Talented artist and youtuber Harry Partridge is pretty excited about Skyrim (as are most of us). Known for his funny videos and parodies, he decided to create a little buzz for Skyrim by making this awesome song and video. Check it out, it’s sure to make you chuckle.
Bionic Commando Rearmed 2
Platform: PSN & XBLA
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Fatshark
Release Date: Feb 1, 2011 (XBLA) Feb 2, 2011 (PSN)
Price: 1200 MS points/$15
Bionic Commando Rearmed 2 (not to be confused with Bionic Commando 2, the failed franchise reboot that released in 2009) is a sequel to the retro remake of the original Bionic Commando that was released on the NES. Keeping in line with Capcoms “living in the past” attitude, the game is made to mimic the restricted development of titles from the 90’s, much like its predecessor. However, in this latest installment the developers decided to be a little risky and add in the ability to jump (gasp!). Let’s see if this modern addition, among a few others, is enough to ruin the game or help
Story
Alright, I’m just going to say this now, there isn’t much story. You are 90’s era badass Nathan Spencer sporting the good ol’e spiky hair and manly mustache he was known for (also his big, bionic arm). You are part of a special team of bionic commandos (hey! That’s the title!) on a mission to rescue your former captain and confront Fidel Castro…errr…I mean General Vicente Sabio, dictator of the “Papagayan Islands” (totally not Cuba, nope)
The story is little more than an explanation as to why you are doing the things you are doing. You can get through the game without ever paying attention to the story and nothing will be different. A handful of cutscenes or dialogue contain tongue-firmly-planted-in-cheek jokes and one-liners that would only make your grandma laugh. The name of the game here is corny, pure 90’s style.
Gameplay
So this is where I’m going to do the most talking since much needs to be explained. I preface this section with the sentence, “Remember this is a RETRO game.”. However, just because it is made to feel like it was made in the 90’s does not mean it WAS made in the 90’s. Technology has allowed us to make a FEW improvements in the creation and development of games and so you should keep that in mind throughout this review.
First and foremost, the grapple. The grapple is essentially what made this franchise initially successful, without it it was just another piece of shovelware at the time. You use your grapple to deflect attacks, grab objects and latch onto ceilings and overhangs to traverse the level. Traditionally this was the ONLY way you were able to get airborne, even in the first remake, Bionic Commando Rearmed (1). In Rearmed 2, thankfully (and much to the chagrin of the hardcore retro fanatic) there is a jump button. The jump isn’t like Masterchief’s or Samus’s moon jump, but it will at least aid in your travels. For all of you diehard Bionic Commando fans (if these even exist), the game rewards you with an achievement/trophy for never jumping, so at least you have that to look forward to since each and every level has been designed to be beaten WITHOUT the use of jumping, jumping just helps (a lot).
Second is the difficulty, which is to say moderate. This isn’t Mega Man challenging, but to the average gamer it will provide a challenge. On the “normal” difficulty setting you lose about 1/3 to 1/4 of your health from taking a bullet from an enemy. Luckily, enemies only shoot one bullet every 5 or 10 seconds (even though they have a machine gun, more retro inspired backpeddling). They also take about 10 shots to die, but you can mash the shoot button to dole out the damage relatively quickly, not to mention you get a handful of weapons that prove much more efficient.
Lumped into this difficulty is also the controls. Much of the game surrounds the use of the bionic arm (grapple). You use it to pick up barrels, flip switches and swing around, swinging being it’s most needed function. As you progress the game will require you to make more and more precise maneuvers with the grapple while swinging, which to some will seem downright impossible if not only because of the way the grapple is implemented. You can only shoot the grapple in 3 directions, Up, Diagonal Up and to the side. When I say 3 I MEAN only three, none of this “wherever the analog stick is pointing” nonsense like gamers have come to expect. This becomes an issue when pressing the grapple button will have it shoot diagonally by default unless you are holding up for up (duh) or…get this, down for to the side. I really can’t explain to you how frustrating it is to try and manage with that while swinging around trying to grapple JUST the right spot to make up into a secret area. Having “shoot to the side” mapped to down is completely counterintuitive and will likely serve as nothing more than a thorn in the players side.
Movement is very “clunky” (again made to feel like a retro title, not an improvement). While the game does look very good, graphically, it’s better to just imagine it as an assortment of blocks. By that I mean don’t think you can “cheat” the game by timing a jump just right and managing to get to an area that would have required more work. The jump is only one “block” (or half-block, it seems) high and only 1 block long, so it won’t get you very far. Due to your grapples poorly developed directional issues, if you make a wrong jump or grapple and find yourself quickly falling into a pit, there isn’t much you can do. You can ONLY latch onto ceilings and overhangs, not walls so you will need to hope there is an overhang on your way down or you aren’t making it back alive.
Enough complaining, I’ll explain a typical level. You mainly go from point A to point B, left to right (with some vertical travel thrown in) while taking down a few guards along the way. As you progress you find new items and abilities such as a grenade, health regen (never use anything else but this) electric arm, etc.. These are all used to get through the level in a sort of metroidvania fashion. I mention metroidvania because you will come across obstacles or secrets that you can’t access until you have an ability or item that you find later in the game, requiring some backtracking. Some don’t like that, but honestly I love that mechanic, it rewards exploration and experimentation, two things that video games are based on so kudos to you Rearmed 2. At several points you are told to hold the right trigger to enter “biovision” to essentially pause the game and began scanning the screen for marked set pieces and objects. Once found, hover over them and press a button to find out more info, be it tips on how to play, what to do or what an enemies weak spot is. Toted as a new and innovative feature, it’s pretty forgettable. Useful for when you are just starting out and finding out what a bosses weak spot is but it is by no means a core mechanic that will change the way you play. At the end of some levels are “bosses”. I use quotes because at the start these are nothing, one is a soldier with a helmet that you need to grapple to weaken, another is a tiny R2D2-like robot that you need to grapple to weaken, etc.. They generally don’t pose much of a threat, though later on you fight some pretty monstrous bosses like a giant robotic monkey. Nice sense of progression, but the beginning is a bit too rinky-dinky if you ask me.
Presentation
Aside from the poor, retro mechanics that plague the title, the game actually looks quite good. Sporting that pseudo 2d-3d style that is gaining popularity (much to the thanks of Shadow Complex), graphically the game hits the mark. Unlike Shadow Complex, however, Rearmed 2 doesn’t make much use of the background or foreground. It’s more just a visual style than it is part of the experience. Basically what I’m saying is, they could have done without it and the game would be no different, it just looks nice. Upgrades and collectables visually appear and change on Nathan which is a nice touch as some games simply refuse to do that (cough cough FINAL FANTASY cough cough). Animations look smooth even if they act clunky, set pieces are somewhat interactable at times such as a truck backing into playable space to unload a soldier, pulling on a support beam to cause a ceiling to collapse, etc.. The audio is VERY retro, which some may like. It’s not my cup of tea but that is a matter of preference, so to each his own. One thing I will say, however, is that in a handful of the levels, part of the music involves a repetitive chime or jingle which might trick you into thinking something you are doing is affecting the game. It’s just part of the music so don’t panic. Also to be noted is the game’s length, which is actually pretty substantial. The game will take you 10-15 hours to beat and collect everything which honestly is pretty good for a digital game. Some full-priced retail games last shorter than that.
Final Thoughts
Bionic Commando Rearmed 2 isn’t bad (you know a game is great when the reviewer needs to emphasize that) but it isn’t great. If you are REALLY itching for some hardcore retro action with an updated look, I would suggest you look for something else like the Mega Man games, Castlevania or Shadow Complex. Heck even Metroid Other M might work. But with a $15 price tag and restrictive DRM (it REQUIRES that you be online while you play, if you aren’t online then you CANNOT play it) I really can’t recommend this game to anybody with all honesty. If there is ever a sale that brings it down to $10 (preferable 7 or 8, half of the original price) or a change of heart from Capcom with the ridiculous DRM then I would feel better recommending this, but at the current price point with it’s restrictive DRM and handful of problems this title really isn’t worth picking up.
As it currently stands, Bionic Commando Rearmed 2 gets…
A few days ago, THQ revealed their Fiscal 2011 Third Quarter Results and it had a bit of news on the latest Company of Heroes title & WWE Online which were both slated to release in the future. Unfortunately, it appears that both titles have now been officially canceled. THQ had this statement in their report:
In the fiscal third quarter, the company reevaluated its strategy of adapting certain Western content for free-to-play online games in Asian markets. As a result, the company’s fiscal third quarter non-GAAP results exclude a charge of $9.9 million related to the cancellation of Company of Heroes Online and WWE Online.
Company of Heroes has quite a following, so I am sure Relic will find a new publisher or continue on just fine. What strikes me as odd though is that WWE Online has been scrapped when WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2011 was being boasted earlier in the results as shipping 2.7 million units so far. I can understand cost-cutting procedures, but WWE titles sell like wildfire for THQ and to see a title with great potential cut so soon is rather disappointing. Then again, with the other upcoming THQ titles such as Homefront, WWE All Stars, and de Blob 2, 2011 just may be a fantastic year for the company. I think only time will tell if we see WWE Online ever surface again, but for now wrestling fans will have to get their online fix with e-feds and SvR 2011’s online features.
Crazy Spammer
Developer/Publisher: Undercoders
Platform: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
Genre: Action/Puzzle
Released: 3 February
Price: (US)$0.99
BUY NOW
Chances are if you’ve got an email address, then you have experienced spam at one time or other. Some email services manage to filter it out and either mark it as spam or send it the junk inbox, but would you be happy to do this if you knew spam was actually a cute little guy on a mission to visit everyone’s computers whilst being on the run from the Internet Police. This is the situation Crazy Spammer puts you in: you play as Little Spammy as he traipzes across the internet on his journey to deliver as many spam messages as possible without being snuffed by interferences like the Internet Police, internet security and firewalls, and spam filters.
The gameplay is puzzle-orientated, although unlike a lot of puzzle games, this game can easily come under an ‘action’ heading as well, with frequent frantic encounters with different types of obstacles for you to overcome on your journey to guide Little Spammy through the pipelines of the internet. Little Spammy moves of his own accord but you must shape the world around him and organise the various routes of the internet to guide him to his destinations by sliding the tiles. This may sound simple, but when you take into account that there are the Internet Police roaming through the circuit on some tiles, and computers put up firewalls and spam filters after visits which then need to be dealt with before visiting again, it quickly becomes very tricky indeed.
It offers an easy to learn but difficult to master style of play. When you first play it the simplicity of it makes it seem easy: it looks slow paced and relatively basic. But the introduction of just one Netcop or a firewall can take the game to a whole new level. With these hurdles in the way, you have to focus not only on organising the puzzle, but evading the Internet Police and picking up a power-up to remove the firewall blocking access to one of the docking stations. It is also difficult to master because of the sheer range of advanced techniques the simple mechanics open up. Soon you learn to move the tile Little Spammy is on, on top of the ones around him, to open up a whole new play-style.
And this is just the easy mode. You may find yourself getting in a tangle in this mode once all the games features are put into use, but the game comes in three difficulty modes, Easy, Normal and Hard, meaning anyone looking for a challenge needn’t look any further. What may at first look as shallow as a puddle turns out to be as endless as an ocean – it is completely mind-boggling at times and one small lapse in concentration usually spells disaster.
However, this isn’t to say it is inacessible. Because it is basic at heart, anyone can play it and enjoy it – the range of difficulty levels futher cement this point. The cutesy art-style brings a life to spam that almost creates a feeling of empathy, and the game has a sense of humour that will keep you on your toes and ensure that it isn’t bog-standard grinding to get a high score, as there is certainly some laughs to be had at Undercoders imagining of the Internet.
Overall, Undercoders have created a nice blend of action and puzzle, which when combined with the charming concept and presentation, produces a fast-paced and somewhat addictive game. Features such as highlighting your character’s trajectory are thoughtful inclusions which help the game to run smoothly and caters for younger players too, but a steep difficulty curve could prove too much for some. Crazy Spammer, quite literally, provides a bang for your buck. The presentation is good, it offers a range of difficulty and it is a fairly original too. The sound effects are a bit naff and aren’t really up to scratch, but considering it is only $0.99, you can hardly complain.
The verdict: A cheap thrill that’s not for everyone but definitely worth a blast at that price.
Pros
Cons
Remember back when you were younger and Power Rangers were great sources of watching teenage kids beating the snot out of monsters in completely unbelievable costumes and combine-able robot animals to form the Megazord? Well they are actually still around even though there have been so many iterations now that Zordon is nothing but a distant memory.
Regardless of that fact however, Namco Bandai has just partnered up with Saban Brands which owns the rights to Power Rangers Samurai. The samurai Power Rangers will master the ancient Samurai Symbols of Power and control the elements of nature like Fire, Water, Sky, Forest and Earth. There master (not Zordon) will be called Ji and their Zords will be a lion, dragon, ape, turtle and bear.
Carlson Choi who is the VP of Marketing at Namco Bandai had this to say about their new partnership with Saban Brands:
“As we kick off the year as the new NAMCO BANDAI Games, strategic partnerships are a key focus for us. Under this new partnership, I look forward to leveraging our strengths and capabilities with Saban Brands to increase our mutual reach with high quality game content. We are definitely excited to bring the Power Rangers series under our roster of titles.”
What type of game would you want them to make, considering its been years since a Power Rangers game was even made? Apparently the first game will feature the Power Rangers Samurai, which mark the 19th season of Power Rangers.
Never say that a used game company hasn’t done anything for you, at least not if you are living in the UK that is. GAME, the UK retailer, has listed up an edition of Yakuza 4 that is called the Kuro Edition. Kuro means black in Japanese, such as kuroneko meaning black cat. Now this Kuro Edition will include a steel casing to help protect your usual flimsy plastic game case.
Despite the fact that the steel case is nice already, there are additional in-game contests which include new costumes for all of the in game characters, such as the wrestling outfits and suits seen above. Also given out is a survival mode where you must battle against bosses from the game, a underground fighting arena, and a racing mode apparently. Perhaps the most interesting feature for this package is the fact that it costs the exact same amount as your standard edition game, which is listed at £49.99. There is no sign of this edition going international at this point in time.
Square Enix just announced the existence of Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection on Tuesday and they have decided that after that news had settled into the minds of it’s fans, that it was time to release a trailer to help hype up the game’s existence. There are a number of diferent characters shown off in the video such as Rydia and Edge as well as a few other faces that may ring a bell to fans of the series.
Also we see that Square Enix is quick to reveal that they have apparently created an entirely new storyline that will help connect The After Years with Final Fantasy IV without any major jump in-between them. Unfortunately not much is known at the moment about this storyline but it is always good to see the classics revisited and revised. Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection will be hitting shelves in the US on April 19th for $30.
As the world of technology continues to grow, more and more updates and DLC is being submitted into the gaming world. Either big (Xbox 360 and Playstation 3), or small (iPod Touch and DSI) there coming to a screen near you! But today we won’t be looking at the big gaming systems, but in fact the simple and small game of “Burn The Rope” for the iPod/iPhone from Big Blue Bubble.
You may already know the “Cut The Rope” App with it’s complicated twists, turns, buttons, cute little monsters and cutting of the rope, has levels you must complete with up to a three star standard and a medium to hard game play depending on how far you get. “Burn The Rope” however, has completely changed up it’s game play, with having to rotate your device to keep the flame burning along the rope. It has the same sort of background as “Cut The Rope” but instead of collecting stars you get little tokens depending on how far you’ve burnt the rope, other similarities include, the level option which in both games you get to complete levels and then move on to a different stage, to having a little cute character as your mascot.
To be honest, you need a little bit of time to get use to the game, it’s controls and the specials it gives you along the way, but overall it is $1.19(AU) or 99c (US) well spent and hopefully the gaming and the level updates keep coming soon, providing us with hours of fun!
Download your copy today from the iTunes Store
Following successful historical strategy games as Birth of America, American Civil War, Napoleon’s Campaigns, and Wars in America, Pride of Nations is an upcoming turn-based strategy game for the PC from Paradox Interactive and developer AGEOD/Paradox. History lovers can look forward to taking control of a country and guiding it through industrialization, military conquest, and colonization. Eight nations are available to go to war with in both single and multiplayer: USA, Great Britain, Germany, France, Japan, Russia, Austria-Hungary and Italy. AGEOD / Paradox have released a rather interesting trailer that can be viewed below, and it has announced Pride of Nations will include the following features:
Main Features:
•Immerse yourself in realistic historical gameplay set on a global map
•Play as the world’s Great Powers between 1850 and 1920
•Lead one of eight different countries, each with their own personality and agenda: USA, Great Britain, Germany, France, Japan, Russia, Austria-Hungary, and Italy
•Experience the most original diplomacy model ever created for a grand strategy game
•Explore a revolutionary system for building armies and fleets
•Fight against a strong AI through a number of new game mechanisms
•Battle it out with others in multiplayer with anew simultaneous turn-based engine
•Engage in a detailed world economy with realistic components
On Playstation 3, the Back to the Future: The Game series will debut on February 15, 2011. Featuring the likenesses of Michael J Fox and Christopher Lloyd, the game will have an incredible story filled with cliffhangers and suspense written by Bob Gale, a co-writer and co-producer of the Back to the Future Trilogy. You will be able to play as Marty Mcfly in one of the most iconic and legendary time travel series of all time. Pus, Doc will actually be voiced by Christopher Lloyd himself!
The game will be delivered in 5 parts. Get the first episode for $19.99. After that, you will be able to download each episode thereafter for free when they release. You will be able to play as Marty Mcfly in one of the most iconic and legendary time travel series of all time. Pus, Doc will actually be voiced by Christopher Lloyd himself!
The first episode of the game will also be available on the iPad soon. Get more info in the game at the website here: http://www.telltalegames.com/bttf
