - Continues to dazzle as the gorgeous Tiny Fey's show gets better and better.

Running Wilde - New show from the creators of Gainboy's fav Arrested Development.

The Office - With the news that Steve Carrell leaves this season, lets hope it stays this strong.

How I Met Your Mother - As season 6 starts, are we finally going to met the mother?

Eastbound and Down - Will ferrell and Adam Mckay produce this darkly funny baseball comedy.

Fringe - With the excellent start to season 3, will Olivia get back ?!

Dexter - Morgan's up shit creek as Season 5 blasts onto our screens, 2nd best show on TV !!

Modern Family - AMAZING disfunctional comedy from Christopher 'Doc Brown' Lloyd.

Outsourced - Brand new, still finding it's feet. Office produced Call centre comedy.

No Ordinary Family - 'The incredibles' meets 'Heroes' with The Shield's Micheal Chiklis.

Danny McBride as washed-up baller Kenny 'Fucking' Powers
in HBO's Eastbound and down.

Take a good look at that list, there are shows above that you MUST begin to watch. In part 2, after more research and episode watching I'll be back to give reasons and a healthy rundown of each show and why it's so damned good.

Turn off the shite-factor and tune into the good stuff
Peace and love
Dr Lucian Sanchez

Retro Monday- Marvel vs Capcom 2 (Dreamcast/PS2)

2010-10-10T13:09:00.000-07:00

With the character roster flowing thick and fast, Marvel vs Capcom 3 is set to be an absolute blockbuster. Everything a beat-em-up should be- Frantic, exciting and mind-blowing. The game looks like it's going to be a landmark beat-em-up, that shows off current-generation hardware to the full. 10 years ago, it's little brother was doing exactly the same, the groundbreaking Marvel vs Capcom 2.

Marvel vs Capcom 2 is a stone-cold classic, completely and utterly. It's concept is flawless. The age-old questions that have troubled mankind for decades are finally answered: Could Chun-Li beat up Rogue? Could Ryu's fireball match Cyclop's Laser Beam? The kind of schoolyard-scenarios that only teenage boys could dream up are fully realised, in a game that matches style, with outright insanity.

And it's insanity that gives this game it's brilliance, and what has secured it's place in the annals of gaming history. Never have I played a game so unashamed in it's ridiculousness, so confident in it's over-the-top bombasticness. It's this brazen confidence that makes this game truly unique.

Every.Single.Part of this game completely breaks the mould. As soon as you turn it on, you're greeted by a jazz-funk soundtrack, with some woman constantly threatening to 'take you for a ride'. Unsettling from the start, you're then confronted with a character select screen that is HUGE, and largely in darkness, with no explanation on how to unlock these characters. After that, the characters have 3 difference special moves, based on Greek letters, that offer little explanation to what they do. After this baffling selection process, the game kicks off properly, and you still have no idea really what is going on.

But do you know what? It's completely and utterly captivating. Hurtling along at a breakneck pace, the game just explodes with colours, characters bouncing all over the screens, as it erupts with flashes of light and bone-crunching sound effects. Even the crappest of players are able to pull off impressive-looking moves, some kind of witchcraft under the hood, making it not only compelling, but immense fun.

Marvel vs Capcom makes no excuses, and takes no prisoners. It's confidence is matched only by it's execution, which is utterly flawless. I think few games deliver on their promises, and here is a game that delivers on one of the greatest promises made in gaming history. If you're going to include Wolverine in a beat-em-up, you better make damn sure you get it right. Even if sometimes you're left slightly confused by the whole process, Capcom know exactly what they're doing.

If you're not already excited by the prospect of Marvel vs Capcom 3, it's because you've not played this yet. Go pick it up on the Playstation network or Xbox Live Arcade, and see why next Spring, the age-old question of 'Could Arthur from Ghouls n' Goblins beat up Thor?' will once again have the world excitedly getting the answer.

Retro Monday: Pyschonauts (Xbox,PS2,PC)

2010-10-03T12:47:00.000-07:00

So any self respecting gamer should know about this game or at least it’s creator. Spawned from the genius mind of Tim Schafer, I'm talking about the sheer awesomeness that is 'Psychonauts'.

I was young when I was first introduced to his genius when playing Grim Fandango. To this day I can still remember being absorbed into the witty yet dark world of the undead, and how they roll on with their boring 9-to-5 jobs, and everything inbetween.

His creativeness doesn’t falter on this platforming gem either. The games' surreal setting revolves around the adventures of Rasputin or Raz, a boy who runs away from the circus to join a psychic summer camp. He soon uncovers a terrible plot that is threatening the brains and lives of all of those at the camp. Intrigued yet? You should be.

Raz becomes a rookie ‘Psychonaut’, and embarks on a journey that takes him into the mind of a variety of bizarre yet unique characters. He helps them tackle their deepest fears and memories, in order to gain their help to overcome this evil plot afoot.

Rasputin with Dogan and his tin foil hat, the best character in the game

The gameplay and combat revolves around various psychic powers Raz obtains as he helps important individuals overcome their fears.e Telekinesis, Pyrokinesis, Invisibility and Levitation are just some of his arsenal. Round every corner there's real laugh out loud moments and elements of bizarre humour that borders on outlandish genius. The game revels in it's crazy level settings, off-the-wall satirical digs, and homage to the best of pop culture. There's a level where Raz becomes Godzilla and helps the city’s rebel fish faction fight back against their corrupted fish government. What more could you want?

Schafer sculpted this game into everything a brilliant game should be. Memorable in every way, intriguing characters, unique settings and a game that doesn't ever get boring.

Stop sitting around and buy it already

It’s on the Xbox Live Arcade and Steam, so there’s no excuse for you to not pick up this piece of gaming history. I just hope he creates something more along these lines with the follow up to Brutal Legend.

Tim Schafer. Outlandish Genius. Storytelling don. DUDE.

Good news, everyone!

2010-10-03T08:47:00.000-07:00

I've been badgered by the Brap to post this up, as apparently it's a bigger deal than I thought.

Observant followers will notice I haven't posted for a while. This is due in part to me leaving good ol' Preston, to the "sunnier" climes of Liverpool. Why would I do such a thing? Well, I landed myself a nice new job with Sony. Playstation, to be precise. Some (such as Brap himself) have informed me that I'm living the dream, as I get paid to play games, which is precisely what I'd be doing anyway, just without the getting paid part.

It's definitely a great job, no denying. I'm getting an amazing insight into games development, as well as playing stuff before release ;)

Now as you'd expect, I'm under a very strict NDA (Non disclosure Agreement). I'm really not at liberty to tell you exactly how MoH stacks up against Black Ops, or If you should get PES instead of Fifa. Not at least until they're released. But I do know, and I'll be using this insight to see if games have changed from when I've played them, and if they've got better.

With that out of the bag, I'm going back to skulking and planning future features.
Happy gaming, everyone!

What's The Crack?

2010-09-28T12:02:00.000-07:00

Seriously, what is the big deal with this game? I've just got it today, on a rental vibe, and I can't seem to understand it. I played the original, and I didn't really enjoy it, bemused by a bunch of nostalgic folk talking about the game that made the Xbox 360's early days tolerable and full of light. With the new one, I decided to give it a try, and see if they've done something different.

They haven't.

It's more of the same. Which sadly, isn't for me. It's entertaining enough, but I feel like it's depth could be discovered by playing a display console edition in HMV. It seems a little shallow to me. Maybe I'm missing the point of it, but the action doesn't make up for it either. The weapons are a tad disappointing, the driving is clumsy, and the whole Agility Orb Schtick just leaves me frustrated, wanting to get to ledges and failing constantly.

All in all, I'm left disappointed. In this day and age, we CAN have sandbox games with compelling storylines. I didn't rate it, but GTAIV really had purpose, and drive to it. You wanted the plot to unfold, a feeling that I sadly didn't get with Crackdown.

At the same time, it doesn't ramp up the insanity factor enough. Just Cause 2, which I'd class in a similar vein, was absolutely insane. Lassooing dudes to cars, parachuting off buildings, riding nukes. It was ridiculous. It didn't take itself seriously, and revelled in it. It was the cheeky schoolboy, sat in the corner winking as he filled his straw with another spitwad.

The problem is that Crackdown 2 doesn't know where it is. It's trying to deliver a serious plot with tension and atmosphere, whilst a commentator screams at you to 'kill that bitch, Agent!' The game is confused, and as a result, so am I. After the pleasurable romp that was Just Cause 2, my faith in the OTT sandbox game was restoring, but it's games like Prototype and Crackdown 2 that are making it difficult for them to be taken seriously as great games.

Retro Monday: Gitaroo Man (PS2)

2010-09-26T04:15:00.000-07:00

OK, so this is an important one for me. This is one of the major games of my life, and one that well and truly blew me away, in a time when games were only just starting to get somewhere. A while ago a friend and I debated about the meaning of 'retro'. He attests that the only way something can be called retro is if it's from a console 2 generations behind. So the original Playstation would be retro, as would the N64, but not the PS2 or Gamecube. Well I say SOD THAT. Gitaroo Man was released here in 2002, and if I can't talk about something 8 years old in Retro Monday, well then there's just no point.

Anyway, onto the greatest rhythm action game of all time, shall we?

I stumbled onto this game by pure chance. My cousin found it on a demo disc sellotaped to a Playstation magazine. He'd said he played this one level about 30 times, and was eagerly awaiting the release date. I had a go, enjoyed it, and put it in my memory banks. Fast forward six months, and I was getting my own Playstation 2. Stood there at my local game store, I already had PES and GTA3 in my hands, with the choice of getting another game at a greatly discounted rate. My mum said she'd treat me, and I could have another one. At this time, I had it all. I already had 2 amazing games, and the thought of another one only cemented this as being one of the greatest birthday presents of all time. I chose Gitaroo Man, which was full price, and remained so all the times I saw it on the shelf of any game retailer I was lucky enough to see it at.

What then followed was an amazing Summer. I'm not talking about the weather, because I haven't a clue about how sunny it was. I was too busy inside playing this futuristic games machine, with 3 of the most engrossing games I've ever played. Gitaroo Man was the first one I completed, and the one that has probably stuck with me the most.

Somewhere inbetween Guitar Hero, Pokemon and Street Fighter sits Gitaroo Man. In essence a rhythm-action beat-em-up with anime and an original soundtrack, no words I say here can make it sound even approachable. The premise is terrible. It's a game that shouldn't work, and the cutscenes inbetween each battle try their hardest to make sure it doesn't work. But, for the few faults it has, this game more than makes up for in one thing: The music.

The crux of any music game. Obviously. But whereas these days Guitar Hero tries to tempt you with a roster of 'cool' artists and 'sweet' cameos by favourite rockstars, Gitaroo Man went it alone, shunning any kind of commercial music, instead writing it's own soundtrack. And this is where Gitaroo Man get it's strength. It's secret weapon. It's where it stops being U-1, and becomes Gitaroo Man.

This is not a dig at Guitar Hero, far from it. I understand the fun in it, and I'm ashamed to say that I do have a plastic drumkit sat at home, albeit buried away these days. No, the point I'm making is that Gitaroo Man did it WITHOUT any gimmicks. Without any peripherals, without any NME tracklistings. Gitaroo Man, first and foremost, is a Music game. The music is designed to help the narrative, to shape the game, to make each level unique, in both musical genre and visual appearance. This music in the game is so intrinsically linked to the game itself, that this isn't a music game, it's just a game, and it's brilliant.

But that's not a dig at the music, as I think it's better than any track in any Guitar Hero game. Every genre in Popular Music is taken onboard and given the Gitaroo Man treatment. From battling a robotic space-Reggae shark, to battling a samba skeleton gang, every single level is different, and themed accordingly. In fact, the bosses are so characteristic, I could base this whole article on Mojo King Bee. One of the best videogame characters of ALL TIME. A trumpet-playing, Saturday Night Fever-strutting humanoid Bee. With an afro. Playing Funk. The level also contains a backing band made of frogs. And it's even better than it sounds.

I've not played anything like this before, or since. The Japanese Kookiness and kitsch goes just far enough without being too much, and the graphics are beautiful. Really nice FMVs, amazingly unique character design, and of course the soundtrack. It's been re-made for the PSP, and is pretty easy to pick up on the PS2 for relatively cheap. If you've ever played Guitar Hero, and longed for more, perhaps this may just tickle your strings.

Minerva's Den. Wow.

2010-09-13T14:32:00.000-07:00

As soon as I heard about the addition of new, narrative-driven DLC for Bioshock 2, I was excited. I'm a bit of a fanboy for the franchise, and it's not particularly difficult to see why. Beatiful, unique visuals, compelling and addictive gameplay and a narrative that is seldom beaten in other games, the Bioshock franchise is a wonderfully distinctive and special gaming experience. Plus it's scary as hell.

So when the new DLC sprung up on my Xbox, it was time to order the Special Edition, and the points needed to acquire such a purchase. 800 points, which is what? 6 quid or thereabouts? These questions are good, but the real kicker is: is it any good?

It's fantastic.

I mean, it's Fallout 3 DLC-Good. Completely self-contained, Minerva's Den is about 4-6 long, and Tenenbaum is the only recognisable character from the previous 2 games. It condenses the gameplay into a smaller, bitesized affair, with all of the elements it's big brothers carry all visible, just a little easier. The new Ion Lancer is a brilliant weapon, and the Gravity Well plasmid is absolutely devastating. The enemies are more cunning, and the new Big Daddy is trickier than ever to handle.

But once again, it's the story that shines through. The plot to this little tale is beautifully constructed. Completely in-keeping with the Bioshock universe, you know you're playing a Bioshock game when you're actually stopping to listen to the audio diaries, and sneak off to a quiet place in the game to play them, savouring every last bit of dialogue.

Indeed, the biggest compliment I can give to Minerva's Den is that it is just like it's older brothers. It's got the same level of polish, that same level of detail, and a plot twist that Atlas himself would be proud of. 2K Marin has announced that this will be the last of Bioshock 2's Downloadable Content, with Minerva's Den officially drawing it to a close. Until Infinite takes to the skies sometime around 2012, I think this is a perfect send-off for the city of Rapture.

Retro Monday: Zelda: Majora's Mask (BEN Edition/N64)

2010-09-13T05:51:00.000-07:00

Now this is an interesting one. Stuck for ideas for our frankly MARVELLOUS Retro Monday column, I stumbled across this today. Kotaku pointed me in it's direction, and it's AWESOME.

Basically a new age horror story involving a copy of Majora's Mask for the Nintendo 64, with a mind of it's own. Anyone who's ever played the classic Zelda game knows that at the best of times it always had slightly creepy undertones, this fleshes it out with a little back story, and a whole lot of well-written prose.

It's a LOT to read, so I'm not going to waffle on, but it is worth it. A really interesting tale for anyone with a penchant for the mysterious, and a taste for Zelda.

The whole article is here, and the Youtube videos of the footage also accompany the article. I strongly advise reading it first, as it makes it all the more spooky.

Special Needs

2010-09-08T12:27:00.000-07:00

Today, Bioshock 2's Special Edition arrived at my doorstep. I already have Bioshock 2. Indeed, I've completed it. But for £25 on Play.com, it was an offer I couldn't refuse. It's one of the finest Special Edition games I've ever owned, but I've not come here to brag. I've come to discuss the rise of the special edition, and what should and shouldn't be in that big, overpriced box.

It seems that every game coming out these days has noticed the cash-making potential of bundling in some crap and 'exclusive' content. I mean, Dead Rising 2 may turn out to be a great game, but does it really have a big enough following for a Special Edition? We'll see. To be honest, the sheer amount of games making their launch a little bit more special can only be a good thing. But it's with Call of Duty: Black Ops that I'll make my key criticism on the rise of the Special Edition.

A trend creeping in is the inclusion of extra digital content packaged with the Special Edition of a game upon release. Let's look at Call of Duty as an example. Regular edition is going for around the £45 mark, with the next step up, the 'hardened' edition, going for around £65. For this you get a medal, an avatar outfit, and extra in-game co-op maps. It'd be far too easy of me to make an observation on how £20 extra doesn't really get you far, but my main beef lies in the co-op maps. Why are Treyarch offering something that clearly should already be included in the standard game, trying to offer it up as extra, premium content?

If it was cosmetic, such as customisations for you online profile, I could understand. Generally useless, and only for show. But this is actual game content. It simply isn't right. As a consumer, you shouldn't be missing out on content, at launch, because you've only bought the 'standard' edition. Look at Modern Warfare 2's content? An extra game, design books, steelbooks, all superfluous to the game, all guaranteed to make fanboys excited, and perfect for a special edition. I feel that even if I paid £65 for the special edition, I feel that the medal included would only be a token of how stupid I am, and how much I've let Treyarch mock the idea of the Special Edition.

No, Special Editions shouldn't be about digitial content, especially game content. It's a nice thing to bundle in with a package, but it shouldn't be important. We all know what's important when we tear off that shrink-wrapping: STUFF. Wonderful, useless, tacky stuff. My Fallout Bobblehead sits next to my TV, and my Bioshock Big Daddy Ornament guards my Gamecube. These are the meat and potatoes of the Special Edition, the crux of the content, and what we should be getting, and getting excited about.

It should make no difference to the game. It should have nothing to do with the in-game content. What it should be is a gloriously self-indulgent luxury item, that makes you feel even more connected to the game, a loyalty badge you wear that only yourself can see, but further shows your love for a certain game.

Come October, I'll be eagerly running to my local gamestation to pick up Fallout: New Vegas. I'll also be doing the same when I go to pick up my girlfriend's copy of Fable 3. We've ordered the special editions because of the fake book for Fable, and for my Fallout Poker Chips. We love these game franchises so much, that we want to immerse ourselves further in the world. I don't care about a caravan shotgun, or a new dog I can download. I like my tangible, real-world extras. We need more gold lancers, more batarangs, more cat helmets in the gaming world, to further expand our geekiness. These are much better medals to wear.

Retro Monday: Rock n' Roll Racing (Snes/MegaDrive)

2010-09-05T12:54:00.000-07:00

So my Grandad asked me to sell some of his old Super Nintendo games recently. I remember him getting it off some local kid second hand, and the kid had great taste. When I used to go round after school, there was a plethora of games he'd bagged for next-to-nothing, including Secret of Mana, Killer Instinct and his favourite, Pilotwings. All these games were ace, but one stood out for me. So much so, I actually wanted my own copy. That game was Rock n' Roll Racing.

When World of Warcraft was just a twinkle in Blizzard's eye, they were busy writing quirky, good-looking Snes games that were all over the place in terms of content and design. One of their more impressive offerings was this. A racing game that combined combat, aliens and bad attitude in one 2.5D package, Rock n' Roll Racing was a bit good.

Even back then, Blizzard were toying with the idea of stats and builds, and somehow managed to shoehorn customizing into a racing game. The depth of build-your-own-car-ness in the game was really impressive, and although it really was all about the hovercraft, the choice of weaponry and the upgrades made for an addictive game, despite the repetition. The constant money-grabbing and slowly upgrading your pimped-out deathwagon was delightful. Fuck carrot and stick, this game made the stick out of a carrot.

Perhaps the greatest strength of this game though, was style. This games never, ever took itself seriously, and much the better for it. Mind you, when you're racing on a Prison Planet called New Mojave in a yellow hovercraft, it must of been pretty hard to take the serious angle. At a time when a lot of games were just an idea and no identity, this was a game that not only had a genre and theme, but also went back on it. Playing Rock n Roll Racing felt like you were in on the joke. I always expected that after blowing Rip up with a Rocket Launcher, the commentator would turn around and wink at me, coming out of the TV to high-five me and say, "This is brilliant, isn't it?".

Finally, I reckon I could of played this game with no images at all. The sound absolutely smacked this out of the park. 16-Bit renditions of Rock classics belted out of your TV, directly into my rebellious teenage brain. 'Bad to the Bone', that song off Terminator 2 as I used to know it, is a sure-fire way to grab an impressionable youngster's attention. The commentator also made the game a rawkus affair, shouting catchphrases at every occasion. The bombasity and downright balls-out apporach of every aspect of this game made it perfect for a young chap who drank Pepsi Max and ate Monster Munch. Come to think of it, I still do.

These days, Meta games are taken completely for granted. Serious Sam. Castle Crashers. Gears of War (Without knowing it). We expect it these days, and almost question things which don't acknowledge themselves in the medium of computer games. But in the days of the Super Nintendo, it was a rare and valuable thing, and Blizzard absolutely nailed it. These days they're much more bothered about the 11.5 million people running the Gnome treadmill, but back in the day, Blizzard showed us a thing or two about Heavy Metal and futuristic space alien racing.

I played this game so much, I wanted my own copy. My Grandad gave me his.

"The Stage is Set, the Green Flag DROPS!"

A Wake Up Call

2010-08-31T13:09:00.000-07:00

At GainBoy, we pride ourselves on taking our time. When I started this thing, it was one of the key things I aimed for. I have read too many shitty reviews and haphazard play-throughs to know that rushing only gives you so much perspective on a game. So we take our time. We let things stew, gather our thoughts, and try and do justice to games we think deserve talking about.

I completed Alan Wake a week ago, and it's now I feel I can give some thoughts on what is a landmark in Computer Games.

Landmark is a strong term. It really is. And I don't use it lightly. But this game is. Not because of gameplay, but because of narrative, and maturity.

First of all, the game's strength lies in it's maturity. It's not trying to be too clever, but at the same time it isn't treating you like a 14 year-old boy with a penchant for boobs and pizza. The storyline is cheesey, yet still creepy, and with enough references that make me all kinds of smug in my old TV knowledge. It's Twin Peaks, it's Eerie Indiana. It's the Twilight Zone. This helps the game cement itself in the real world, and by having these cultural touchstones permeating through the game, it means that although the game's plot is at times ridiculous, it's still somehow believable.

I think my point is proved best when trying to explain the game to my girlfriend. Usually, when trying to describe the plot of a game to her, 2 things happen. The first is she usually tuts, and the second is I realise how proposterous the actual storyline of most games are. Have you ever actually tried to explain something like Gears of War? It's cringeworthy. But when I told her about Alan Wake, it was easy. It made sense, it sounded credible and it actually sounded good. By taking a step away from traditional game material, and crossing into the realm of other mediums, they've managed to make something that plays well, and feels like a genuine step forward in gaming.

The final and most important thing I noticed whilst playing was it's core strength, and the current theme running through the best games being released: Narrative. It's narrative which differentiates the good games from the truly special, and althought not perfect, Alan Wake really, really tries. Throughout playing the game, I couldn't help comparing it to Bioshock. If I offered this perspective without any explanation, it would seem that I was chatting about the dark atmosphere and scary elements. Whilst this is true, it's not what I'm talking about here.

It's narrative. Just like Bioshock, the story doesn't feel like a vehicle for some fancy gameplay mechanic, some new type of weapon or some toy to play with. I recently played The Singularity, which felt like the flimsiest story, all wrapped around a new idea for a weapon the games developers liked. No, with Alan Wake, the gameplay is central to the story, and drives the game to a satisfying and eerie conclusion.

The story is genuinely good, and the narrative running through the game is well thought out, clever and tense. After the first hour of gameplay, I was unconvinced, as I felt some of the cutscenes were a bit shaky, and the concept wasn't grabbing me. But I spoke to a friend about it, and he responded with, 'I've got a friend who is constantly returning games if they experience even one bit of framerate drop or dodgy shadowing. What an idiot. It's the reason I stopped talking to him.' Too true. Unclench, play the game, and witness a game that's pushing the medium forward.

Summer Drought: Part 2

2010-08-27T09:24:00.000-07:00

Summer is nearly over. We've endured the long, arduous times of barren gaming and shitty release schedules, and we're nearly into the Christmas Bonanza. But there's still a week or two to go, so we thought we'd let some other cool hombres give you their advice on how to survive the last of the Gaming Drought. Enjoy!

GodOnlyKnows. Segway Rider. iPad Gamer

How are you coping with the summer drought in games?

Man, I'm glad of it. My pile of shame is immense. I've made hardly any inroads into Red Dead Redmption, want to finish Mass Effect so I can start ME2 and of course this WoW expansion has only a few months left to run and I still haven't nailed that pesky Lich King!

What are you playing to keep yourself ticking over?

See above. However, it's fair to say I'm being diverted massively by the iPhone and iPad. Nothing really outstanding, but so much of it! I seem to spend entire evenings downloading shitty games and versions of board/card games, etc. There are some real gems out here in the ocean of shit. I recommend Small World for iPad and Pocket Legends for iPhone has me quite intrigued.

What advice do you have to help people survive until October (the pre-christmas releases start then)?

Sports titles! Be a man about it and pick up this year's Tiger or Madden. These games are getting better year on year and make for such awesome evenings with your chums.

Kif. Comic Book Guy. Battlefield Hero.

How are you coping with the summer drought in games?

At the minute I seem to be playing a lot of social games. Just moved into a new place and I'm not online, this has forced me - rather nicely - to play more socially with people. NHL 2010, or UFC, Fight NIght 4, just games on the same screen with mates taking turns and having a laugh. Not done this in years really, just been shooting random faceless people. But it is actually quite cool to get a bit of friendly/insulting banter on the go while you pummel your friend into the middle of next week. Winner stays on!

What are you playing to keep yourself ticking over?

Apart from the above mentioned games, I've been getting stuck into Alan Wake again, trying to do the little missions or finding out a gamer point challenge and seeing if i can crack it. I'm at the moment pondering having another go at Fallout 3 and wondering whether I can commit 80 hours of my life to it again. I guess I'm revisiting stuff and playing competative games with friends.

What advice do you have to help people survive until October (the pre-christmas releases start then)?

I say get stuck into something you love again, some survival horror, or one of the many games you've got lying on a shelf which you havent finished yet. I've got a few like that, havent finished Red Dead yet! I loved it just didn't finish it then moved onto something else.

GorillaMonsoon.

Man of few Words.

"Multiplayer Sports Games."

Yellow is the new Red...

2010-08-18T09:23:00.000-07:00

Today, I've witnessed the heartbreak I had yet to taste. Numerous friends have been through it, countless others have retold tales of horror and dismay. And today it finally happened to me. My console died. The old girl had been going strong for 2 years strong, and has never given me any problems. But today, the lights flashed, and that was it. I looked at my Xbox, and turned it on and played some Bioshock to forget.

Yep, my Playstation 3 died, whilst my older Xbox still trundles on.

I have to be in a very small percentage who's Playstation has malfunctioned over their Xbox, but it did. The God of War Collection was the final straw for my 40gb model, as it sighed it's last breath, and decided enough was enough. At first I couldn't quite believe it, one of those 'it couldn't happen to me' vibes. But it did, and Sony quite rightly told me it was out of warranty, and would charge to replace it. My beef isn't with that at all, it's the feeling I felt.

A real, bonafide feeling of loss. When it happened, I felt quite disappointed. I can't explain it really, because it scared me a little of how much I'm connected to these little machines. And I bet you're the same. I reckon I'm going to bury this incident deep into my psyche, just like you have. When your Xbox, or your PS3, or your Nintendo Entertainment System broke, I bet you felt JUST the same as me, but have decided to bury that one away.

I could of got it repaired, look at this simple diagram!

It's such a strange feeling, and I'm still experiencing it. I ordered a replacement, and it's coming tomorrow, but that's not the point. The point is, that my Playstation died. Tomorrow, I'll have it to give it to some delivery guy, who'll hand over a strange box, that I have to get used to, and re-download all my saves onto. It arrives, and it's already hassle, unlike my trusty old Playstation that I bought off my cousin, after he won it an arcade.

I don't quite know the point of this post, if I'm honest. It's more a case of therapy I think, some group sharing time. If anyone else has any stories of loss when their little consoles break down, please, share with the group. It helps if we tackle it together...

Sky-Oh-Shock

2010-08-13T09:44:00.000-07:00

Normally we don't do this kind of vibe. We wait until games are out, and try not to hang onto rumours and gossip. But every once in a while, something comes along that blows your socks off. And during the dry spell of Summer, we sorely needed this:

Right out of nowhere, They announce Bioshock:Infinite. Completely out of the blue, they released the reveal trailer, and filled up a Wikipedia page. If you haven't seen the trailer yet, then get onto YouTube straight away and check it out, because I'm going to spoil it a bit.

First of all, that reveal. OH MY LORD. When that window smashes, you really do feel like you're falling through yourself. Such bright sunlight, such etheral lighting, 2K have done something really special here. By transposing the location so drastically , they could be setting themselves up for a fall, but I don't think so.

Think about it. The Bioshock gameplay is rock solid. The plasmid system gives it it's Uniqueness, and it's design is a strong suit, but NOT because it's underwater, but because it's beautiful. That Art-Deco style is it's calling card, and why not carry it over? We've learnt that the Sky City is called Columbia, a 'cross between Steampunk ideals and Bespin Cloud City'. As long as they stick to the simple design rules and principles, it will keep all of the Bioshock charm we've come to love.

Bioshock 2 wasn't a bad game, it was just up against impossible odds. When you mention Bioshock to people, I guarantee you the memory that sticks out most to them is the first trip in the bathysphere. That first glance of Rapture, that whale that swims past you, That's what Bioshock was. Something different. And watching that reveal trailer, I felt that same feeling. The same freshness, the same excitement.

It's crazy how assumptions can be made over a 3-minute trailer. The internet is currently going NUTS about it, with stupid theories being formulated about what every second of the trailer means, and what's going to be in the super special edition. All of this is fine, but it's not what's important. What is important is that 2K are doing something different, and by taking these calculated risks they are setting themselves up for not only a commerical success, but a game that brings new life to a franchise that was teetering on the edge of going from original, to played-out.

To infinity, and to a hopefully awesome game.

Summer Drought: Part 1

2010-08-10T11:43:00.000-07:00

As we enter into August, we enter a dark time in gaming. The sun is allegedly out, and as such we should be playing outside. Swingball, walking about, all that shit. Well, for some of us, we don't buy into it. After a hard week at work, we don't want to be sat in a park sweating somewhere. We want to be inside, on a comfortable sofa, drinking a beer and shooting some questionable characters in the face. But it's here us gamers strike a problem.

Summer is a DRY time for gamers. You should know, you're the one desperately clambering to play games, looking for something new whilst people are asking you out for a 'kick about'. So what do we do? I'm currently at a loss. My LoveFilm account is delivering some terrible games of late, and I'm struggling to get my gaming fix. I decided that instead of sitting about sulking, I'd tackle it head on, do some research, and share my findings.

I've talked to a few of my friends/colleagues/fellow Gainboyers, and provide my findings below. In fact, I got so many awesome responses, I decided it was only right to give them all, over a few posts. Hopefully our collective knowledge can provide some answers!

Kermit1986, CurrentlyPlaying Blogger,

Street Fighter Obsessive.

How are you coping with the Summer drought of games?

I've bought so many games in sales and such over the past year that I've actually got a lot of unopened games just waiting to be played. I could probably live off what I have yet to play/ finish until next summer with the way it stands!

What are you playing to keep yourself going over Summer?

Mostly Super Street Fighter IV. It's not just my game of the summer, but the year. It's an amazingly balanced fighting game, with a lot of depth that provides me with things to continuously get better at.

I've also been pacing myself through Super Mario Galaxy 2 over the past 6-7 weeks. So many throwbacks to Mario platformers of the past, amazing level design, and a lot to keep me coming back. Nintendo have no rust when it comes to making great platform games, they're always on form.

What advice do you have to help people survive until the new games season starts?

If you're lucky enough to have several consoles you'll no doubt have a lot of choice when it comes to games worth playing. So much so that it's hard to keep up with them all. When I see a game I was tempted to buy only a couple of months ago is now being sold for a very appealing price, I'll hop on the impulse buy, regardless of if I actually have time to play it!

CalibratedMig29, Musician and NHL fanboy

How are you coping with the Summer drought of games?

Not too bad. I've had less XBox time lately as I've found plenty of excuses to get out into the wider world. In any case, I usually use summer to go back over older games and rack up any little achievements I've missed or get in completions on higher skill levels.

What are you playing to keep yourself going over Summer?

I'm currently hammering the career modes on NHL10 (Be a Pro), Madden (Season) and Prizefighter, and trying to complete a few games I've borrowed from mates. I'll be on NHL and Madden pretty much continuously until the new versions come out in about a month, although I doubt I'll be buying Madden. I've been playing NHL for about twelve years so I've pretty much built that into my annual budget now!

What advice do you have to help people survive until the new games season starts?

I'd say people should hit the shops for any sale games that they didn't pick up first time round. Apart from the big-budget games, most games these days are available for dirt cheap after a while, especially the pre-owned ones. August's weather seems to be turning to shit pretty quickly so it looks like we'll all be having a lot of indoor time until about next spring!

DrLucianSanchez, GainBoy Dude and

US TV Expert.

How are you coping with the summer drought in games?

Honestly, i've had a great few months - i got Red Dead Redemption late on, and that's pretty much consumed my gaming quota. I did also enjoy a run of decent XBLA titles.

What are you playing to keep yourself ticking over?

Well, im on 95% completion on Red Dead and I'm a whore for in-game collectables. Ive been playing some older titles, playing Overlord 2 and FightNight Round 4. I got these both very, VERY cheap. Pre-owned is definitely the way to go over Summer.

What advice do you have to help people survive until the new games season starts?

Hmmm, good question sir! I know all the goodies are abound in October and beyond but these next few months are gonna be spent playing old classics. Q4 sees Fable 3, Fallout New Vegas, and loads of others. For now i can finally start Mass Effect. I can't believe I STILL haven't played the first one!

So there you have it! More to follow next week, but some excellent advice to get you started, and let's get this blasted month of August out of the way TOGETHER!

Retro monday : Treasure ( 1992 - present )

2010-08-09T07:28:00.000-07:00

In 1992 a small group of former Konami employees came together to form 'Kabushiki-Gaisha Toreja' otherwise know to us as 'Treasure.'
This small privately owned company houses 30-40 staff and is now widely regarded as one of the best independent powerhouses in Japan. Their impressive list of titles include Guardian Heroes (one of my favourites) Gunstar heroes, Dynamite Headdy, Wario World, Sin and Punishment and the now legendary spiritual sequel to Radiant Silver gun, the complex shooter Ikaruga.
Treasure have a close working partnership with some of the worlds biggest software companies including Sega, Nintendo and SquareEnix.
My love of treasure harks way back to when the critically acclaimed Gunstar Heroes was first released on the Megadrive in September 1993, i was a plucky young 13 yr old who had a taste in classic run and gun gaming. This was my ticket to awesome ! Best part of the game - the bonkers level bosses, often made up of multiple sprites allowing a smooth animated look.

Have a look at this classic bit of gaming

This piece of side scrolling lunacy kept me going on and off until treasure unveiled their latest masterpiece in may of 1996. During that time I had upgraded from Sega's 16 bit machine to the 32bit commercial disaster the Saturn. Oohhh i did love that console !!
Guardian Heroes is one of my favourite titles of all time, the 2D style Golden axe side scroller that worked with a 3 tier style environment (think Castlecrashers.) Adding RPG elements along with amazing cell shaded and hand drawn animation this mammoth game's influence is obvious 14 years on.

Click this link to see the game in action

After 18 years Treasure's feet are now completely under the table. Their cult fanbase grows more and more every year as these former Konami employees corner the market with amazing and bonkers Shooters. Their legacy of games continues even now, the bullet hell title Ikaruga (first released on the Gamecube then later on Xbox Marketplace in 2008) was developed by only a 3 man team and has entered the critical hall of fame as IGN's 3rd greatest shooter of all time. Oh, did i mention how f#*%$*g hard it is too; with the games core mechanic involving two polarities. Black enemies and White enemies, each one either having to be fired at to be killed or absorbed. I do recommend you pick this up from anywhere you can. If you have a death wish.

Click here to watch the madness

Lets look to the future, whats in store for this Japanese developer? With the incredible Bangai-o spirits available for the DS and Sin and Punishment 2 their latest release for the Wii, it looks bright. Treasure are also developing an as yet untitled Xbox 360 title. My tastebuds have been well and truly wet!
This indie powerhouse has been running in the background for 19 years, creating some of the most hardcore titles around and receiving critical praise on each release. They aren't a name that most people will know, it brings a kind of "Oh yeah i didn't know they did this" mentality. As with every Retro Monday here at Gainboy, we always talk about the media of yester-year that still holds a place in our hearts.
So Please; if you haven't played a Treasure game go seek one out or even better download a couple of these timeless pieces on the XBLA or Virtual Console. Its a treat for the eyes....

I'm off now to carry on playing Lost Planet 2, i know i know...
Till next time,
the good Dr Sanchez

Retro Monday: The Twilight Zone (TV)

2010-08-02T09:37:00.000-07:00

The other day, I was chatting with some humanoids, about what scared us as kids. I was quite smug in that I had no paranoid or irrational fears, until I remembered two things that terrified me. The first was Christopher Lloyd in Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, which I still can't watch properly to this day. The other, more scary thing was The Twilight Zone. I watched it yesterday, to refresh my memory. I had to turn it off.

Released in 1959, The Twilight Zone was a television series created by sharply-dressed dude Rod Serling. Basically self-contained sci-fi 'stories', with each episode being completely different, and often containing a twist at the end.

Never mind all the remakes and all that horrible 80's shit, the originals were the real deal. Low-Budget, black-and-white and dripping with atmosphere. There's something about the greyness that adds such depth to the proceedings, such darkness. The episodes are so atmospheric, it really does suck you in. The orchestral score as well ramps up the tension no end. All the string stabs and dramatic riffs are something long-forgotten in modern thriller, and after watching some episodes again, it really stood out to me how important and brilliant it was in building tension.

Rod Serling. The coolest man in a suit. Ever.

This shit was scary. Not because of the effects, but because of the storylines. Maybe the 12 year-old me wasn't as cynical and world-weary as me now, but these stories were genuinely engaging. Yes, there was a little bit of garbage and schmaltz in there. But there was 159 episodes in the first run. 159 seperate stories and sets, every single time. I reckon I'll allow a few to slip by.

I remember getting a book when I was little off my cousin, which listed every episode in great detail. The plot, the first airtime, even the complete cast of each episode. I remember reading that book at night-times and getting scared without even seeing certain episodes. Just from reading a paragraph on the story, I was able to put the pieces together, and terrify myself.

William Shatner faces his gremlins in the now-iconic

'Terror at 20,00 feet' episode.

With most TV shows or films I come to watch retrospectively, I often end up disappointed. Nothing builds up the hype of a show like nostalgia. When I put the iconic 'Terror at 20,000 Feet' episode (The one with Shatner on the plane), I was expecting something of a corny, melancholic experience. But far from it! It was still eery, still weird, still amazing! I'm currently going through more episodes, in an attempt to re-live my childhood, and give me the frights once more.

The great thing is, a lot of these episodes are now on YouTube. And instead of doing more jabbering, I thought I'd put the episode I just mentioned on this very blog, right here. 20 minutes of terror, intrigue, and sci-fi at it's finest. Welcome to...The Twilight Zone.

Retro Monday: Xenon II Megablast (Amiga)

2010-07-24T13:33:00.000-07:00

I'm so glad that I played a pirate copy of this game. Just look at this box art. Imagine THIS on the shelf at Gamestation:

It looks like a Fishmongers, on acid. Bad acid. I actually couldn't believe this was the box art for the game, as I had never seen it before. But it doesn't matter anymore, as what does matter, is that this was an INCREDIBLE game.

Before we start, I thought I'd tell an embarassing story, and what made me remember all about this charming game. My Uncle, the pirate king, used to hardly play any of the games he copied for me and my cousins. But when I used to go on holiday to visit them, he used to make an exception, and play Xenon with me. The game was prone to occasional crashing. My Uncle, the crafty git, capitalised on this, and claimed that if I didn't dance around the room whilst it loaded, it would definitely crash. Cue me dancing around the room, in a somewhat wild and erratic manner, desperate to get to the next level, with my family laughing.

I was 7. But to be honest, I'd still dance around the room today if I had a copy. You can't jinx these things.

Xenon was a space shooter. Gradius style, but scrolling upwards. Incredibly hard, but the cracked version had cheats. The game looked, for the time, amazing. Really crisp graphics, really sharp and really polished for the time. The game was made by Bitmap Brothers, who did a sterling job in crafting this. I even remember back then how good it looked.

The game was fantastic, if a little formulaic. But this isn't what the game is ever going to be remembered for. No, Xenon has and always will be nostalgically thought of as 'the game with the awesome music'. Even when I was 7, I had awesome taste. The intro is what EVERYONE remembers about Xenon, as it was a 8-Bit version of the track 'Megablast' by Bomb The Bass. And it sounded INCREDIBLE. I even think it sounds better than the original. Imagine, in 1989, loading up your Amiga, and hearing this:

In the time where it's closest competitor was Rainbow Islands twee version of 'Somewhere over the Rainbow', this was like nothing you'd ever heard before. I still get all giddy thinking about it, and these days I often have to restrain myself from jumping up, dancing around so that I stop people's games all over the world crashing.

And we've not even had chance to talk about the in-game money mechanic. Mid-way and at the end of every level you're confronted with Colin, the alien who bears more than a striking resemblance to Predator:

The power-ups you could buy looked fantastic, and added a real depth to the game. They were little floating satellites that attached to the sides of your ship, floating along with you and offering a variety of meaty lasers, rockets and all other manner of boy-hood sci-fi weaponry. Colin was also a cheeky scamp, being genuinely funny, and often insulting.

Once again, a great game is made even better when combined with my fond memories. The more I think about it, it's that it's purely the game that is shaping these experiences, making me remember these little silly things, as I cling on to my memories of fantastic computer games. Xenon served as a shining example of a game that can soar above it's humble parts, with a bit of style and some graphical polish.

And Peter Molyneux is a massive fan. If it's good enough for the creator of Fable and Dungeon Keeper, It'll do for me.

Marvel-lous.

2010-07-19T06:27:00.000-07:00

I've just been away for the weekend. And last week, my new iPhone arrived. Safe in the knowledge I wasn't going to get any reception unless I held it suspended with a piece of string, I decided to investigate more and more apps. My old iPhone was full of useless junk, silly apps that I'd forgotten to get rid of, and really didn't need. No more, as I decided that my new phone would be sleek, useful and cool. It was then that I stumbled upon the Marvel Comics app, and was taken aback.

I wasn't sure what to expect. To be totally honest, I was expecting some scanned-in JPEGs, for twice the price. But no! Somewhere inbetween a PowerPoint presentation and a TV Cartoon series, the comics take on a whole new form, as the frames have dynamics, and really add to the pacing of the story.

And the store is actually easy to use. unlike some of the other comic shops I've used since, the Marvel and DC store are incredibly easy to use. Let's not kid ourselves, they want our hard-earned dollars, but they do it in such an easy and pleasurable way, it makes for a very pleasant experience. Like being robbed by your nan. They do some good introductory comics for free, that entice you in and show you the brilliance of the work they've done.

So far, I've been enjoying the House of M series, and have realised this is going to open another dimension into how many comics I'm going to read. If you haven't checked it out yet, give it a look. It may just reignite the love affair with the idiot's novel once more. It may even make you find something stupid in a Museum gift shop, pretending you're Dr Doom.

Oh dear.

We have a YouTube channel....

2010-07-16T15:58:00.000-07:00

Launched this morning called 'ChannelGainboy.' This new channel demands new subscribers, comments and your own video recommendations. Created by our own Drluciansanchez it features different playlists ranging from favourite t.v clips to amazing game trailers.

Clink the link to head there now....
please Subscribe and enjoy
www.youtube.com

Hip-Hop, with a videogame twist...

2010-07-16T05:03:00.000-07:00

This is a short but very sweet post today, but if something is good it's worth bringing to your attention world. Good afternoon, ladies and Gentleman and welcome to the 9Lives Battle Tour !! Set up by my friend and work collegue Joe public AKA J-toker this epic rap battle sees him touring 9 cities, on 9 different dates facing off against 9 different opponents.
Kicking off 23rd october 2010, who will you choose for a flawless victory!

Checkout these links to find out more about this upcoming event.
Also look out for 'Soapbox' the new fusion band featuring J toker and members of Population 4

www.facebook.com
www.myspace.com/jtokeruk

Load up and enjoy,
The good Dr

Metro 2033: Terrible, but Fantastic.

2010-07-13T10:36:00.000-07:00

Hey there!

It's been a while. Sorry for my apparent disappearence from the planet, but I've been moving house. Moving one's worldly possessions from one place to another is a lot more stressful and time-consuming than you think, and has left me with little time to think, let alone game. But game I did. The lack of internet meant I've been playing games old-school. No online, no co-op, just straight gaming. Luckily, my latest rental from LoveFilm was exactly that, and I adjusted myself in my new gaming space (my living room) and awaited my internet arrival and killing time with a game that took me totally by suprise. Metro 2033...

Not in a long time has a game intrigued me this much. Absolutely fascinating. I'm almost scared to recommend it so fearlessly, as it's a bit shit. But then it's good. See? Look at the turmoil I'm facing within myself! This game has me flustered, to the point logic is taking a backseat. Let's get a grip, talk about the bad points first, and hopefully restore some kind of order.

The hit detection is shockingly bad. When you shoot a dude, they have to go through an animation before you can cause damage again. This leads to frustration, and approaching the game in an almost rhythym-action manner. We also have the level design being punishing to the point of sadism in parts, and god-awful Faux-Russian voice acting. Add to this uninspiring gunplay and a rather disappointing ending, and it's difficult to see why I'm writing about this game at all.

But it's the atmosphere that makes this game an intriguing little purchase. All throughout the game, you can see it's made for about 20p, but you can also see that it's less-than-average parts are held together by the passion, sweat and spit of the designers that made it. It bleeds honesty, and vision. You can tell this is a team who had grand, grand ideas, and were only limited by time. By setting the game in confined spaces, and dark environments, the game has given itself a headstart. They obviously didn't have the time or the money to make grand, open-air vistas. But this doesn't matter, as by setting it in narrow and confined spaces, even little pieces of grandeur seem absolutely decadent compared to the paranoia-inducing corridors of the rest of the game.

After tunnels of unspeakable evil and dank, empty halls, a settlement really is awe-inspiring, and you feel genuinely safe when you walk past the armed garrison, and into the safety of an occupied metro station. Metro 2033's greatest strength is it's dark, terrifying atmosphere. Even clunky story-telling can't mess it up. Metro 2033 plants a sticky grenade on Halo's neck, and watches it's saccharin-sweet innards brightly explode everywhere, as it sinks back into it's black tunnels, wiping the purple blood from it's tattered rags. An antidote to the sci-fi shooters of late that keep things 'kid-friendly'.

Indeed, I have not played such an atmospheric and scary game in some time. There really is a sense of desperation about the levels, due to both their shortness, and overall feel and setting. The sound design is also fantastic for heightening the tension. So much so that when you hear a monster shriek in the distance, you really do shit yourself. It instills in you a sense of fear, a sense of urgency, and a sense of dread. All from a sound. The art direction is also pretty excellent, with the guns and the thought process behind them being spot-on, and meticulously planned. Pneumatic Ball-Bearing rifles being a prime example of clever thinking, a rationale that as bullets have become harder to come by, the Russians have looked to other ways to make weapons to protect themselves.

So, Metro 2033. Shit but also exceedingly good. It's already £20, and I can see it going down even further. But trust me, you may just fall in love with it. The last time I was this suprised by a game was when I bought The Darkness. Best £3 I ever spent.

Retro Monday: Spaced (Tv)

2010-07-11T14:58:00.000-07:00

OK, so not technically 'Retro', but at 11 years old I like to think that the influence that Spaced has had on comedy is very great indeed. We wouldn't have even seen a lot T.v shows or films made.
This sounds extreme but its true, if you need proof I'll be talking about that later.

Right lets start at the beginning, an unknown channel 4 sit-com first aired in 1999 starring a group of unknown comedians/actors. It's set in a south London suburb about two failing twenty-some thing's Tim Bisley and Daisy Steiner and their Zoo of odd friends. Their constant struggle to meet with life's curve balls gives them a chance to get into some colourful adventures, throw in a tonne of rapid fire pop culture references mixed with the often surreal cartoonish flashback sequences and ...dingdingding We've got a winner!
A writing team of Simon Pegg and Jessica Hynes (then Stevenson) and a shit hot director Edgar Wright saw this show elevate above most standard British sit-coms. One of the reasons for this as an inclusion to my Retro Monday choice is the fact that 'it got me.' I'll explain, the characters talk about movies, they play games, get pissed/high enough to think that everyone is a zombie and they're in "Resident Evil", they give full detail backgrounds on the history of star wars and why the gunner on the star-destroyer is responsible for the whole thing, they drink, take drugs. Its pop culture at it's very finest, unbelievable amounts crowbar'd in to each lovingly crafted episode. 14 were made and 14 is enough, very much like The office did always leave them wanting more.
So lets take a (brief) look at the characters and story, I wanted to blog about spaced and talk what its done for the industry not so much a list of character and episode intricacies. Simon Pegg plays lovable loser Tim Bisley, who happens to meet the equally lovable Daisy Steiner (played by Jess Hynes) in a local cafe. On the off-chance, their both looking for somewhere to live and over a little persuasion they decide to pose as a couple to rent a local flat. Problem solved? right?
Marsha (the excellent Julia Deakin) is the landlady of said property and needs to stay convinced that Tim & Daisy are a couple or its out you go. Living below them is the artist/painter and social outcast Brian (played superbly by Mark Heap) who becomes friends with the new duo on the day they move in. Invited to a house warming party we get the first taste of Army obsessed Mike Lewatt (Nick Frost) and Twist (katy Carmicheal) a friend of Daisy's. This ragtag group of geeky, awkward, fashion obsessed army nerds somehow form a kind of family. A strange dysfunctional opposites attract kind-of family. And we loved it!

OK, my fellow bloggers will agree with me here that without this program we wouldn't have some very delicious comedy morsels to chew on. As i was mentioning at the top of this blog Spaced's knock -on effect is like a pebble in a pond. In particular Edgar wright, Simon Pegg and Nick frost's careers have gone from strength to strength.
No spaced means no Shaun of the Dead, Hotfuzz, or Scott Pilgrim (well, looking that good anyway.) All 3 of them are now in the super leagues - starring in Spielberg's TinTin bigscreen adap and writing Antman along with fellow funny man scribe Mr Joe 'Cornballs' Cornish.
Tv wise Nick Frost was in Man stroke woman, hyper drive, and the recent Money. He's also writing and starring in 'Paul' with partner Simon Pegg, can't exactly hurt one's chances can it.

For me, I can re watch Spaced over and over and never get bored with it, it's not that i see different things each time no, it's the genius of the character flaws that keep me hooked and of course its now infamous machine gun style editing. The surreal mixed with heart is at the shows centre, Tim & Daisy's will they/won't they romance is at the core of Spaced, of course their complemented with a man who once dressed his dog up in period costumes to take pictures. a man who once stole a tank and tried to invade Paris and twist, a woman so shallow that working in a laundrette is working in fashion.

So dust off that old VHS copy (yep, i had it on video) or collectors edition DVD and re-watch the 14 episode pop culture laced classic that started it all. Great soundtrack too.

Peace and love,
Dr Lucian Sanchez

Crackdown 2 first impressions . . . let the leapathon begin!

2010-07-09T09:47:00.000-07:00

So if any of you guys out there were big fans of the original sleeper crime busting leapathon that was Crackdown, I’m sure you hurried yourselves down to your local game store to pick the answer to your prayers in the form of its sequel Crackdown 2 today.

Now I’ve only sessioned it for a few hours, maybe I’m yet to hit the core of the game but in my opinion it just feels like they’ve repeated the same awesome formula of jump, smack, shoot, blow stuff, blow more stuff up etc. But not much else!? No that this is a necessarily a bad thing but I just didn’t think they’d make Crackdown 1.5, this game has so much potential, just feels like they’ve cut it all a bit short by not taking a few leaps in its production.

The graphics are improved, don’t get me wrong I love the cell shaded look but the city still looks the same, only a bit tattier! I also have some initial gripes with the handling of the combat/lock on system making it impossible to switch between gunning someone down and them beating them with the butt of your machine gun when you get in close (which end ups with you break dancing around one guy while everyone shoots at you). I may just be scraping the surface but already I seem to be repeating the same mission objective of activating three Sun bomb machines, just in different places scattered around the city, I hope this changes or I’m going to be a little bit peeved.

I’m a little dismayed if I’m honest, I just hope the multiplayer redeems itself as this was the biggest let down of the original yet keeping a car in the air with continuous explosions or deciding to lob it at your mate just doesn’t get old.

Khronos out.

Like Peggle? Try Shatter! Go on, I dare you!

2010-06-30T17:02:00.001-07:00

I just picked this little gem off the Steam sale for cheap as chips and was pleasantly surprised, what’s there to argue?

Got a Steam account? Got 2 quid to spare?

Splash it on this Futuristic yet retro Alleyway/Peggle hybrid and you've got something to occupy yourself for 3 minutes or half an hour!It's even got boss battles in it!? Do I need to say more?
Get it done! (If you don't have steam I believe it's up on the PSN aswell!!!)

Sonic Finally Does Some Good

2010-06-29T10:41:00.000-07:00

Sonic, apparently, is currently celebrating his 19th birthday. I've never really cared for the little fella, but Sega have. And to celebrate this year, they're having a sale on some of their Megadrive and Genesis classics, but now in brand-new iPhone and iPod touch flavours. I never knew these games were available previously to this mega deal, but now they've shot up the paid apps chart, and are magnificent, I mean really good.

That's right, they've put Streets of Rage on an iPhone. What an incredible idea! Most of my problems with iPhone games involve the fact that the reactions and accurate button presses that are required simply don't convert to the iPhone. Sega, with their gaming pedigree, have seen to it that this isn't even distinctly a problem. The D-Pad is fantastically responsive, and the button-presses feel fair and real. The only thing I could even possibly suggest is moving to this view, so your fat fingers don't conceal enemies:

It also looks a little crisper. Which isn't a problem in the first place anyway. It's delightful, a faithful remake that looks better than it ever has. Oh, and did I mention Golden Axe? They've got Golden Axe, too. And the price? 59p. FIFTY-NINE PENCE, for Golden Axe. All them early adopters who paid £60 for it 15 years ago are crying into their Amigas now.

I really can't recommend these games enough. After the little-disappointing Tony Hawks Pro Skater 2, these were a welcome addition to my little iPhone, and have suddenly made breaktime at work a whole new experience. I just hope I can stop shouting at the police cars outside to give me backup and fire their RPG.

Retro Monday: The Bedroom (Place)

2010-06-25T10:21:00.000-07:00

In four days, I move house. I finally grow-up, and get a real place with my girlfriend. As well as all the exciting business of getting new furniture and putting up comic-book artwork and such, I realised the other day that my gaming habits are about to change, possibly for good. I thought this deserved to be talked about, and reminisced upon, so here we are. This Monday, I'm going to talk about a place, not a game, and why it is so special in my heart.

My set-up, in my old room about a year ago.

Notice the broken COD disc to the left,

on the Daft Punk Picture. I broke my first

copy by playing it too much. Oooh-Rahhh.

Obviously, in my new place we'll have a lounge. And this is where, amongst the comfortable sofas and coffee tables, will my new gameplaying take place. Fallout: New Vegas will be played sat on a sofa. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood will be played whilst sitting upright, and in a respectable fashion. And to be honest, it scares me a little.

If I think about it, it's been about 14 years since I last had my console in a living room. It was my NES, and it was in the front room, so me and my dad could play Super Mario Bros 3 together, and leave it on overnight, to save it. Ever since these heady days of Italian plumbing, my console has been upstairs, safe in my room, and tucked away. From the days of playing Rock n' Roll Racing on my Snes, to hastily ushering GTA 3 up to my bedroom without my parents aware of what it actually was, sitting on my bed, with my controller in hand, has been the way I've played games for almost as long as I can remember, and now all that's about to change.

What we all aspire to.

And I still do it today. In the house I currently share, my lovely TV is in my room, and I play my games like I've always done: horizontally. The mixture of extreme relaxation and gaming is one of life's finer pleasures, and in recent years, the addition of wireless controllers has meant on Winter nights the old problem of 'cold arms out of the covers holding the controller syndrome' has vanished. Truly what the technology was designed for. Countless games have been completed sitting down, and you can tell when a game truly grips you, as you're bolt upright, glaring intently at the screen. Indeed, when the game is so gripping it calls for a late-night session, it's far more acceptable to the missus to be sat in bed playing, completing that final level.

What we can all hope to achieve.

So, as things change, I'm not sure where I'll be without my trusty bedroom gaming. The place where gaming should be. I didn't write this Retro Monday today to be introspective, or self-obsessed, I wrote it because I wanted to share my thoughts on where we play our games. We always talk about amazing graphics and levels, but we seldom speak about how we enjoy them. I reckon I'm not the only bedroom gamer out there.

I'm already saving up for a second telly, to go in our new bedroom. Good job my girlfriend's got another Xbox!