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Dreamcast Collection – Xbox 360 Review

Dustin Spencer
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2

Game Name: Dreamcast Collection
Platform(s): Xbox 360 (reviewed), PC
Publisher(s): Sega
Developer(s): Sega
Genre(s): Compilation
Release Date: February 22, 2011 (US), February 25, 2011 (EU)
Price: $29.99
BUY NOW!

In 1999, players everywhere got to experience the Sega Dreamcast in all it’s glory when it took the world by storm. The console brought about not just extensions to Sega’s Sonic franchise, but launched many new IPs which caught on quickly with fans and literally became instant cult classics. Sadly, the system itself just could not keep up with the competition from the Playstation 2 and Nintendo’s Gamecube and went out just after two years. Fast forward to today and Sega have released the Dreamcast Collection with four titles that either are, or will be on the Xbox Live Arcade and PSN for the Xbox 360 in a single-disc format. With a new coat of paint on each title as well as achievements and online leaderboards, these four remakes certainly bring back some nostalgia, but do they still stand up against the titles of today? Here is my review for the Dreamcast Collection.

Sonic Adventure


When you think of the Sega Dreamcast, Sonic Adventure is usually one of the first titles that comes to mind. Adventure was Sega’s little blue mascots first trip into a true 3D free-roaming world and brought about features which we still see in Sonic titles to this day.

This version is pretty much made up of the exact experience we seen on the Dreamcast. However, it does lack the DX edition’s extra content such as Mission Mode and the game gear titles which was brought to the Gamecube, but if you remember, we didn’t have those on the Dreamcast version so I overlooked this minor issue (There is however a game-gearless add-on which is on the XBLA for 400 points for those of you who crave a more complete version).

The main story as many of you know by now has the dastardly Eggman after the seven pieces of the legendary Chaos Emerald. Doing this he has also freed Chaos in the process, so it is now Sonic and his friend’s job to restore the emerald and stop Eggman from conquering the world with his new liquid ally. One thing I have always loved about Sonic Adventure was how the story branches out. There are six different characters to play as within Sonic Adventure, those being Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Big and E-102 Gamma, which all play quite differently from one another. After meeting each character in the story, their own unique plot which ties into the main story is unlocked so in a way this leads to many different experiences in one neat little package. It may not sound like too much now, but at the time, having so many different playable characters with such large roles was a big deal.

When I started playing this version, the first thing I noticed was how the whole game looked sharp and boasted some much fresher visuals, even if the picture is not as well formatted for current televisions like many remakes have been over the years. As far as the feel goes, the transfer to the 360 controller also went quite smoothly, but the problem with Sonic Adventure is not the presentation or even the controls really. My only true complaint is that you still have to fight with the camera quite a bit, especially during boss fights. This not only hurts the gameplay, but it also makes this much older release feel it’s true age. Don’t get me wrong, I still had a blast reliving memories of this title and when I entered the Mystic Ruins, it was like I was playing it for the first time all over again so the original charm is still very present. Sonic Adventure still has that nostalgic greatness factor and remains fun to play, but compared to the much more solidly built remakes we see today, it could have used some fine tuning before being released.

Space Channel 5: Part 2
The most unique title on this compilation is without a doubt Space Channel 5: Part 2. Though it was released for the PS2 under the name Space Channel 5: Special Edition, we never actually seen this title released outside of Japan on the actual Dreamcast console itself. SC5P2 is a Rhythm-action title through and through, and uses a “Simon Says” type method of gameplay where you must match the exact beat you hear in a funky outer space setting full of crazy characters.

Starting off in the game, you are quickly thrown into the role of Ulala, a reporter for Space Channel 5 who now must save the world from a new threat, the mysterious Rhythm Rogues lead by Purge, who have kidnapped many citizens including the very flamboyant President and Space Michael. Each character you come across is full of the same funky, bright, and cheery style that this game so well possesses which makes progressing through this gem a blast as there are a lot of interesting sights to see on your journey.

The graphics also do their job quite well and Ulala and friends have never looked better. Honestly though in this title, even though the visuals are wonderful and really fill the game with life, you could play it with your eyes closed as the control set-up is easy to use and make this one of the best examples of a rhythm-action game to date. There are a ton of different songs and beats players will have to match on their quest, each usually being different based on whatever stage you are in. The good thing though is that while the music varies, the controls always stay the same with the UP, LEFT, DOWN, RIGHT, A, B layout. This scheme makes it easier to concentrate on the vast amount of beats you must quickly memorize which gives the game a great pace and puts actual gameplay at the forefront of the experience.

Extra content on this title is also a huge plus, as this title is chucked full of secrets and modes which let you not only experience the core gameplay with Ulala in a 100 stage battle mode, but see a completely different difficulty and lyrics for each tune based on the way you play.

In my opinion, Space Channel 5: Part 2 was my favorite title on the disc for this compilation as it is full of ageless charm and songs that can still get stuck in your head hours after putting down the controller. If you have by chance never tried this small yet bubbly franchise before, now is your chance to get into the groove with one of the finest titles in the genre period or step into this humorous world all over again. Chu! Chu! Chu!

Crazy Taxi


Crazy Taxi is yet another one of those titles that made the Dreamcast so memorable to start with. For the version included in this set, we see the exact same release that hit the Xbox Live Arcade recently which had a few changes from the original. Not that there is anything wrong with that though, as this title still keeps it’s full arcade flare and is a very strong offering, being full of competition along with crazy one-liners and the same fast paced rush to make your clients happy to simply get some cold, hard cash in your pocket.

Our very own Travis Bruno wrote up a detailed review for this version of Crazy Taxi which you can check out for yourself by clicking HERE.

Sega Bass Fishing
Back when this title was released, I will be honest, I did not even give it a look as fishing titles did not appeal to me then, and really do not appeal to me much now except in certain cases. When I started Sega Bass Fishing, I let out a bit of a sigh, thinking it would be a bore and was blown away at how “hooked” I truly became. The main thing that caught me by surprise is that Sega Bass Fishing is not a simulation title whatsoever, instead it is a timed arcade-style title where you must catch fish in different locations, with the emphasis on obtaining a certain weight of fish to complete each level. That is pretty much what the arcade mode in this title consists of, and though it is pretty simple to complete the whole game in one setting, it is quite hard not to want to go at it again.

Consumer mode is also a hefty part in the game, and while it plays about the same, there is a lot more exploration to be had with this mode as well as many new and rare lures which can be unlocked, allowing you to catch bigger fish as your progress. I am aware that there was originally a rod-and-reel controller that was released with the original, and while something like that would have been nice to see, the full experience can still be had with the stand-alone controller.

Instead of just seeing your fisherman in a boat and waiting to see if your line gets a tug, you instantly get an underwater view of your lure as a fish consumes it, leading to an awesome sequence where the music suddenly changes and you must fully control your rod and reel with the analog and button controls to reel in your catch successfully. You are given a guide as well which gave this title a more of an arcade feel as he commentates your experience, giving direction when needed on how to pull in a fish.

The visuals are also nice as well, with the water being detailed and animations are also well done which make everything look and feel as it should. Even by today’s standards, aside from the fisherman’s model in the game, everything seems to have stood the test of time and could give many fishing titles of today a run for their money.

I was happy to find this title in the collection simply because I had no idea what I missed out on so long ago. Sega Bass Fishing is not only a fun fishing game, it also captures the essence of an arcade classic which can be a rare find in the current market of gaming and is simply a joy to play as you compete to land the catch of a lifetime.

Overall
When this whole compilation was announced, I was a bit taken back by the lack of other Dreamcast Classics such as Shenmue, Jet Grind Radio and Seaman, but after spending a whole lot of time with this disc, I can easily say all four titles can lead to hours of pure nostalgia and truly give those who might of missed out on the console a true taste of why it is still one of the most respected systems of all time. Online leaderboards are a great addition as well for the likes of Crazy Taxi, Space Channel 5: Part 2, and Sega Bass Fishing and add a bit more of a reason to compete against players all over the world for that coveted top score. Achievements are a nice addition, but the achievements are just made up of 200 points each, so while these are just four arcade titles on one disc, the way this was done makes the whole compilation feel like arcade titles, which may lead players waiting for these titles to become “Deals of the Week” in digital format rather that getting this disc as a whole.

As far as menus go, there really is a very generic one given that doesn’t boast any sort of extras or even a flashy presentation, which makes this collection more of a simple compilation rather than a true tribute. Honestly, this disc is not a tribute to start with, as it’s main purpose is to bundle together four releases rather than celebrate the actual Dreamcast and if you know Sega, they tend to celebrate their characters with the likes of Sega Superstar Tennis and Sonic & Sega All Stars Racing that have been released over the past couple of years as far as fan service goes. There is no doubt that there could have been more, but in this day and age you take what you can get, and Sega did a great job giving fans four spectacular offerings that all look sharper and play as great as they ever did (aside from the small flaws with Sonic, of course). Add in the discounted price-point for all and the fact that Space Channel 5:Part 2 and Sega Bass Fishing are still not out for download in the XBLA, and players now have one disc that can pack quite a punch for any Sega fan out there with this quite varied and simply fun to pick-up-and-play compilation.

I Give the Dreamcast Collection for the Xbox 360:
8-0-capsules-out-of-10

Achievement Opinions – Portal 2

Dylan Radcliffe
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3
Achievement Opinions – Portal 2

Just like many other people, I am quite excited about the release of Portal 2. I loved the first game, and a second game that adds more puzzles and more elements is simply full of promise! Add co-op on top for you and a friend and we have a package asking to be played. The achievement list in a game is something that always tells me a good estimate of just how long the game is going to last me and how much fun I will have. With that knowledge, I am excited about this achievement list, while disappointed at the same time. You can see the full achievement list after my thoughts.

The list is simply too ordinary. By beating the game in both single player and co-op you will pretty much unlock almost 75% of the achievements. There also isn’t much incentive to go back and replay the entire game; just reload the level you need, get the achievement, and go to the next one. There are a handful of achievements that basically require you to do a random task in a specific chamber, but none of them seem that difficult. I was really hoping to see a few more like “Out of the Blue” from Portal: Still Alive; now that was a fun achievement! What more could you ask for? The achievement pretty much changed the entire way you think and play the game.

Keep in mind, I don’t know how hard any of these achievements will be to get and this is completely based on speculation, but the one achievement that may actually be challenging to get is:

  • Professor Portal – 75 – After completing co-op, complete Calibration Course online with a friend who hasn’t played before.

Honestly, once you beat the game in co-op will there even be a single person out there who hasn’t played the game? I guess it is time to trade 48 hour trial codes with friends so that everyone can make a new account just for this one achievement.

Overall, the achievement list isn’t that bad and I guess I was just expecting a bit more. I don’t know how long it will take to beat the game but once the game is beaten I only see about another 2 or 3 hours of gameplay to clean off the rest of the list.Check out the list for yourself and tell us what you think. There are also 5 avatar awards: 3 shirts, 1 hat, and a companion cube prop.

  • Pit Boss – 30 – Show that pit who’s boss
  • Preservation of Mass – 20 – Break the rules in Test Chamber 07
  • Pturretdactyl – 5 – Use an Aerial Faith Plate to launch a turret
  • Lunacy – 20 – That just happened
  • Drop Box – 20 – Place a cube on a button without touching the cube
  • Overclocker – 30 – Complete Test Chamber 10 in 70 seconds
  • No Hard Feelings – 10 – Save a turret from redemption
  • Schrodinger’s Catch – 20 – Catch a blue-painted box before it touches the ground
  • Ship Overboard – 10 – Discover the missing experiment
  • Final Transmission – 20 – Find the hidden signal in one of the Rat Man’s dens
  • Good Listener – 5 – Take GLaDOS’ escape advice
  • Scanned Alone – 5 – Stand in a defective turret detector
  • The Part Where He Kills You – 20 – This is that part
  • Bridge Over Troubling Water – 10 – Complete the first Hard Light Bridge test
  • SaBOTour – 10 – Make a break for it
  • Stalemate Associate – 15 – Press the button!
  • Wake Up Call – 5 – Survive the manual override
  • You Monster – 5 – Reunite with GLaDOS
  • Undiscouraged – 10 – Complete the first Thermal Discouragement Beam test
  • White Out – 15 – Complete the first Conversion Gel test
  • Tunnel of Funnel – 15 – Master the Excursion Funnel
  • Dual Pit Experiment – 15 – Do the same test twice
  • Tater Tote – 15 – Carry science forward
  • Vertically Unchallenged – 15 – Master the Repulsion Gel
  • Stranger Than Friction – 15 – Master the Propulsion Gel
  • Professor Portal – 75 – After completing co-op, complete Calibration Course online with a friend who hasn’t played before
  • Air Show – 20 – Perform 2 aerial gestures before touching the ground in co-op
  • Portal Conservation Society – 20 – Complete Chamber 3 in the Hard-Light Surfaces co-op course using only 5 total portal placements
  • Empty Gesture – 25 – Drop your co-op partner in goo while they are gesturing by removing the bridge under them
  • Party of Three – 25 – Find the hidden companion cube in co-op test chamber
  • Narbacular Drop – 25 – Place a portal under your co-op partner while they are gesturing
  • Asking for Trouble – 10 – Taunt GLaDOS in front of a camera in each of the five co-op courses
  • Rock Portal Scissors – 20 – Win 3 co-op games of rock-paper-scissors in a row
  • Friends List With Benefits – 50 – While playing co-op, hug 3 different people on your friends list
  • Four Ring Circus – 25 – Enter 4 different portals without touching the ground in co-op
  • Triple Crown – 15 – Solve 3 co-op chambers in the Mass and Velocity course in under 60 seconds each
  • Still Alive – 15 – Complete Course 4 with neither you nor your co-op partner dying
  • Can’t Touch This – 10 – Dance in front of a turret blocked by a hard light bridge in co-op
  • Smash TV – 75 – Break 11 test chamber monitors
  • High Five – 5 – Celebrate your cooperative calibration success
  • Team Building – 10 – Complete all test chambers in the Team Building co-op course
  • Door Prize – 20 – Examine all the vitrified test chamber doors
  • Portrait of a Lady – 10 – Find a hidden portrait
  • You Made Your Point – 10 – Refuse to solve the first test in Chapter 8
  • You Saved Science – 100 – Complete all test chambers in all courses of co-op
  • Iron Grip – 20 – Never lose a cube in Chamber 6 of the Mass and Velocity co-op course
  • Gesticul-8 – 15 – Perform all 8 gestures of your own volition in co-op
  • Confidence Building – 10 – Complete all test chambers in the Mass and Velocity co-op course
  • Bridge Building – 15 – Complete all test chambers in the Hard-Light Surfaces co-op course
  • Obstacle Building – 15 – Complete all test chambers in the Excursion Funnels co-op course

Fractale the anime

Aura
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2

Fractale is a new anime airing in Japan at this moment. It’s an 11 episode science fiction anime, though it appears to still be airing in Japan so there is more to come. The best way to describe this anime is a mix between the Matrix and Castle in the Sky. The Anime is about a world ruled by the ‘Fractale System’ and how a boy who discovers the secret behind the system while searching for a girl called Phyrne.

So far the anime looks like an interesting one, the science fiction and matrix kind of feel intrigues me and makes me want to watch more. So I hope you all check it out with me and even if you don’t, you might as well watch out for some episode reviews :D.

You can even catch Fractale yourself on Funimation’s Website (here) . They currently hold the liscensing rights to Fractale while A-1 studios is animating the series now in Japan.

Crasher PC Review

Scott Bullock
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2
Crasher PC Review


Crasher
Publisher: Punchers Impact
Developer: Punchers Impact
Platforms: PC and Mac (available on Steam)
Price: $15 on Steam Buy Now

Overview:

Crasher is a game that wanted to be good. It took the MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) genre of League of Legends, Heroes of Newerth, and DoTA Allstars and added fast cars, explosions, and sci-fi gravity weapons. Sounds like a winning combination, right?

But poor user interface design, painfully useless control schemes, and more bugs than Paris Hilton’s crotch have successfully brought what was potentially an innovative addition to the MOBA scene to its knees, and as is always the case with a MOBA, the community is what will deal the final blow.

Or should I say, lack of community.

Story:
You want a story? Go read a book. MOBAs are about crushing people in PvP, grinding their bodies to dust, then insinuating things about their mothers that would make a Mexican donkey blush. The story in this game goes a little something like: “See that guy? Kick his ass.”

Graphics:

The game looks… decent. The graphics are okay. It looks fine, acceptable, alright, and passable.  The game takes place in 4 different maps, each of which are varied enough to keep gameplay fresh, and some of the attack animations can be pretty mind-blowing, but all in all its appearance is entirely average. To quote Futurama, “I have no strong feelings one way or the other.”

 

Audio:

This is the first thing that struck me about the game, and it struck me like a punch in the ear. From the very first note of an extremely repetitive score, I was supremely annoyed by this soundtrack. Featuring synth-heavy percussion occasionally punctuated by a whistling melody, I have never heard music be so mind-numbingly dull and yet so rage-inducing at the same time. It’s like somebody took Polly Shore and turned him into a song.

Outside of the god-awful musical numbers, the audio mostly consists of explosions and revving engines, sometimes accompanied by the “SHINK”-ing of bladed weapons and even a “PEW PEW” or two. Maybe I was just glad to have something drown out the demonically screeching soundtrack, but the sound effects seemed well done. Not that they’re going to win any awards for it, or anything. The sounds play at the right time and sound close enough to how they should, what more is there?

Gameplay:

There’s a slight problem with gameplay I should bring up before we progress: Playing this game will be more difficult and time consuming than eating a bicycle, and about as painful a process. Mind you, the game isn’t hard, but getting to a point where you can start a game might take you an hour. Why? Because nobody plays this game.

For being a multiplayer-only game, it sure lacks a multitude of players. I have seen, at any given time, perhaps a maximum of 10 to 15 players online, which made it nearly impossible to review this game in the first place, especially since there is no way to play against AI players in any kind of practice game. In a game where 5v5 arena matches are meant to be commonplace, only having 10 players online creates an obvious problem. This isn’t really a problem inherent to the game itself, but rather a problem with the way the game was marketed.

Let’s compare it to the launch of another MOBA, League of Legends (LoL). Long before LoL was released, beta codes were given out at conventions across the country, playable demos were offered, and invite rewards were doled out. Before it ever came out, LoL had a thriving community, due to the developer, Riot Games, marketing it like hell. How did Crasher get marketed? I have no idea, I never even heard of it until I was asked to review it, which probably means it was not marketed anywhere near as much as it should have been, and it shows. Just ask any of the 30 people who play it.

But let’s ignore the lack of players, and proceed to the game itself; you’ve gotten a few people in the same game room, what now? The game offers 15 cars in 6 categories: melee destructor, ranged destructor, tank, constructor, defender, and repairer; and you have to pick one. It can be confusing at first, as each car will have 4 unique attacks or abilities which allow you to destroy your enemies, help your friends, and create tactical advantages, but after a few games you pick up on at least the general idea of what each class of car can do. The balance is a bit off, and some cars are more powerful than others, but these are problems that are often only corrected by trial and error, over time. This being a brand new game, I won’t put to much weight into balance problems.

Congratulations, you’ve started a game! Lets see if you can- oh, look you bugged out, and the game is now unplayable. I’d say that 1 out of every 3 games I played ended with at least one person unable to move, being locked into an attack animation, or simply getting kicked from the game. Along with a number of graphics bugs, lag, and general tomfoolery on the part of the game’s code, you’re never sure when the game will decide it has taken a sudden, unexplainable dislike to you, and will boot you unceremoniously from the game you just spent a full hour trying to join.

Gritting my teeth and trying again, I eventually started actually playing. The control scheme isn’t the best, but it’ll do, consisting of steering and aiming attacks with the mouse while using WASD to accelerate and strafe, while attempting to select abilities. As of now, there are 2 game modes: Territory Control, a straightforward territory capture game, and Battle Arena, a straightforward battle. According to the “tutorial” (a single screenshot), you can earn experience, level up, and earn new gear for your cars by winning games, a process that will take you an immense amount of time, not only because of the staggering wait between games but because of the advantage that higher level players will have over you. This isn’t a slight boost for them; no, these players can crush you with a thought, a balance issue that I WILL harp on because it is something that should never happen, and that will slow the pace of leveling down to a crawl. I spent several hours playing, and never got passed level 1.

The game might be fun, but I’ll never know, as attempting to play it through the filter of uninspired and nearly unusable UI, numerous bugs and glitches, and dubious wait-times is a similar experience to eating a pie that has been covered in excrement; sure, the pie might be delicious, but it’s just not worth getting through all the shit.

I guess my final verdict will be this: if you want to have fun, don’t play this game; at least not until some bugs are fixed and some people are actually playing. Unless the game suddenly spikes in popularity, I’m afraid I’m going to have to declare Crasher doomed to the mountain of failed online games.

Sadly, Crasher crashed headlong into a brick wall, forcing me to give it

3-0-capsules-out-of-10

‘Alien Breed: Impact’ & ‘Alien Breed 2: Assault’ Review

J. Bradshaw
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3

Game: Alien Breed: Impact and Alien Breed 2: Assault
Consoles: PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 (Reviewed on PS3)
Price: $10USD each
Publisher/Developer: Team17 Software

The creators of the hit series Worms also have a game that is decidedly less goofy and much more violent.  That game is Alien Breed.  Did Team 17, developers behind the game, pull off a digital download feat that surpassed their previous title?  How does the game fare among other games in the same market class?

You play as Chief Engineer Theodore J. Conrad.  Assisted by his AI counterpart, he must save his ship from certain disaster.  After jumping out of hyperspace, the ship Leopold collides with another ship.  As if a damaged space vessel is not enough to deal with, aliens also cross over to your ship.  Like most mysterious creatures, these aliens don’t have friendly intentions.  What is a hardened engineer to do but to take pick up his gun and blow away these blood thirsty enemies.

Each main story cut scene is like a frame from a comic book.  I really wish that Team 17 would have spent a little more time on these parts of the game. Monochromatic color schemes drag these moments down.  This is especially irritating when you view the smaller in-game cut scenes that happen occasionally.  These littler videos are good quality, but they only demonstrate such minor things like where a certain piece of equipment is or where a boss erupts out of the environment.  Nevertheless, even though the presentation may not be the most exciting, the content therein is much better.

Quite simply, this story is fun to play through.  It is an action romp through a unique universe filled with some shallow, but entertaining characters.  Yes, it may not stick with you after your done, and it does not necessarily have the most amazing plot line.  However, it will keep your attention for the entire experience, and I never got bored wondering what was going on.  Instead, I rather enjoyed learning about the heroes and denizens of the world.  In fact, it was the prime reason that I kept playing the game.

Alien Breed’s camera is in a top down isometric view.  As with most games that have this type of camera, it does cause problems.  Cramped corridors can make navigation annoying.  Nonetheless, it is nice to play a shooter that isn’t an FPS; the variety is nice.  Plus, the controls are set up in way that makes the camera less of a pain.  Pressing the L1 or L2 key will allow you to turn view an incremental amount with each press. Although it takes a little bit of getting used too, the controls are not impossible to manipulate.  You can also move around in 360 degrees, while using the twin stick control system to gun down the fools attacking you.  One stick controls your laser sight and the other your body.    Different gun types and weapons add additions to the game too.

In order to complete the game, you must explore the ship collecting items, repairing consoles or ransacking dead bodies.  Initially, I felt that this was much too repetitive.  After all, most of the time, you are merely running from one computer to the next.  In between these machines, you have to battle aliens or upgrade your stats, guns and health.  However, I quickly became addicted to this cycle.  I kept thinking that I would just upgrade one more time.  Or, just one more way point.  One more gun battle.  Finally, I realized that I was actually having fun.  Alien Breed is extremely linear.  You literally walk up to a computer and hold down X for 5 seconds hundreds of times.  Performing these actions dozens of times throughout the 5 surprisingly long levels may seem like lazy design.  These elements are actually fun though, as each time you do them  you feel like you are accomplishing something and that parts of the ship are coming alive again.  I should note though that all the enemies are recycled, but the boss battles are not bad if you like arena style firefights that devolve into wars of attrition.

One part about the game that I did hate though was the unbalanced gunplay.  I constantly felt like I was out of ammo.  Most of the time, I ended up running around with my underpowered pistol struggling to get through.  The game also uses an the outdated system of health packs.  Scrounging around to pick up health packs, and then dying a few minutes later only to have to go back and collect the same health packs again can be frustrating, especially when your low on health and facing a mountain of fast paced enemies.  Dying 10 times in a row is even worse when you have to wait 30 seconds to respawn.If you do get easily thwarted by difficulty, I would recommend setting the initial play through on Rookie setting, as the game scales up pretty fast.  Changing the brightness settings also helped me to actually see what I was shooting at too.

For only ten dollars each though, you do get your money’s worth.  When I first started up the game, I immediately said to myself, “Dang, these graphics are good!”  The 2nd game in the series has improved graphical performance, but they both look very fine.  Bumbling around in a broken down spacecraft is all the more awesome when it looks spectacular.  Detailed they are, down to the gleaming floors and the fleshy alien guts.

Both games have coop modes, although these feel a little tacked on.  The sequel has a mode called Survivor though.  It is basically a coop firefight wave mode, where the baddies just keep on coming and don’t stop.  This adds to the value of the game and makes replayability options greater.  This mode is also available for single player.

In conclusion, Alien Breed feels like a game from the last generation of consoles.  It is a solid action game, but it is also very samey.  No matter how addicted I got, I still couldn’t shake the feeling that I was just replaying the same game  over and over.  Both games each had very similar objectives, and only the story and some of the artwork was different.  All in all, for this price you are getting  a quality game that has quite a few features and lots of neat weapons.  If you have only the money to get one of these, I would suggest purchasing Alien Breed 2: Assault.  Gameplay improvements and graphical enhancements make it the best  option.  In addition, you won’t be confused by the story, as the developers put a special beginning  video in there just for such occasions.

7-5-capsules-out-of-10

Nintendo 3DS Officially Launches in Japan…

Dustin Spencer
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4

In case you didn’t already know, today, February 26th marks a huge milestone for Nintendo with the release of the Nintendo 3DS in Japan. As I type this I am sure many Japanese gamers are now breaking in their consoles and getting to work on some of the launch titles which makes me just a tad jealous.

The new system is packed full of features such as the ability to play titles in full 3D (with a depth slider) on the top screen as well as take 3D pictures, a motion sensor and gyro sensor allowing the player to tilt the system to react to certain titles and applications, and the Nintendo Streetpass and SpotPass functions which will make the handheld a bit more social by trading and transferring data among other 3DS’ instantly.

Of course if you have been keeping up, you should know all that by now. It looks like the console is selling extremely well, as fans have been said to be “lining up around retailer’s blocks everywhere” just to get the new device, with the systems selling out quickly all over Japan. This now means that soon it will be our day to get the Nintendo 3DS with the release dates of February 25th for the UK, 27th for the US, and 29th for Australia. I am sure this release will be just as big everywhere else, but for now we must wait to see the numbers from the first week’s sales. This also means that news should start to flow out about how the device handles, or if there are any problems with the unit.

There have been tons of unboxing videos on Youtube from Japan in the past 12 hours which I have spent quite a bit of time watching myself, but I now leave you with one that simply shows how sleek the 3DS really is, as well as showing off the size and cartridge slot which it will boast. Check that clip out below, and we will keep you updated as more news comes in.

Parasite Eve rated by ESRB for PS3

Travis Bruno
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After months of waiting it seems that Parasite Eve might actually be coming to the U.S. Playstation Network as a PsOne Classic. Of course nothing is official at the moment because the only way that we have receieved any news that it would actually be coming now is a rating by the ESRB which has Parasite Eve listed for the PS3 and the PSP.

Besides getting a Mature rating there currently isn’t much known other than the fact that the publisher is being listed as Sony Computer Entertainment which sets it up perfectly for a PsOne Classic release. In the past PsOne classics have shown up on the ESRB and then released a few weeks later so this bodes well for fans of Parasite Eve and also place a release date close to the release of The 3rd Birthday.

SOCOM 4 Move bundle announced at $150 “Full Deployment” price

Travis Bruno
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SOCOM 4 Move bundle announced at $150 “Full Deployment” price

How much does it cost to get a full deployment for SOCOM 4? About a $150 according to Sony and Zipper Interactive because they just announced a nice little bundle that will give you everything you need to enjoy SOCOM 4 when it is released (PS3 excluded of course). The bundle is called SOCOM 4 Full Deployment Edition and will include the game itself, a PS Move controller, the Navigation controller, PlayStation Eye camera and finally the Sharp Shooter gun.

This bundle will arrive on stores the same day as the regular edition on April 19th. This bundle is a decent deal which will save you about $10 if you bought the PS Move bundle separately from the game itself. Also you get a decent looking plastic peripheral to attach your Move to. Then again if you already have a Move set then this bundle obviously isn’t for you.

PSP price permanently dropped to $130

Travis Bruno
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With the NGP announced and the 3DS shipping in under a month Sony must have thought that it was time to make selling PSPs even easier. They have just announced that the PSP-3000 will be dropped to a price tag of $130 permanently. This means that this isn’t a simple sale with the price rising back to normal in a few weeks but a full price cut. The bundles that are still available in stores for the PSP-3000 will be cut down to $160 as well. The current price for the PSP Go is still $200 but that is expected to drop within the next few weeks.

Also announced today was the addition of a few more games to the Greatest Hits collection which drops their price tag down to $20 and you can find these games below:

  • Assassin’s Creed Bloodlines
  • Dissidia Final Fantasy
  • LittleBigPlanet
  • Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
  • Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters
  • Resistance: Retribution
  • Toy Story 3: The Video Game

Plus a handful of other games were added to the Favorites category which puts their price down to an easily affordable $10 mark. Catch the full list below:

  • Crisis Core – Final Fantasy VII
  • Daxter
  • Monster Hunter Freedom Unite
  • Killzone: Liberation
  • SOCOM US Navy SEALs: Fire Team Bravo
  • Tomb Raider Anniversary

Prototype 2 Gets a new Helicopter Kicking Teaser…

Dustin Spencer
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We still have well over a year before Prototype 2 sees a release, but today Radical Entertainment revealed a new teaser which was inspired by a Penny Arcade strip. If you are familiar with Penny Arcade, back when the original title came out, Gabe gave off some of his own reasoning of why you should purchase Prototype, and a bit of that very strip starts off this clip, followed up by the main protagonist in Prototype 2 performing a kick to a helicopter just as Gabe described it two years ago. Pretty awesome if I do say so myself for the developers to not only reference, but release a whole trailer based on a Penny Arcade comic.

It will indeed be a long wait for Prototype 2 to release, but with clips such as this being used for early hype, there is no doubt that this sequel will arrive with much anticipation and fanfare. Check out the Copter kicking teaser below for yourself and hopefully many more of these teasers will release throughout the year.

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