2009 represented something of a gaming renaissance for me, particularly the latter portion of the year. Spending a week with Jim S. will do that to a guy. So I thought it fitting to close out the year by assembling a list of the games that occupied most of my time.
If you're looking for insight and in-depth commentary, scroll on down to Jim's excellent GOTY pieces posted over the last month or so. You'll find none of that here. Nope, these are quick and dirty takes on the games that impressed me most, many based on limited gameplay, not all of which were released this year, but collectively consumed most of my gaming time. They're ranked in rough order of how much time I spent with each. Ground rules out of the way, herewith, The Superficial Game Of The Year Awards...
The Dominators
MLB 08 (PS3)
Yes, you read right. That’s MLB 08. Picking up right where it left off last year, this superlative game occupied all of my gaming time for the entire first half of the year. In terms of sheer number of hours played, nothing else came close.
NHL 10 (PS3)
So disappointed was I in this game that I had it posted for sale mere days after purchase. The player control is an outright abomination in terms of physics and realism. Still, we Canucks love us some puck, and after granting the game a second lease on life, I came to appreciate the fun factor lurking beneath its faux sim exterior.
Rock Band 2 (PS3)
As a guitar player, I had zero interest in the Guitar Hero and Rock Band franchises. I briefly attempted GH once with my 10 yr. old nephew (who ruled!), and failed miserably. Then, Jim insisted on dragging out RB2 while we were there. I opted for drums instead of guitar, and it wasn’t long before I was posting good scores and having a ton of fun. But it was my wife, Joyce, who liked it even more than me, suggesting that we get it for Christmas. Well, Christmas comes early in Canada, and it wasn’t long after we returned from St. Louis that The Huckleberries were born. The rest, as they say, is history. Easily the most expensive game (considering peripherals and downloads) I’ve ever owned, and the only game that the two of us play together. That alone makes it worth every penny.
Peggle (PS3 download)
I’ve been searching for an action puzzler for my wife, The Zuma Queen, to supplement, well, Zuma. Peggle is that game. I first fired it up one night after she had gone to bed. Three hours later, I had to force myself to quit. Yes, it’s that addictive. The situation was no different when she tried it out the next day. She was giggling like a schoolgirl. And that, my friends, is worth $9.99 any day of the week and twice on Sundays.
WipeOut HD/Fury (PS3 download)
An old favorite done up just right. A sprawling racer (especially with the Fury add-on), and 1080p eye candy of the very highest order. Only available as a (quite affordable) download from PSN. What are you waiting for?
Need for Speed Shift (PS3)
It’s been a while since a racing game has hooked me as quickly as Shift did. The perfect balance between sim and arcade, and even better with a wheel (a Logitech wireless force feedback in my case). A must for anyone with even a passing interest in video game racing.
Second Helpings
Fallout 3 (PS3)
A late charge nearly landed this in the upper echelon, but no matter. Jim's 2008 Game of the Year came highly recommended, and doesn't disappoint. Though I've barely scratched the surface of this massive game, the compelling mix of FPS and RPG, interesting story, and excellent combat system have already deprived me of much sleep. Fallout 3, along with inFamous and Bioshock, are like gateway drugs to the world of FPS and action games for me. I like!
inFamous (PS3)
Play through the opening segment of this game then come back and tell me you’re not hooked. I dare ya. The graphics may not be as polished as some of its contemporaries, but they perfectly complement the gritty post-apocalyptic cityscape that’s created here. The concept is fantastic, the single cell, graphic novel style cutscenes well realized and sharp as a knife, and the control while a bit touchy is more than manageable. If there’s to be an Infamous 2, you can sign me up here and now.
IL2 Sturmovik (PS3)
I am utterly useless when it comes to flight games. Always have been. They disorient me to the point where I don’t know whether I’m flying right side up or upside down. The only constant is the end result…a fiery death. So imagine my delight when I tried the demo of IL2. An air combat game where I could actually fly? Inconceivable! Great graphics and control, interesting and varied missions and aircraft, and huge fun factor combine to make me a very happy pilot.
Bioshock (PS3)
I’m obviously way late to this particular party. Another former Jim Schmaltz GOTY award winner, he was more eager to demo Bioshock for me than I was to see it. Just not going to be my cup o’ tea, I thought. Wrong. It was mere minutes before I knew that I had to own this game. I pleaded with Jim to stop the demo, preferring to preserve as much of the experience as possible for myself, but I think he was having too much fun to quit. The jaw-dropping art direction alone is worth the price of admission, but so much more awaits. I’m savoring every moment. Needless to say, the upcoming sequel will be a slam dunk, release day purchase.
Assassin’s Creed 2 (PS3)
Thanks to Jim for hipping me to another of his obsessions. I never would have thought of this one on my own. I agree that the game could do without the modern day element of the storyline, but the medieval world more than makes up for it. Great visuals, a gentle learning curve, and spot on control. It was love at first jump.
Left 4 Dead 2 (360)
What could be more fun than laying waste to hordes of zombies? Nothing, that’s what. Though I’m not into online multiplayer (which is clearly L4D2’s target audience), I couldn’t resist snatching this up when I spotted it at a heavily discounted price. The single player campaign may be short for the experienced, but I don’t fit that profile so I’m sure I’ll get my money’s worth. So far, so good. Kudos for the coolest video game TV ad in, like, maybe ever.
Batman: Arkham Asylum (PS3)
It was Jim’s son Zach, a video game deity, who demoed this one for me. Impressed as I was with the production values, I didn’t envision a purchase. That was until I played the demo. Not only do the visuals tickle the eyeballs, but the tight control makes it a pleasure to play. Beating baddies into submission has never been this much fun. A button masher’s delight.
Motor Storm Pacific Rift (PS3)
Another racer? You bet! I'm a sucker for them, all colours and stripes. I liked the original a lot, and had my eye on this one for a year waiting for the price to drop. When it finally did, I pounced. Load times are much improved (thankfully), the graphics are splendiforous, tracks are creative, challenging and plentiful, and the racing as exhilarating as ever. Still, there's a little something missing this time around, and I think it comes down to atmosphere. The rave aesthetic that suited the first game so well is replaced by lush, tropical landscapes here, and takes away some of the edge. Granted, it's a minor quibble in an otherwise fine racing package.
Fight Night Round 4 (PS3)
A longtime fan of the Knockout Kings/Fight Night franchise, I always have a spot in my game library reserved for a boxing title. Like Pacific Rift, I held out for a price reduction on this one, and Round 4 was worth the wait. This is a recent addition, and I'm only beginning Legacy mode, but for straight up rock 'em sock 'em fun, FNR4 is the best yet (despite some annoyingly slow load times on the setup screens). If boxing turns your crank, you owe it to yourself to at least check out the demo.
Batter Up!
On deck for '10...
Borderlands (PS3)
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 (PS3)
Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time (PS3)
Uncharted 2 (PS3)
Halo 3 (360)
Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3)
Impressions to follow in the weeks to come. In the meantime...
A very Happy New Year to all!!!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
The Christmas haul
I hope everyone had a nice Christmas (or whatever holiday you choose to celebrate). Ours was great as we got to spend time with Barb's family from out of town and my own family as well. The kids were great and Santa was very good to them as always.
Santa was also good to me. I got some outstanding gifts including sweaters from Barb and the kids, a really nice blanket and Beatles Trivia Pursuit (as if anyone is gonna play me in that) from Barb's parents. Barb also got me an outdoor fire pit so we can enjoy ourselves during the cold season with a nice fire. Awesome gift!
Of course I also scored some great movies including the new Criterion Collection release of The Human Condition (perhaps the greatest portrait of humanity on film and one of the staggering achievements in cinema history) and Downfall, which I finally got around to seeing. That's also a wonderful film, with a tremendous performance by Bruno Ganz as Adolf Hitler during his final 10 days. Highly recommended.
I also scored a couple of CDs (Norah Jones, including her latest) and of course I got some games. I got Mass Effect, which I have played through once already. I wanted to play through it again to have a saved file for when the sequel is released early in 2010. I also got a couple of PS3 games (Pete, take note), the God Of War Collection and Ratchet And Clank Future: A Crack in Time. I used a gift card I received for 2 more games (both PS3 games Pete!), InFamous and Motorstorm: Pacific Rift which was on sale for $20. I got a chance to mess around with InFamous, Motorstorm and Ratchet And Clank last night. All 3 were great fun. InFamous is really gonna draw me in, I can see that already. Motorstorm is more of the same, a lot like the original. It's not the deepest racing game around but it is gorgeous, fun and a great pick-up and play game. And I have a real soft spot for Ratchet And Clank. I loved their last PS3 game (Tools Of Destruction) and this one picks up right where that one left off. It's great fun and something with a much lighter tone than what I have been playing lately, so that is a welcome relief.
So that's about it. As you can see, someone thought I was a very good boy last year. I still have an iTunes gift card from last Christmas and I think I am gonna use that to download the latest album by Grizzly Bear. I have heard a lot of great things about it.
Hope everyone is enjoying the holidays!
Santa was also good to me. I got some outstanding gifts including sweaters from Barb and the kids, a really nice blanket and Beatles Trivia Pursuit (as if anyone is gonna play me in that) from Barb's parents. Barb also got me an outdoor fire pit so we can enjoy ourselves during the cold season with a nice fire. Awesome gift!
Of course I also scored some great movies including the new Criterion Collection release of The Human Condition (perhaps the greatest portrait of humanity on film and one of the staggering achievements in cinema history) and Downfall, which I finally got around to seeing. That's also a wonderful film, with a tremendous performance by Bruno Ganz as Adolf Hitler during his final 10 days. Highly recommended.
I also scored a couple of CDs (Norah Jones, including her latest) and of course I got some games. I got Mass Effect, which I have played through once already. I wanted to play through it again to have a saved file for when the sequel is released early in 2010. I also got a couple of PS3 games (Pete, take note), the God Of War Collection and Ratchet And Clank Future: A Crack in Time. I used a gift card I received for 2 more games (both PS3 games Pete!), InFamous and Motorstorm: Pacific Rift which was on sale for $20. I got a chance to mess around with InFamous, Motorstorm and Ratchet And Clank last night. All 3 were great fun. InFamous is really gonna draw me in, I can see that already. Motorstorm is more of the same, a lot like the original. It's not the deepest racing game around but it is gorgeous, fun and a great pick-up and play game. And I have a real soft spot for Ratchet And Clank. I loved their last PS3 game (Tools Of Destruction) and this one picks up right where that one left off. It's great fun and something with a much lighter tone than what I have been playing lately, so that is a welcome relief.
So that's about it. As you can see, someone thought I was a very good boy last year. I still have an iTunes gift card from last Christmas and I think I am gonna use that to download the latest album by Grizzly Bear. I have heard a lot of great things about it.
Hope everyone is enjoying the holidays!
Monday, December 28, 2009
Inglorious Fallout
A couple of quick hits for ya...
We finally got around to seeing Inglorious Basterds yesterday. Tarantino fan that I am, I'd been looking forward to this one for a while. IB is less of a direct homage than some of his more recent efforts (though did anyone else notice a nod and wink to Mel Brooks?), and marks somewhat of a return to form for the once renegade director. The pacing is deliberate and the tone uneven, which is typical of QT at his best, and the kind of thing he can usually pull off in his sleep. But that's not quite the case here. Tarantino's trademark contrast of absurd humor against explosive outbursts of violence isn't nearly as deftly integrated as it was in Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, or even Kill Bill 2. The performances are uniformly excellent, the dialogue sharp (if not quite on par with QT's finest), and the direction impressive. Where IB missteps, IMO, is the story and editing. While it's hard to pick at any particular scenes (as they're all well executed), this film would have worked better and had even greater impact had it been more compact. And that comes back to story - entertaining though it is, it simply lacks the scope to justify a 2:30 running time. As a result it, at times, feels like a film that's strangely disconnected from itself. As IB unfolded, I couldn't help but think of how it may have turned out in the hands of the Coen Brothers (for starters imagine George Clooney in the Brad Pitt role, and a tad less graphic violence). Perhaps subsequent viewings will reveal greater cohesion and appreciation but, for now, Inglorious Basterds feels like a glorious mess.
On either side of viewing IB, I put some initial time into Fallout 3. I know this one's been around for a while, but it came highly recommended by Jim, and furthers my indoctrination into the world of gaming outside of sports and racing. From the moment I stepped outside Vault 101 (an entertaining level in its own right, and clever tutorial), it became obvious how massive in scope this game is. It's already almost overwhelming to think about how much time you'd have to invest in order to explore every corner of this world. I knew going in that Fallout 3 was an FPS with RPG elements but, so far, it feels like the other way around. I'm not complaining though. It's been a looong time since I played an RPG, and there's an exciting and addictive balance between thought and flat out action that's integrated here. And, like Infamous (which I'm currently enjoying), the moral decision making isn't obvious, and will no doubt affect the story as it progresses. Do you put your trust in Butch and help him, or beat him to death? Assassinate the Overseer, or take your chances? Help the young woman disarm the bomb that's strapped to her body, or run for safety? Heck, even a surreptitious pickpocket attempt (evidently failed) erupted into an unexpected gunfight with a Megatron dweller! How will the denizens view me now? It's all very engrossing. Speaking of which, I'm off to perfect my lockpicking skills. Anyone have any spare bobby pins?
We finally got around to seeing Inglorious Basterds yesterday. Tarantino fan that I am, I'd been looking forward to this one for a while. IB is less of a direct homage than some of his more recent efforts (though did anyone else notice a nod and wink to Mel Brooks?), and marks somewhat of a return to form for the once renegade director. The pacing is deliberate and the tone uneven, which is typical of QT at his best, and the kind of thing he can usually pull off in his sleep. But that's not quite the case here. Tarantino's trademark contrast of absurd humor against explosive outbursts of violence isn't nearly as deftly integrated as it was in Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, or even Kill Bill 2. The performances are uniformly excellent, the dialogue sharp (if not quite on par with QT's finest), and the direction impressive. Where IB missteps, IMO, is the story and editing. While it's hard to pick at any particular scenes (as they're all well executed), this film would have worked better and had even greater impact had it been more compact. And that comes back to story - entertaining though it is, it simply lacks the scope to justify a 2:30 running time. As a result it, at times, feels like a film that's strangely disconnected from itself. As IB unfolded, I couldn't help but think of how it may have turned out in the hands of the Coen Brothers (for starters imagine George Clooney in the Brad Pitt role, and a tad less graphic violence). Perhaps subsequent viewings will reveal greater cohesion and appreciation but, for now, Inglorious Basterds feels like a glorious mess.
On either side of viewing IB, I put some initial time into Fallout 3. I know this one's been around for a while, but it came highly recommended by Jim, and furthers my indoctrination into the world of gaming outside of sports and racing. From the moment I stepped outside Vault 101 (an entertaining level in its own right, and clever tutorial), it became obvious how massive in scope this game is. It's already almost overwhelming to think about how much time you'd have to invest in order to explore every corner of this world. I knew going in that Fallout 3 was an FPS with RPG elements but, so far, it feels like the other way around. I'm not complaining though. It's been a looong time since I played an RPG, and there's an exciting and addictive balance between thought and flat out action that's integrated here. And, like Infamous (which I'm currently enjoying), the moral decision making isn't obvious, and will no doubt affect the story as it progresses. Do you put your trust in Butch and help him, or beat him to death? Assassinate the Overseer, or take your chances? Help the young woman disarm the bomb that's strapped to her body, or run for safety? Heck, even a surreptitious pickpocket attempt (evidently failed) erupted into an unexpected gunfight with a Megatron dweller! How will the denizens view me now? It's all very engrossing. Speaking of which, I'm off to perfect my lockpicking skills. Anyone have any spare bobby pins?
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Thursday, December 24, 2009
On December 25th, I always like to celebrate by saying...
Happy Birthday Pete!*
Barb, the kids and I wish you a very happy birthday and a very merry Christmas. We hope to see you and The Lovely Joyce(tm) sometime in the new year!
*For those that aren't in the know, Pete actually was born in a manger on December 25th, unlike that Jesus character, who was apparently born sometime in May. But in a manger. Jesus, I mean, not Pete. I really don't know if Pete was born in a manger or not. I just always assumed his "condition" was caused by being kicked in the head by a donkey at birth, so the manger thing just kind of grew out of that. But I digress. Happy Birthday, buddy!!! And Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone else out there!
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
PS3 Rules the Roost
The original Playstation represented a major turning point for me as a gamer. Until then, my gaming time had been focused on no more than a small handful of games on each generation of console I’d owned. It was the PSX that really opened the floodgates, and I haven’t looked back since.
The Sega Dreamcast was the first of the post Playstation consoles to hit the market, and was a release day purchase for me. It’s a shame that Sega dropped support for it, as it truly was a great system. Regardless, there was no question that I’d be supplementing the DC with the hotly anticipated Playstation 2 when it arrived on the scene. Much to my disappointment, I was completely underwhelmed with the PS2. I expected it to be a noticeable step up from the Dreamcast, and it simply wasn’t. It wasn’t long before an Xbox sat in the space previously occupied by the PS2.
I was much more impressed with the Xbox, and even more so with the 360 that succeeded it. In fact, I was so satisfied with the 360 that I never saw myself owning a Playstation 3, especially at the price. Well, I should have learned long ago never to say never. When my DVD player went kaput, I started to think about upgrading to blu-ray. In researching blu-ray players, I discovered that the PS3 was the most affordable point of entry. That was all the rationalization I needed to spring for another gaming console.
As expected, blu-ray knocked my socks off, even at 1080i (and better still at the 1080p I’m running now). However, I wasn’t quite prepared for how powerful a gaming platform the PS3 is. MLB ’08 was, at the time, the most impressive game I’d ever laid eyes on, and represented a noticeable step up from what I’d become accustomed to on the 360. A year and a half later, virtually all of my movie and gaming purchases are for the PS3, and the system continues to amaze. So much so, in fact, that I just bought a second one for the bedroom!
Kudos
· Can’t be used as a media server, only a client – I’d like to stream music from one PS3 to another
· The ability to automatically update and share game save data between PS3’s would be nice
. Not much comes in the box, so plan on shelling out for an HDMI cable and, possibly, a headset
· Upgrading hard drive, if necessary, can add a lot to overall cost
· Online community growing, but not as large or established as Xbox Live
The Sega Dreamcast was the first of the post Playstation consoles to hit the market, and was a release day purchase for me. It’s a shame that Sega dropped support for it, as it truly was a great system. Regardless, there was no question that I’d be supplementing the DC with the hotly anticipated Playstation 2 when it arrived on the scene. Much to my disappointment, I was completely underwhelmed with the PS2. I expected it to be a noticeable step up from the Dreamcast, and it simply wasn’t. It wasn’t long before an Xbox sat in the space previously occupied by the PS2.
I was much more impressed with the Xbox, and even more so with the 360 that succeeded it. In fact, I was so satisfied with the 360 that I never saw myself owning a Playstation 3, especially at the price. Well, I should have learned long ago never to say never. When my DVD player went kaput, I started to think about upgrading to blu-ray. In researching blu-ray players, I discovered that the PS3 was the most affordable point of entry. That was all the rationalization I needed to spring for another gaming console.
As expected, blu-ray knocked my socks off, even at 1080i (and better still at the 1080p I’m running now). However, I wasn’t quite prepared for how powerful a gaming platform the PS3 is. MLB ’08 was, at the time, the most impressive game I’d ever laid eyes on, and represented a noticeable step up from what I’d become accustomed to on the 360. A year and a half later, virtually all of my movie and gaming purchases are for the PS3, and the system continues to amaze. So much so, in fact, that I just bought a second one for the bedroom!
Kudos
· Blu-Ray!!!
· Processing power for gaming
· Multi-Media capability (movies, gaming, music, photos, video)
· Tons of great downloadable content, and a very nice interface (Playstation Store)
· Ease of upgrading hard drive, ample storage capacity (my entire 16,000+ song music collection is now stored on the PS3)
. DS controller is compact, familiar and doesn't require batteries
. Wireless connectivity to internet and compatible devices (e.g. Bluetooth)
Quibbles
· Can’t be used as a media server, only a client – I’d like to stream music from one PS3 to another
· The ability to automatically update and share game save data between PS3’s would be nice
. Not much comes in the box, so plan on shelling out for an HDMI cable and, possibly, a headset
· Upgrading hard drive, if necessary, can add a lot to overall cost
· Online community growing, but not as large or established as Xbox Live
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Congratulations Jessica!!!
Monday, December 21, 2009
Survivor Finale
Our numbers seems to be dwindling, but Joyce and I remain loyal fans of Survivor. It's a guilty pleasure. Last night put the wraps on a pretty entertaining season. But how on earth did Natalie win over Russell? A particularly snotty jury awarded a cool $1M to an adorable, coat-tail rider over, arguably, one of the shrewdest Survivor players in the history of the game. Like Richard Hatch before him, love him or hate him, Russell deserves to be considered among the best of the best. His over-confidence and arrogance along with the fact that he's already a millionaire ultimately sunk him, but I've seen jury's forgive more in the face of a deserving player. But not this assembly of self-absorbed putzes who seemed to put more stock in who was nice to them rather than lower themselves to acknowledge someone who clearly outplayed, outwitted and outlasted them. Oh well, thanks for the memories, Russell. You made it a fun ride.
A little gaming stuff
- I read somewhere recently (the new Game Informer, if I remember correctly) that a sequel to Bully is on the way. This is excellent news; I actually enjoyed Bully more than the recent Grand Theft Auto games. I'll definitely be looking forward to the sequel.
-I picked up Rock Band 2 for 20 bucks and installed it last night and played around with it a bit. It's a lot of fun, though I prefer the setup of The Beatles: Rock Band. For one thing, when singing and playing guitar at the same time, you get penalized for not doing the hand claps that are part of the singer's bit; hard to clap hands when you are also playing the guitar. I also hate having to unlock the majority of songs (I actually forgot that I would have to do this) especially when you have to play certain songs repeatedly in different set lists. I did manage to unlock Fleetwood Mac's "Go Your Own Way" which has some great guitar bits by my favorite guitarist, Lindsey Buckingham. I can play the solos on Hard, but can't come close to playing the verses or choruses that way. Medium is still the way to go for me on guitar. I usually play guitar on Medium and sing on Expert. And on drums I still have to play on Easy. I am sure I could make the leap to Medium, but I don't feel like putting in the time to practice.
I exported my songs from the original Rock Band into my RB2 save file so I don't have to change discs when i feel like playing RB1 songs. That's a nice feature. I also downloaded a couple more songs last night ("Don't Stop" and "World Turning" by Fleetwood Mac for me and "Rock Me" by Liz Phair for Barb). There is a lot of tempting stuff out there to download, that's for sure. Still, I wish there was more that appealed to me. The newer stuff is okay but I am not into metal, which is a large part of what is out there. I am looking at some of The Who stuff and some Foo Fighters in the future.
-I picked up Rock Band 2 for 20 bucks and installed it last night and played around with it a bit. It's a lot of fun, though I prefer the setup of The Beatles: Rock Band. For one thing, when singing and playing guitar at the same time, you get penalized for not doing the hand claps that are part of the singer's bit; hard to clap hands when you are also playing the guitar. I also hate having to unlock the majority of songs (I actually forgot that I would have to do this) especially when you have to play certain songs repeatedly in different set lists. I did manage to unlock Fleetwood Mac's "Go Your Own Way" which has some great guitar bits by my favorite guitarist, Lindsey Buckingham. I can play the solos on Hard, but can't come close to playing the verses or choruses that way. Medium is still the way to go for me on guitar. I usually play guitar on Medium and sing on Expert. And on drums I still have to play on Easy. I am sure I could make the leap to Medium, but I don't feel like putting in the time to practice.
I exported my songs from the original Rock Band into my RB2 save file so I don't have to change discs when i feel like playing RB1 songs. That's a nice feature. I also downloaded a couple more songs last night ("Don't Stop" and "World Turning" by Fleetwood Mac for me and "Rock Me" by Liz Phair for Barb). There is a lot of tempting stuff out there to download, that's for sure. Still, I wish there was more that appealed to me. The newer stuff is okay but I am not into metal, which is a large part of what is out there. I am looking at some of The Who stuff and some Foo Fighters in the future.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Can a sports and racing gamer change his stripes?
I’ve been a video gamer since the advent of the technology. We’re talking Magnavox Odyssey here, which actually pre-dated Pong. It used the same moving light sources as Pong and came with overlays that adhered to your TV by static electricity. Each overlay represented a different "game" (shooting gallery, haunted mansion), but they were all essentially light gun shooters. After the Odyssey came a Radio Shack Pong unit that proved to be great bang for the buck at $14.99. Next up was the Mattel Intellivision, to this day, one of my favorite consoles ever. I still have two of them and a box of games. Believe it or not, I never owned an Atari, NES or Super NES. There was a brief dalliance with a Colecovision (impulsively purchased after playing baseball at a party), but it was the Intellivision that kept me going right up until I bought a Sega Genesis, specifically for the NHL series. In fact, I only ever owned two games for the Genesis – Road Rash, and every release of NHL Hockey. Then came the Playstation, and all hell broke loose. There was a period during the PSX/N64 years when my game library topped out at over 100 current generation titles, the proceeds of my sideline gig as a game reviewer. Insanity. I finally came to my senses and sold most of them while they still retained some value.
As the next generation of systems arrived on the scene (Sega Dreamcast, an ever so brief experience with the PS2, Xbox), I kept my obsession under control, accumulating only a handful of games for each console, almost exclusively sports and racing games. At a certain point, it dawned on me that those were the genres that drew me to video gaming in the first place, and kept me coming back for more on every system from the Intellivision onward. Of course there were exceptions, arcade games on the Intellivision, Donkey Kong on the Colecovision, Wolfenstein 3D on the PC, Bejeweled 2 on the 360, heck, I even B.S.’d my way through a pretty credible review of Turok 2 for the N64. But I eventually accepted that third person action games and first person shooters simply weren’t my thing, sports titles and racers were all it took to satisfy my gaming needs. Periodically, I’d take a flyer on a high profile action title, only to sell it off after completing a level or two (or not). I’ve obviously missed out on scores of great games over the years as a result, and that’s always bothered me a little.
During our visit to the Schmaltz household in Sept., Jim took the opportunity to provide in-depth demos of some of his favorite games: Uncharted, Arkham Asylum, IL2 Sturmovik, Fallout 3, Rockband 2 and, most impressively, Bioshock. It was quite the eye opener. I came home with three of those games (and bought RB2 soon after), completely re-energized about gaming. More specifically, I’ve become determined to take the time to finally master games in genres that I’ve given up on too easily in the past – FPS’s, air combat, action games, etc. I’m tired of missing out.
The downside to this is that, with all the great games I’ve discovered in the past few months, I’m like a fat kid at a buffet, gorging myself but never finishing one course before anxiously moving on to the next. Not the ideal way to approach things, but I’m gradually becoming more comfortable with first and third person character control. While I still pretty much suck at it, I’m having a lot more fun in the process of sucking. I’m beginning to feel like there’s hope for me yet, at least until the next great sports or racing game comes along to monopolize my gaming time.
As the next generation of systems arrived on the scene (Sega Dreamcast, an ever so brief experience with the PS2, Xbox), I kept my obsession under control, accumulating only a handful of games for each console, almost exclusively sports and racing games. At a certain point, it dawned on me that those were the genres that drew me to video gaming in the first place, and kept me coming back for more on every system from the Intellivision onward. Of course there were exceptions, arcade games on the Intellivision, Donkey Kong on the Colecovision, Wolfenstein 3D on the PC, Bejeweled 2 on the 360, heck, I even B.S.’d my way through a pretty credible review of Turok 2 for the N64. But I eventually accepted that third person action games and first person shooters simply weren’t my thing, sports titles and racers were all it took to satisfy my gaming needs. Periodically, I’d take a flyer on a high profile action title, only to sell it off after completing a level or two (or not). I’ve obviously missed out on scores of great games over the years as a result, and that’s always bothered me a little.
During our visit to the Schmaltz household in Sept., Jim took the opportunity to provide in-depth demos of some of his favorite games: Uncharted, Arkham Asylum, IL2 Sturmovik, Fallout 3, Rockband 2 and, most impressively, Bioshock. It was quite the eye opener. I came home with three of those games (and bought RB2 soon after), completely re-energized about gaming. More specifically, I’ve become determined to take the time to finally master games in genres that I’ve given up on too easily in the past – FPS’s, air combat, action games, etc. I’m tired of missing out.
The downside to this is that, with all the great games I’ve discovered in the past few months, I’m like a fat kid at a buffet, gorging myself but never finishing one course before anxiously moving on to the next. Not the ideal way to approach things, but I’m gradually becoming more comfortable with first and third person character control. While I still pretty much suck at it, I’m having a lot more fun in the process of sucking. I’m beginning to feel like there’s hope for me yet, at least until the next great sports or racing game comes along to monopolize my gaming time.
Quick hits - games and movies
-My 2009 Game Of The Year selection, Borderlands, has sold over 2 million copies, according to USA Today's Game Hunters. Take-Two studios said in a statement that Borderlands "has established itself as a key franchise ... for which the company (Take-Two) has long-term publishing rights." Looks like there will plenty more Borderlands headed our way, which is terrific news for gamers.
-I have played 5-6 hours of Resident Evil 5. First of all, the graphics are stunning; the look of the game is incredible. The story is above-average and well told. The main characters are likable and you care about them. There is a lot to like about the game but the controls really hamper the game. Even when you get used to them, they still stick out like a sore thumb and take something away from the game itself. If this game had 3rd person controls like Uncharted 2 or, perhaps an even better comparison, the Gears Of War series, it would be much better for it. It is still a grade A title but I sure wish Capcom would get modern and update the controls.
-Barb and I saw Up In The Air Thursday night. It's a very good flick with standout performances from George Clooney and Vera Farmiga. It's nice to see a film that is aimed squarely at adults. It's equal parts funny and sad and it's very topical for the times.
-I also finally got around to seeing that 80's horror/camp classic, Re-animator. It was exactly what I expected after hearing so much about it through the years. I can see why it was so startling when it was first released (it was unrated and featured tons of gore and gratuitous nudity) but of course that effect has been lessened over the years due to the ever-escalating tastelessness of horror movies released since then. The movie was fun but quite silly. And the musical score was such a blatant rip off from Psycho that I was not surprised in the least to find out that there was legal action taken against the composer. But you know what? It worked for the movie.
-I have played 5-6 hours of Resident Evil 5. First of all, the graphics are stunning; the look of the game is incredible. The story is above-average and well told. The main characters are likable and you care about them. There is a lot to like about the game but the controls really hamper the game. Even when you get used to them, they still stick out like a sore thumb and take something away from the game itself. If this game had 3rd person controls like Uncharted 2 or, perhaps an even better comparison, the Gears Of War series, it would be much better for it. It is still a grade A title but I sure wish Capcom would get modern and update the controls.
-Barb and I saw Up In The Air Thursday night. It's a very good flick with standout performances from George Clooney and Vera Farmiga. It's nice to see a film that is aimed squarely at adults. It's equal parts funny and sad and it's very topical for the times.
-I also finally got around to seeing that 80's horror/camp classic, Re-animator. It was exactly what I expected after hearing so much about it through the years. I can see why it was so startling when it was first released (it was unrated and featured tons of gore and gratuitous nudity) but of course that effect has been lessened over the years due to the ever-escalating tastelessness of horror movies released since then. The movie was fun but quite silly. And the musical score was such a blatant rip off from Psycho that I was not surprised in the least to find out that there was legal action taken against the composer. But you know what? It worked for the movie.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Happy Anniversary, Baby!
I love you, Barb!
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
The Big One: 2009 Game Of The Year
The time has finally arrived to announce my choice as 2009's video game of the year. This is a decision that I struggled with up until the very end for reasons I will get into later in this blog. For the uninitiated, I nominated 6 games for GOTY:
With the formalities out of the way, let's get into it. I will place the games in reverse order and talk a little bit about each game until we get to the final 2, when I will explain why I went the way I did. As I mentioned earlier, it was not an easy decision. The top 3 games all garnered very serious consideration for the top spot.
6th place: NHL 10. EA's NHL series has been getting better every season for the past 3 years and this year's version added board play and finer user-based tuning. This game does so many things well, from the vast number of teams and leagues available to the addictive Be A Pro mode and General Manager mode. Playing offense is extremely satisfying while playing defense (for me anyway) was better than it had been in years past. I felt like I was more in control of my defensemen. The game also looks gorgeous and has great arena sounds and play-by-play. I subtracted some points because General Manager mode is still buggy in places and there is no on-line co-op mode. Still, this is a killer sports game.
5th place: Batman: Arkham Asylum. This game exceeded my expectations. Most superhero games up until this point have been a poor joke. This game turned that old convention upside down. First rate all the way, this is a classic beat 'em up game that comes stocked with some great Batman toys as well. The control is excellent too, a vital ingredient for a game such as this. The production is first rate: the graphics and audio is top of the line stuff. Particularly impressive is the voice acting, which takes advantage of several of the big names from the animated Batman series. It's got plenty to do, a decent story and it keeps you coming back for more. My only caveat is that once I finished the game, I had no desire to go back and play it again. That is a rarity for me when I play a game that I consider truly excellent. Batman fits that bill, but for some reason, I was not compelled to return to it any time soon.
4th place: The Beatles: Rock Band. My most awaited game of the year and it did not disappoint in the least. It's everything I could have hoped for (well, maybe a larger number of songs) and then some. I got the limited edition that came with the Hofner bass (which is just a real thing of beauty), the drums and a microphone. Playing and singing at the same time is where it is at; there has not been any moment in gaming this year that has been more thrilling. The obvious love that the creators have for The Beatles matches my own love for the band. I really thought this would be my game of the year. But when I looked at it objectively, without my Fab Four colored glasses on, it was still basically just a Rock Band game. The only truly new wrinkle (and it was a doozy) was the ability to sing background vocals. It fits in perfectly with The Beatles, but still it's just 1 innovation. In my own worldview this game would score about a 9.8 on a 10 scale. But I'd score it at about a 9.25 for everyone else.
3rd place. Assassin's Creed II. This game is huge. Epic. It was right up there for the GOTY nod. The ability to go just about anywhere on the huge maps is just amazing. The fighting is very well done and despite the frequency it never really felt redundant. The small RPG elements work well, the story is exciting and well told and the graphics and the voice acting are superb. You can spend hours upon hours playing the game and once you finish the main quest there are still tons of things to do. My only complaint is that the controls got me once in a while. While scaling huge buildings I would try to go one way and sometimes instead I would see myself jump off the building to my death in the street far below. This happened more than a few times. If you had invested a lot of time to reach a certain point only to see your character jump off in a totally unintended direction, it could be frustration city. There were also a couple of timed missions, which I have a huge distaste for. I was able to complete them, but I just hate them in general. Other than those 2 items, this game is an A+ all the way.
Now onto the final 2 games. And this is where my hesitation came in. It took me long enough to eliminate Assassin's Creed II from consideration as GOTY. When it came down to Uncharted 2: Among Thieves or Borderlands for GOTY, I was of 2 different minds. Was the Game Of The Year the game I considered the best quality or was it the game I enjoyed the most? Because they aren't always 1 in the same. Take movies for example. As any loyal reader knows, my favorite movie of all time is Jaws. And there is no real competition for that spot. And while I will argue until I am blue in the face that Spielberg's shark story is an A+ movie and a bona fide classic, I will not spend a single moment saying it is the BEST film I have ever seen. That honor would go to Kurosawa's Seven Samurai (or perhaps Kobayashi's Human Condition trilogy, but that is a huge discussion for another day). So there is a difference, it is very real, and it pertains to this discussion because this year, unlike the past 2, my favorite game and the game I considered "the best" are in fact different. In the end, I spoke to several people about it in very general terms. But most of the discussion was with myself. And to me it boiled down to this: if I could only play one game from 2009, which would it be? And so I made my decision.
2nd place: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. What a stellar game this is. Once in a while, and it's not very often, a game will come along that is so good at what it does that I consider it a work of art. 2007 had Bioshock and now 2009 has Uncharted 2. Without a doubt, of the games I played this year, this was the highest quality game of them all. Everything about this game was unreal. The graphics? The best. The voice acting? Even better than Batman. The story? As good as anything Hollywood has churned out in years. The list goes on an on. The characters, the score...everything is terrific. The gameplay itself is improved from the first Uncharted game, especially the gun play. There is a moment or 2 when you wish the platforming in an area wasn't so lengthy but overall the gameplay is tight as can be and best of all, fun. The real joy is moving along through each chapter to see where the story takes you. You really get caught up in Nathan Drake's world of adventure and danger. If you have a PS3, by all means, get this game. And if you don't, this game is good enough to be a system seller.
2009 Game Of The Year: Borderlands. In the end, the decision came down to which game I had the most fun with and which game I spent the most time with. And that was Borderlands. While not the absolute technical marvel that Uncharted 2 is, Borderlands is no slouch. The unique cell-shaded look of the game is fantastic and fits the desolate world of Pandora to a T. The audio is also a treat and the control is perfect. Of all the first-person games I have played on a console, none controls any better than this. What truly sets Borderlands apart from the rest is the unbelievable addictiveness of the game. By adding RPG elements to the first-person-shooter genre, Gearbox has created a real corker, something that kept me coming back like no other game this year. From the insane number of weapons that you can unearth (upwards of 17 million supposedly) to the new skills you can add to your player, nothing beat leveling up in Borderlands. With 4 unique character classes to choose from, there is definitely extra incentive to go back and play through the game again. But I'll be honest: I don't need any extra incentive. I have gotten my character leveled out to the max and I still play with him, hoping to find new and better weapons to take on the super bad guys that inhabit Pandora. Some day I will play with a different character class (and level him/her all the way up!) but for now I am content to keep littering the wastelands with corpses while I continue my search for more bad-ass weaponry. Add in a killer co-op mode and you are talking major, major replayability which means major, major bang for your buck.
Here's hoping you all had a good time gaming in 2009. It looks like 2010 is shaping up to be a stellar year as well, with the 1st quarter looking especially strong with Mass Effect 2, Bioshock 2 and God Of War III. Let's hope they can all live up to the hype.
- Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
- Batman: Arkham Asylum
- The Beatles: Rock Band
- NHL 10
- Borderlands
- Assassin's Creed II
- I have not played (and will not be playing) some of the biggest releases of the year such as Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Left 4 Dead 2 and Forza Motorsport 3. As such, these games are not eligible for GOTY or any of the other awards I am giving out.. I know this makes these awards meaningless for some people but COD:MW2 and L4D2 are mainly multiplayer games and I am not much of a multiplayer gamer, so there is no sense in me spending money on these games. Pete also reminded me recently that I did not play Infamous. That bears mentioning as well, as that is a game that got almost universal acclaim from everyone I know that played it. If you can handle these games being ineligible, then you may find these awards worth browsing.
- These awards are for Xbox 360 and PS3 games only. I am not into the Wii, DS, PSP or PC gaming.
With the formalities out of the way, let's get into it. I will place the games in reverse order and talk a little bit about each game until we get to the final 2, when I will explain why I went the way I did. As I mentioned earlier, it was not an easy decision. The top 3 games all garnered very serious consideration for the top spot.
6th place: NHL 10. EA's NHL series has been getting better every season for the past 3 years and this year's version added board play and finer user-based tuning. This game does so many things well, from the vast number of teams and leagues available to the addictive Be A Pro mode and General Manager mode. Playing offense is extremely satisfying while playing defense (for me anyway) was better than it had been in years past. I felt like I was more in control of my defensemen. The game also looks gorgeous and has great arena sounds and play-by-play. I subtracted some points because General Manager mode is still buggy in places and there is no on-line co-op mode. Still, this is a killer sports game.
5th place: Batman: Arkham Asylum. This game exceeded my expectations. Most superhero games up until this point have been a poor joke. This game turned that old convention upside down. First rate all the way, this is a classic beat 'em up game that comes stocked with some great Batman toys as well. The control is excellent too, a vital ingredient for a game such as this. The production is first rate: the graphics and audio is top of the line stuff. Particularly impressive is the voice acting, which takes advantage of several of the big names from the animated Batman series. It's got plenty to do, a decent story and it keeps you coming back for more. My only caveat is that once I finished the game, I had no desire to go back and play it again. That is a rarity for me when I play a game that I consider truly excellent. Batman fits that bill, but for some reason, I was not compelled to return to it any time soon.
4th place: The Beatles: Rock Band. My most awaited game of the year and it did not disappoint in the least. It's everything I could have hoped for (well, maybe a larger number of songs) and then some. I got the limited edition that came with the Hofner bass (which is just a real thing of beauty), the drums and a microphone. Playing and singing at the same time is where it is at; there has not been any moment in gaming this year that has been more thrilling. The obvious love that the creators have for The Beatles matches my own love for the band. I really thought this would be my game of the year. But when I looked at it objectively, without my Fab Four colored glasses on, it was still basically just a Rock Band game. The only truly new wrinkle (and it was a doozy) was the ability to sing background vocals. It fits in perfectly with The Beatles, but still it's just 1 innovation. In my own worldview this game would score about a 9.8 on a 10 scale. But I'd score it at about a 9.25 for everyone else.
3rd place. Assassin's Creed II. This game is huge. Epic. It was right up there for the GOTY nod. The ability to go just about anywhere on the huge maps is just amazing. The fighting is very well done and despite the frequency it never really felt redundant. The small RPG elements work well, the story is exciting and well told and the graphics and the voice acting are superb. You can spend hours upon hours playing the game and once you finish the main quest there are still tons of things to do. My only complaint is that the controls got me once in a while. While scaling huge buildings I would try to go one way and sometimes instead I would see myself jump off the building to my death in the street far below. This happened more than a few times. If you had invested a lot of time to reach a certain point only to see your character jump off in a totally unintended direction, it could be frustration city. There were also a couple of timed missions, which I have a huge distaste for. I was able to complete them, but I just hate them in general. Other than those 2 items, this game is an A+ all the way.
Now onto the final 2 games. And this is where my hesitation came in. It took me long enough to eliminate Assassin's Creed II from consideration as GOTY. When it came down to Uncharted 2: Among Thieves or Borderlands for GOTY, I was of 2 different minds. Was the Game Of The Year the game I considered the best quality or was it the game I enjoyed the most? Because they aren't always 1 in the same. Take movies for example. As any loyal reader knows, my favorite movie of all time is Jaws. And there is no real competition for that spot. And while I will argue until I am blue in the face that Spielberg's shark story is an A+ movie and a bona fide classic, I will not spend a single moment saying it is the BEST film I have ever seen. That honor would go to Kurosawa's Seven Samurai (or perhaps Kobayashi's Human Condition trilogy, but that is a huge discussion for another day). So there is a difference, it is very real, and it pertains to this discussion because this year, unlike the past 2, my favorite game and the game I considered "the best" are in fact different. In the end, I spoke to several people about it in very general terms. But most of the discussion was with myself. And to me it boiled down to this: if I could only play one game from 2009, which would it be? And so I made my decision.
2nd place: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. What a stellar game this is. Once in a while, and it's not very often, a game will come along that is so good at what it does that I consider it a work of art. 2007 had Bioshock and now 2009 has Uncharted 2. Without a doubt, of the games I played this year, this was the highest quality game of them all. Everything about this game was unreal. The graphics? The best. The voice acting? Even better than Batman. The story? As good as anything Hollywood has churned out in years. The list goes on an on. The characters, the score...everything is terrific. The gameplay itself is improved from the first Uncharted game, especially the gun play. There is a moment or 2 when you wish the platforming in an area wasn't so lengthy but overall the gameplay is tight as can be and best of all, fun. The real joy is moving along through each chapter to see where the story takes you. You really get caught up in Nathan Drake's world of adventure and danger. If you have a PS3, by all means, get this game. And if you don't, this game is good enough to be a system seller.
2009 Game Of The Year: Borderlands. In the end, the decision came down to which game I had the most fun with and which game I spent the most time with. And that was Borderlands. While not the absolute technical marvel that Uncharted 2 is, Borderlands is no slouch. The unique cell-shaded look of the game is fantastic and fits the desolate world of Pandora to a T. The audio is also a treat and the control is perfect. Of all the first-person games I have played on a console, none controls any better than this. What truly sets Borderlands apart from the rest is the unbelievable addictiveness of the game. By adding RPG elements to the first-person-shooter genre, Gearbox has created a real corker, something that kept me coming back like no other game this year. From the insane number of weapons that you can unearth (upwards of 17 million supposedly) to the new skills you can add to your player, nothing beat leveling up in Borderlands. With 4 unique character classes to choose from, there is definitely extra incentive to go back and play through the game again. But I'll be honest: I don't need any extra incentive. I have gotten my character leveled out to the max and I still play with him, hoping to find new and better weapons to take on the super bad guys that inhabit Pandora. Some day I will play with a different character class (and level him/her all the way up!) but for now I am content to keep littering the wastelands with corpses while I continue my search for more bad-ass weaponry. Add in a killer co-op mode and you are talking major, major replayability which means major, major bang for your buck.
Here's hoping you all had a good time gaming in 2009. It looks like 2010 is shaping up to be a stellar year as well, with the 1st quarter looking especially strong with Mass Effect 2, Bioshock 2 and God Of War III. Let's hope they can all live up to the hype.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
What a weekend!
A very eventful weekend at the Schmaltz household. Friday morning Laurel had surgery to remove a large cyst from her upper eyelid. She had the same surgery a couple of years ago to remove some cysts on each eyelid (upper and lower, left and right) and they found and removed a total of 13. This time we were extremely fortunate; there was only the 1 to deal with. We were told after the 1st surgery that they could return and while we were very dismayed that Laurel had to undergo surgery again (which meant undergoing anesthesia again as well), the fact that that there was only 1 seems like good news. Laurel was very brave the entire time. She was cheerful even, right up until it was time to take her back to surgery and she realized that Mom and Dad couldn't go with her. And she came through with flying colors. The eyelid looks good all things considered and she was a trooper. Finding out that she had come out of the anesthesia okay is one of the biggest reliefs I have ever felt.
Saturday was The Big Day, a.k.a. Barb's graduation. The ceremony started at 9:30 AM and it was very nice. It was so cool to see Barb walk down the aisle to take her seat. When she went up to get her diploma and her name was called, my heart swelled with pride and I let out a loud "Way to go Barb!" much to Laurel's (and Barb's) delight. Barb's parents were there to see the ceremony as was her sister Kelly, who had flown in from California as a complete surprise to Barb.
After the ceremony we had a nice party at our house for Barb and her friend Theresa, who graduated as well. Our friend Melissa was so sweet; she and her mom came over early and set up all of the food that Barb and her mom had prepared for the party. I know, I know, Barb shouldn't have had to prepare her own party food. I wanted to have it catered but Barb wouldn't hear of it. She's funny that way.
But the party was nice and later on Barb and I got to enjoy some alone time as well. All in all it was a splendid Saturday.
Sunday Jessica had a hockey game to cheer for, so Barb's dad, sister Kelly, Laurel and myself made a long trip to see her do just that. Her team, the Junior Varsity Tigers, won 3-1 in what was actually a very exciting game. Jessica cheered perfectly of course. And after the game I kept shouting "Way to go Jessica!" at the top of my lungs, which had the intended effect of turning Jess beet red several times. Mission accomplished!
So this weekend could not have worked out any better: Laurel is okay after surgery, Barb graduated and had her party and we got to watch Jessica cheer and I embarrassed the heck out of her. Sometimes life is just grand.
Saturday was The Big Day, a.k.a. Barb's graduation. The ceremony started at 9:30 AM and it was very nice. It was so cool to see Barb walk down the aisle to take her seat. When she went up to get her diploma and her name was called, my heart swelled with pride and I let out a loud "Way to go Barb!" much to Laurel's (and Barb's) delight. Barb's parents were there to see the ceremony as was her sister Kelly, who had flown in from California as a complete surprise to Barb.
After the ceremony we had a nice party at our house for Barb and her friend Theresa, who graduated as well. Our friend Melissa was so sweet; she and her mom came over early and set up all of the food that Barb and her mom had prepared for the party. I know, I know, Barb shouldn't have had to prepare her own party food. I wanted to have it catered but Barb wouldn't hear of it. She's funny that way.
But the party was nice and later on Barb and I got to enjoy some alone time as well. All in all it was a splendid Saturday.
Sunday Jessica had a hockey game to cheer for, so Barb's dad, sister Kelly, Laurel and myself made a long trip to see her do just that. Her team, the Junior Varsity Tigers, won 3-1 in what was actually a very exciting game. Jessica cheered perfectly of course. And after the game I kept shouting "Way to go Jessica!" at the top of my lungs, which had the intended effect of turning Jess beet red several times. Mission accomplished!
So this weekend could not have worked out any better: Laurel is okay after surgery, Barb graduated and had her party and we got to watch Jessica cheer and I embarrassed the heck out of her. Sometimes life is just grand.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Mr. Schmaltz, I presume?
As Jim announced below, he has graciously (and courageously!) invited me to become a contributor to Memory Almost Full. I'm thrilled to be a part of it! I thought it might be appropriate to start with the unlikely story of how a guy from the Great White North and a Missouri boy came to form an enduring friendship.
It was Sept. 1997 when I walked into my local video game emporium, eager to snatch up a copy of NHL 98 for the Sega Genesis. This was nothing short of an annual ritual, and I never missed a release date. But, alas, on this particular day I was informed that NHL 98 would not be available for the Genesis, only the Sony Playstation. Naturally, this prompted the question… "So, how much is a Sony Playstation?" The answer was entirely irrelevant, as I knew then and there that I'd be walking out of the store with a Playstation and copy of NHL 98 under my arm. Little did I know how that seemigly insignificant turn of events would ultimately result in meeting Jim Schmaltz of St. Louis, MO.
Although a long time video gamer, outside of the NHL series and a little Road Rash. gaming wasn't a real obsession for me at the time (though that was about to change in a big way). Instead, I was totally immersed in guitar playing and, more specifically, with plans to organize a Guitar Show in early '98. It was in preparation for that event that I finally found my way onto the internet. Meanwhile, plans for the Guitar Show fizzled and, captivated by the power of the Playstation, my game collection rapidly grew.
I began hanging around internet newsgroups (remember those?) dedicated to discussing Playstation games, and gravitated to a small group of like-minded members, including a fellow who went by the name of Jim S. I was mostly into sports and racing games (still am), and lemme tell you, that dude knew his sports, especially football. His knowledge of sports and gaming bordered on freakish. And he could flat out write.
Ever hungry for game reviews, I scoured the net and kept running across reviews by Jim S. that had been posted to the newsgroup and archived elsewhere. Somewhat inspired, I eventually began posting my own "First Impressions" mini-reviews, usually within a day or two of a new game release. Several months later, I received an unsolicited email from a site called Game Junkie saying that they had read and enjoyed one of my reviews, and asking if I would be interested in writing for them in exchange for review copies of the games. Pinch me! I couldn't say yes quick enough.
And so began my sideline career as video game reviewer. Game Junkie was happy with my work, and I was more than happy with the supply of free games. As the summer of '98 wore on, I started to lobby Game Junkie for the right to review an upcoming football game release. Oddly, they never acknowledged my repeated requests. Then one day I logged on to the site, and there it was… A Review by Jim S. I should have known. Pissed as I was at Game Junkie, I immediately shot Jim an e-mail to say "Hey, great review! Looks like we're working together now."
Game Junkie folded not long after, and Jim began writing for Sports Gaming Network where he recommended me to the editor. Meanwhile, we had begun to correspond on a regular basis via e-mail, constantly discovering shockingly common interests in gaming, sports, movies and music. I mean, who else has even heard of the BoDeans, let alone seen them live multiple times? Yep, that would be my buddy. And me.
Our e-conversations became longer and more involved - truly epic in length and scope (like this blog!). By then it had become about more than just hobbies, it was about life and all it entails.
Eventually, we decided it would be cool to connect via phone (I swear this sounds just like internet dating), and it was then that I finally learned what the S. stood for.
I suggested that Jim consider coming up to Canada for a visit. He was naturally a little apprehensive at first. For all he knew I might have been nothing more than a really friendly Canuckistani serial killer. But, in the end, he rolled the dice and booked a flight - the equivalent of an international blind date with a (happily married, just so you know) video game geek. Ironically, this turned out to be a pattern of behaviour that would be repeated a few years later when Jim met his future wife Barb for the first time. But that's a story for another blog that he should author.
It was Sept. 10, 1999 when Jim stepped off the plane and onto Canadian soil for the first time. He was easy to spot decked out in the maize and blue of Michigan. Decidedly and understandably nervous (a trait I haven't witnessed since) he asked what that big body of water was that he had just flown over. Uh, that would be Lake Ontario, Jim. He may know more about Jaws than anyone else on the planet, but he can't tell a lake from an ocean.
It didn't take him long to loosen up though, a beer or two I'd say. The Sega Dreamcast, first of the next-gen gaming consoles to follow the Playstation, had been released the previous day. Unbeknownst to Jim, I had one at home ready to be unboxed when we arrived. I'll never forget his reaction when I revealed the box. "You Dawg!", he exclaimed in that quasi drawl of his. When he laid eyes on NFL 2K1 for the first time, well, let's just say I think it was a near sexual experience for him. I'll never forget that either. It frightened me.
A couple of days later, we visited a local watering hole and, against all odds, were able to watch the Rams season opener against the Baltimore Ravens, two of the worst teams in all of football the previous season. The Rams won that game and, propelled by the arm of former grocery bagger Kurt Warner, went on to win the Super Bowl that season. From that moment on I think Jim viewed Canada as a kind of good charm, a notion reinforced by the Cardinals 2006 World Series win following our visit to St. Louis in Sept. of that year.
Anyway, Jim's initial visit was only 4-5 days and passed all to quickly for both of us. We vowed never to get together for less than a week again, and we've kept that promise. He returned in the summer of 2002 and developed a fondness for Molson Smooth Dry (which he affectionately referred to as Smoothies) and poutine (french fries with cheese curd and gravy, for the uninitated), openly musing about the business potential of opening a 'chip' wagon in St. Louis. He came back the following summer for more but, to date, hasn't attempted to market poutine in the 314.
I finally made my first trip to St, Louis, a fine city populated by even finer people, in the fall of 2002. Jim proved to be an even better host than guest. So memorable was that trip (on many levels), that I returned in 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2009, the latter two visits with my wife, Joyce. For those of you who have never met Jim's family and friends, know this... They are the warmest, friendliest, most accommodating people you will ever meet. Truly wonderful folks who make you feel like family. In fact, Jim has remarked on several ocassions that we're more like brothers than friends. Nothing could be closer to the truth.
It's almost overwhelming to reflect on how much Jim and I have shared with each other over the years. Our paths have followed strikingly similar trajectories through the crushing sadness of divorce, follies of online dating (Jim's war stories were a source of endless entertainment for me) and, ultimately, happiness in marriage and life. All the while we've leaned on one another during the tough stretches, and had copious amounts of fun the rest of the time.
Jim, I promise not to prattle on like this in a blog ever again. This is a story that's often asked about, and I thought it was well worth documenting. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. My gift to you. Brother.
It was Sept. 1997 when I walked into my local video game emporium, eager to snatch up a copy of NHL 98 for the Sega Genesis. This was nothing short of an annual ritual, and I never missed a release date. But, alas, on this particular day I was informed that NHL 98 would not be available for the Genesis, only the Sony Playstation. Naturally, this prompted the question… "So, how much is a Sony Playstation?" The answer was entirely irrelevant, as I knew then and there that I'd be walking out of the store with a Playstation and copy of NHL 98 under my arm. Little did I know how that seemigly insignificant turn of events would ultimately result in meeting Jim Schmaltz of St. Louis, MO.
Although a long time video gamer, outside of the NHL series and a little Road Rash. gaming wasn't a real obsession for me at the time (though that was about to change in a big way). Instead, I was totally immersed in guitar playing and, more specifically, with plans to organize a Guitar Show in early '98. It was in preparation for that event that I finally found my way onto the internet. Meanwhile, plans for the Guitar Show fizzled and, captivated by the power of the Playstation, my game collection rapidly grew.
I began hanging around internet newsgroups (remember those?) dedicated to discussing Playstation games, and gravitated to a small group of like-minded members, including a fellow who went by the name of Jim S. I was mostly into sports and racing games (still am), and lemme tell you, that dude knew his sports, especially football. His knowledge of sports and gaming bordered on freakish. And he could flat out write.
Ever hungry for game reviews, I scoured the net and kept running across reviews by Jim S. that had been posted to the newsgroup and archived elsewhere. Somewhat inspired, I eventually began posting my own "First Impressions" mini-reviews, usually within a day or two of a new game release. Several months later, I received an unsolicited email from a site called Game Junkie saying that they had read and enjoyed one of my reviews, and asking if I would be interested in writing for them in exchange for review copies of the games. Pinch me! I couldn't say yes quick enough.
And so began my sideline career as video game reviewer. Game Junkie was happy with my work, and I was more than happy with the supply of free games. As the summer of '98 wore on, I started to lobby Game Junkie for the right to review an upcoming football game release. Oddly, they never acknowledged my repeated requests. Then one day I logged on to the site, and there it was… A Review by Jim S. I should have known. Pissed as I was at Game Junkie, I immediately shot Jim an e-mail to say "Hey, great review! Looks like we're working together now."
Game Junkie folded not long after, and Jim began writing for Sports Gaming Network where he recommended me to the editor. Meanwhile, we had begun to correspond on a regular basis via e-mail, constantly discovering shockingly common interests in gaming, sports, movies and music. I mean, who else has even heard of the BoDeans, let alone seen them live multiple times? Yep, that would be my buddy. And me.
Our e-conversations became longer and more involved - truly epic in length and scope (like this blog!). By then it had become about more than just hobbies, it was about life and all it entails.
Eventually, we decided it would be cool to connect via phone (I swear this sounds just like internet dating), and it was then that I finally learned what the S. stood for.
I suggested that Jim consider coming up to Canada for a visit. He was naturally a little apprehensive at first. For all he knew I might have been nothing more than a really friendly Canuckistani serial killer. But, in the end, he rolled the dice and booked a flight - the equivalent of an international blind date with a (happily married, just so you know) video game geek. Ironically, this turned out to be a pattern of behaviour that would be repeated a few years later when Jim met his future wife Barb for the first time. But that's a story for another blog that he should author.
It was Sept. 10, 1999 when Jim stepped off the plane and onto Canadian soil for the first time. He was easy to spot decked out in the maize and blue of Michigan. Decidedly and understandably nervous (a trait I haven't witnessed since) he asked what that big body of water was that he had just flown over. Uh, that would be Lake Ontario, Jim. He may know more about Jaws than anyone else on the planet, but he can't tell a lake from an ocean.
It didn't take him long to loosen up though, a beer or two I'd say. The Sega Dreamcast, first of the next-gen gaming consoles to follow the Playstation, had been released the previous day. Unbeknownst to Jim, I had one at home ready to be unboxed when we arrived. I'll never forget his reaction when I revealed the box. "You Dawg!", he exclaimed in that quasi drawl of his. When he laid eyes on NFL 2K1 for the first time, well, let's just say I think it was a near sexual experience for him. I'll never forget that either. It frightened me.
A couple of days later, we visited a local watering hole and, against all odds, were able to watch the Rams season opener against the Baltimore Ravens, two of the worst teams in all of football the previous season. The Rams won that game and, propelled by the arm of former grocery bagger Kurt Warner, went on to win the Super Bowl that season. From that moment on I think Jim viewed Canada as a kind of good charm, a notion reinforced by the Cardinals 2006 World Series win following our visit to St. Louis in Sept. of that year.
Anyway, Jim's initial visit was only 4-5 days and passed all to quickly for both of us. We vowed never to get together for less than a week again, and we've kept that promise. He returned in the summer of 2002 and developed a fondness for Molson Smooth Dry (which he affectionately referred to as Smoothies) and poutine (french fries with cheese curd and gravy, for the uninitated), openly musing about the business potential of opening a 'chip' wagon in St. Louis. He came back the following summer for more but, to date, hasn't attempted to market poutine in the 314.
I finally made my first trip to St, Louis, a fine city populated by even finer people, in the fall of 2002. Jim proved to be an even better host than guest. So memorable was that trip (on many levels), that I returned in 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2009, the latter two visits with my wife, Joyce. For those of you who have never met Jim's family and friends, know this... They are the warmest, friendliest, most accommodating people you will ever meet. Truly wonderful folks who make you feel like family. In fact, Jim has remarked on several ocassions that we're more like brothers than friends. Nothing could be closer to the truth.
It's almost overwhelming to reflect on how much Jim and I have shared with each other over the years. Our paths have followed strikingly similar trajectories through the crushing sadness of divorce, follies of online dating (Jim's war stories were a source of endless entertainment for me) and, ultimately, happiness in marriage and life. All the while we've leaned on one another during the tough stretches, and had copious amounts of fun the rest of the time.
Jim, I promise not to prattle on like this in a blog ever again. This is a story that's often asked about, and I thought it was well worth documenting. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. My gift to you. Brother.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
2009 Video Game Awards
It's time to announce the winners in several categories. I may think of more categories later, but this is what I have come up with for now. Again, it's very important that you read my disclaimer that I posted in my Game Of The Year nomination thread. I'll repeat it here so there is no confusion:
Best Graphics: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. This was a closer call that you might think. While there is no doubting the beauty and artistry of Uncharted 2's graphics, there were also several other games that truly stood out as well. Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder and I had to make a decision, so I went with Uncharted 2. It's absolutely a gorgeous game and worthy of all the accolades it has received.
Runners Up: Assassin's Creed II, Borderlands. ACII rivals Uncharted 2 in every meaningful way. It's a real stunner. And Borderlands uses cell shading to create unique look all it's own. I was initially very skeptical of this when the decision to go with the cell shaded graphics was announced, but I fell in love with the look immediately once I started playing the game. It is absolutely perfect for the game and it's environment.
Honorable Mention: Batman: Arkham Asylum, The Beatles: Rock Band. Batman is a beautiful game in every way; it's just a hair below the others mentioned above. And the care and affection given to make the Fab Four come alive in TB:RB deserves special mention. It really adds a lot to the game itself.
Best Storyline: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. Not even a contest here. Uncharted 2's story line rivals that of Hollywood's big-budget adventure movies with characters that you care for and plot twists that leave you stunned. This is A+ level stuff here, among the best the gaming world has every seen.
Runner Up: Assassin's Creed II
Honorable Mention: Batman: Arkham Asylum
Best Voice Acting: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. Truly stellar work here, picking up where the original Uncharted left off. The main character of Nathan Drake (once again voiced by Nolan North) is terrific: charming, affable and at all times believable. The supporting characters, including Elena (Emily Fisher) and Sully (Richard McGonagle) from the original Uncharted, are every bit as good as is new femme fatale Chloe, voiced by Claudia Black. Again, the acting here rivals anything Hollywood puts together.
Runner Up: Batman: Arkham Asylum. In any other year, this game would have won the award. The work here is first rate all the way. Mark Hamill does his usual stellar work as The Joker, Kevin Conroy does the same with Batman (both of those gentlemen do the voices for a lot of animated Batman works) and Arleen Sorkin makes a delectable Harley Quinn.
Honorable Mention: Assassin's Creed II. Great work here, too. The voices for Ezio, Desmond Miles (Nolan North again) and Leonardo da Vinci are all wonderful but in truth the entire (huge) cast is first-rate.
Most Addictive Game Of The Year: Borderlands. There were a lot of games that drew me in this year and sucked away time like a starving vampire at a blood bank. But none of them could measure up to the crack-like qualities of Borderlands. The game played beautifully, controlling as well as any first-person shooter I have ever played on a console. But what made it so addictive was the RPG elements that were included. Your character leveled up after gaining a set number of experience points (gained by completing tasks and killing enemies). After each level gained, you could assign yourself new abilities or improve ones you already have. And the looting. My God, the looting! The sheer number of different weapons available meant that stumbling upon a weapons cache was a hold-your-breath moment each and every time.
Runner Up: Sacred 2: Fallen Angel. Sacred 2 is an action RPG, sort of like Borderlands but without the first-person perspective. Like Borderlands, the addictiveness came out of the looting and leveling up. Finding new and better armor, weapons, etc. and adding new skills was as good as it got until Borderlands showed up.
Honorable mentions: Assassin's Creed II, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, NHL 10. The sheer number of things to do in ACII and the ease (and fun) of getting around the map gave it that special "just one more thing and then I'll quit" vibe that you keep repeating to yourself as the hour gets later and later. Uncharted 2 was addictive not only because the gameplay was fun but because you simply had to see where the story was going next. It was that compelling. And NHL 10 gets the nod because both Be A Pro mode and the GM mode make you want to keep going to try to improve upon your last performance. Stunk it up last game? Can't end on a note like that, let's play one more game. Had a great game last time out? Well, let's see if I can top that performance!
Best Soundtrack: The Beatles: Rock Band. Next topic please.
Wait, I meant Best Original Score For A Game: Oh, okay. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. Again, like a Hollywood blockbuster, and I mean that in a good way. Perfectly sets the mood for the story.
Runner Up: Dragon Age: Origins. Extremely well done and gives the story that epic feel.
Honorable Mention: Assassin's Creed II. Very compelling and also non-intrusive.
Best Sports Game: NHL 10. The complete package as a sports game, with tons of teams, leagues and a wonderful Be A Pro mode. Addictive and just plain fun to play. EA improved on what was already a terrific series.
Runners up: MLB '09: The Show, Madden NFL 10. Great years for both of these franchises. But in the end, neither had the fun factor of NHL 10.
Honorable Mention: FIFA 10. If only EA would do something about your teammates' AI, especially on defense, this game would be the sports game to beat. Alas, they seem to have no intention of addressing this issue.
It Came From Nowhere (Best Surprise Game Of The Year): IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds Of Prey. There was very little talk about this game until a couple of months before it's release and even then, most people were dismissing it because flight games on consoles tend to be very average. But this WWII era flight game was top notch all around. It featured a great number of authentic planes that handled like the real thing, a good variety of missions and nice graphics and sound. As a WWI/WWII aviation buff, this game was a very pleasant surprise for me.
Runner Up: Sacred 2: Fallen Angel. This game apparently did not sell a whole lot of copies which is a shame. First, because a lot of gamers missed out on a great, addictive game and second, because the publisher decided not to support it with DLC the way they supported the PC version.
Honorable Mention: Demon's Souls. Another game that I never heard of until it's release was imminent, this Japanese action RPG is sparsely beautiful, brilliantly assembled and brutally difficult. If you can handle the frustration of a lot of deaths and playing the same parts over and over, this game is truly something to behold for hardcore games.
Best Game I Wish I Didn't Totally Suck At: Street Fighter 4. Everything about the game screams greatness. But I just can't pull off the moves needed to be good at this game. I am talking about the mid-level moves, let alone the difficult ones. I tried, I really did; I bought the gamepad for the game and even the strategy guide. My thumbs just couldn't execute the moves. Bummer.
Best Gaming Moment 2009: For me nothing beat playing the guitar and singing "I've Got A Feeling" In The Beatles: Rock Band. It was just perfect. I have always wanted to be Paul McCartney and for that 4 minutes in my own little world, I was. Gaming nirvana.
Runner Up: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. (Spoiler warning!!!) When you realize that Elena has survived and she and Nate are going to end up together. I am a sap, I know, but I loved both characters so much from the original Uncharted. When Chloe came into the picture (great character, but all wrong for Nate), I was upset that Elena was being phased out. But no; the girl next door turns out to be the right girl for Nate and she lives to see that, thanks to some unexpected help from Chloe.
Honorable Mention: Hitting my first home run with my created player in MLB '09: The Show. For some reason the created players in this years version of The Show all had to start out with anemic hitting ratings. This meant that for literally the first half of my first season I hit nothing but singles. After slowly building up experience points and building up a little power, I finally hit my first HR of the year, a 3 run shot in the top of the 9th to supply the winning runs for that game.
I'll be back with the Game Of The Year decision before the end of the year. Be careful not to read too much into what these awards may mean for GOTY. I honestly have yet to make a final decision.
If any other awards that seem worth mentioning come to mind, I'll add those too.
- I have not played (and will not be playing) some of the biggest releases of the year such as Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Left 4 Dead 2 and Forza Motorsport 3. As such, these games are not eligible for GOTY or any of the other awards I am giving out.. I know this makes these awards meaningless for some people but COD:MW2 and L4D2 are mainly multiplayer games and I am not much of a multiplayer gamer, so there is no sense in me spending money on these games. If you can handle these games being ineligible, then you may find these awards worth browsing
- These awards are for Xbox 360 and PS3 games only. I am not into the Wii, DS, PSP or PC gaming.
Best Graphics: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. This was a closer call that you might think. While there is no doubting the beauty and artistry of Uncharted 2's graphics, there were also several other games that truly stood out as well. Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder and I had to make a decision, so I went with Uncharted 2. It's absolutely a gorgeous game and worthy of all the accolades it has received.
Runners Up: Assassin's Creed II, Borderlands. ACII rivals Uncharted 2 in every meaningful way. It's a real stunner. And Borderlands uses cell shading to create unique look all it's own. I was initially very skeptical of this when the decision to go with the cell shaded graphics was announced, but I fell in love with the look immediately once I started playing the game. It is absolutely perfect for the game and it's environment.
Honorable Mention: Batman: Arkham Asylum, The Beatles: Rock Band. Batman is a beautiful game in every way; it's just a hair below the others mentioned above. And the care and affection given to make the Fab Four come alive in TB:RB deserves special mention. It really adds a lot to the game itself.
Best Storyline: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. Not even a contest here. Uncharted 2's story line rivals that of Hollywood's big-budget adventure movies with characters that you care for and plot twists that leave you stunned. This is A+ level stuff here, among the best the gaming world has every seen.
Runner Up: Assassin's Creed II
Honorable Mention: Batman: Arkham Asylum
Best Voice Acting: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. Truly stellar work here, picking up where the original Uncharted left off. The main character of Nathan Drake (once again voiced by Nolan North) is terrific: charming, affable and at all times believable. The supporting characters, including Elena (Emily Fisher) and Sully (Richard McGonagle) from the original Uncharted, are every bit as good as is new femme fatale Chloe, voiced by Claudia Black. Again, the acting here rivals anything Hollywood puts together.
Runner Up: Batman: Arkham Asylum. In any other year, this game would have won the award. The work here is first rate all the way. Mark Hamill does his usual stellar work as The Joker, Kevin Conroy does the same with Batman (both of those gentlemen do the voices for a lot of animated Batman works) and Arleen Sorkin makes a delectable Harley Quinn.
Honorable Mention: Assassin's Creed II. Great work here, too. The voices for Ezio, Desmond Miles (Nolan North again) and Leonardo da Vinci are all wonderful but in truth the entire (huge) cast is first-rate.
Most Addictive Game Of The Year: Borderlands. There were a lot of games that drew me in this year and sucked away time like a starving vampire at a blood bank. But none of them could measure up to the crack-like qualities of Borderlands. The game played beautifully, controlling as well as any first-person shooter I have ever played on a console. But what made it so addictive was the RPG elements that were included. Your character leveled up after gaining a set number of experience points (gained by completing tasks and killing enemies). After each level gained, you could assign yourself new abilities or improve ones you already have. And the looting. My God, the looting! The sheer number of different weapons available meant that stumbling upon a weapons cache was a hold-your-breath moment each and every time.
Runner Up: Sacred 2: Fallen Angel. Sacred 2 is an action RPG, sort of like Borderlands but without the first-person perspective. Like Borderlands, the addictiveness came out of the looting and leveling up. Finding new and better armor, weapons, etc. and adding new skills was as good as it got until Borderlands showed up.
Honorable mentions: Assassin's Creed II, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, NHL 10. The sheer number of things to do in ACII and the ease (and fun) of getting around the map gave it that special "just one more thing and then I'll quit" vibe that you keep repeating to yourself as the hour gets later and later. Uncharted 2 was addictive not only because the gameplay was fun but because you simply had to see where the story was going next. It was that compelling. And NHL 10 gets the nod because both Be A Pro mode and the GM mode make you want to keep going to try to improve upon your last performance. Stunk it up last game? Can't end on a note like that, let's play one more game. Had a great game last time out? Well, let's see if I can top that performance!
Best Soundtrack: The Beatles: Rock Band. Next topic please.
Wait, I meant Best Original Score For A Game: Oh, okay. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. Again, like a Hollywood blockbuster, and I mean that in a good way. Perfectly sets the mood for the story.
Runner Up: Dragon Age: Origins. Extremely well done and gives the story that epic feel.
Honorable Mention: Assassin's Creed II. Very compelling and also non-intrusive.
Best Sports Game: NHL 10. The complete package as a sports game, with tons of teams, leagues and a wonderful Be A Pro mode. Addictive and just plain fun to play. EA improved on what was already a terrific series.
Runners up: MLB '09: The Show, Madden NFL 10. Great years for both of these franchises. But in the end, neither had the fun factor of NHL 10.
Honorable Mention: FIFA 10. If only EA would do something about your teammates' AI, especially on defense, this game would be the sports game to beat. Alas, they seem to have no intention of addressing this issue.
It Came From Nowhere (Best Surprise Game Of The Year): IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds Of Prey. There was very little talk about this game until a couple of months before it's release and even then, most people were dismissing it because flight games on consoles tend to be very average. But this WWII era flight game was top notch all around. It featured a great number of authentic planes that handled like the real thing, a good variety of missions and nice graphics and sound. As a WWI/WWII aviation buff, this game was a very pleasant surprise for me.
Runner Up: Sacred 2: Fallen Angel. This game apparently did not sell a whole lot of copies which is a shame. First, because a lot of gamers missed out on a great, addictive game and second, because the publisher decided not to support it with DLC the way they supported the PC version.
Honorable Mention: Demon's Souls. Another game that I never heard of until it's release was imminent, this Japanese action RPG is sparsely beautiful, brilliantly assembled and brutally difficult. If you can handle the frustration of a lot of deaths and playing the same parts over and over, this game is truly something to behold for hardcore games.
Best Game I Wish I Didn't Totally Suck At: Street Fighter 4. Everything about the game screams greatness. But I just can't pull off the moves needed to be good at this game. I am talking about the mid-level moves, let alone the difficult ones. I tried, I really did; I bought the gamepad for the game and even the strategy guide. My thumbs just couldn't execute the moves. Bummer.
Best Gaming Moment 2009: For me nothing beat playing the guitar and singing "I've Got A Feeling" In The Beatles: Rock Band. It was just perfect. I have always wanted to be Paul McCartney and for that 4 minutes in my own little world, I was. Gaming nirvana.
Runner Up: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. (Spoiler warning!!!) When you realize that Elena has survived and she and Nate are going to end up together. I am a sap, I know, but I loved both characters so much from the original Uncharted. When Chloe came into the picture (great character, but all wrong for Nate), I was upset that Elena was being phased out. But no; the girl next door turns out to be the right girl for Nate and she lives to see that, thanks to some unexpected help from Chloe.
Honorable Mention: Hitting my first home run with my created player in MLB '09: The Show. For some reason the created players in this years version of The Show all had to start out with anemic hitting ratings. This meant that for literally the first half of my first season I hit nothing but singles. After slowly building up experience points and building up a little power, I finally hit my first HR of the year, a 3 run shot in the top of the 9th to supply the winning runs for that game.
I'll be back with the Game Of The Year decision before the end of the year. Be careful not to read too much into what these awards may mean for GOTY. I honestly have yet to make a final decision.
If any other awards that seem worth mentioning come to mind, I'll add those too.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Memory Almost Full - major announcement
I am thrilled to announce that my good friend Pete Anderson has decided to become a partner with me on this blog. Pete is a terrific writer and has a wide array of interests (including gaming, music, movies, sports, etc.), so his contributions here will be most welcome. I will let Pete write a little about himself as an introduction when he gets the chance. Suffice to say that I am sure you will not only enjoy his topics but his writing style as well.
As a result of Pete joining up, you may see some changes at Memory Almost Full. Nothing too radical, mind you, but something to reflect that this is now a 2-man show. As always, your input is welcome.
Please join me in welcoming Pete Anderson to Memory Almost Full!
As a result of Pete joining up, you may see some changes at Memory Almost Full. Nothing too radical, mind you, but something to reflect that this is now a 2-man show. As always, your input is welcome.
Please join me in welcoming Pete Anderson to Memory Almost Full!
Finished Assassin's Creed II
...or at least the main story. There is still a ton of stuff I can do such as side missions, finding hidden objects, etc. The game was very satisfying. The story was presented very well (though I wish the whole story was set in the past, rather than have the present day tie-in) and was compelling enough to keep me moving forward.
I'll be diving back in on occasion to tie up all the loose ends. Having free run of the various cities is nice and there is some DLC on the way. Until then, I can get in some more time with Borderlands, Beatles: Rock Band and a couple other games I am still trying to finish up.
I'll be diving back in on occasion to tie up all the loose ends. Having free run of the various cities is nice and there is some DLC on the way. Until then, I can get in some more time with Borderlands, Beatles: Rock Band and a couple other games I am still trying to finish up.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
A Beatles: Rock Band party!
Had a couple of friends over last night as well as my son and his lady friend. We ended up breaking out The Beatles: Rock Band and played for hours. What a blast! Everyone took a turn, even my 5 year old daughter. She played on my extra set of drums (not actually hooked up) and then had a go at the guitar. She had no idea what to do, but with no-fail mode on it was no sweat. The real fun was when she sang. She knows the words to a few Beatles songs. But when she didn't know the words she would free style, throwing in Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and such. It was too cute for words.
Barb was on drums and she did great, while my friend Pete was on guitar (I even let him use my Hofner bass!) and he's actually quite good. His wife and my son's girlfriend shared vocals. Zach was the extra guitar player. He is an old pro so he kicked the usual ass. My daughter Jessica joined in on guitar and she did great too. I never knew she could play Rock Band, let alone that she was good at it.
I hopped on drums eventually and even sang vocals while pounding the skins. It was a ton of fun. The Beatles: Rock Band is one heck of a party game if you can get your friends to leave their inhibitions at the door. Highly recommended!
Barb was on drums and she did great, while my friend Pete was on guitar (I even let him use my Hofner bass!) and he's actually quite good. His wife and my son's girlfriend shared vocals. Zach was the extra guitar player. He is an old pro so he kicked the usual ass. My daughter Jessica joined in on guitar and she did great too. I never knew she could play Rock Band, let alone that she was good at it.
I hopped on drums eventually and even sang vocals while pounding the skins. It was a ton of fun. The Beatles: Rock Band is one heck of a party game if you can get your friends to leave their inhibitions at the door. Highly recommended!
Saturday, December 5, 2009
One week from today...
...Barb officially graduates from nursing school. It's a huge day for her and our family. We have a nice party planned with family and friends invited. It's a day that has been a long time coming and one that she has worked incredibly hard for. We are very proud of you, Honey!
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Game Informer issue #200
I received this last week and it included a list of their top 2oo games of all time. It's a huge, impossible list, a mash-up of every type of game from 80's arcade classics to current gen consoles and PCs. Still, it makes for interesting reading and debate.
It's hard to know how they determined the list, especially since they had the audacity to rank the games 1-200 as well. Earlier classic games seem to have been given a priority (The Legend Of Zelda from 1987 is #1 while Super Mario Bros. from 1985 and Tetris from 1984 are #2 and #3) but I am not sure if that is because of perceived innovation, influence or something else altogether.
The first "modern" game to make the list is Grand Theft Auto III at #4. It's hard to argue with the impact this game had, basically inventing the sandbox-style game where you can go anywhere within the playable world and do basically whatever you please. Many games have taken this formula and expanded upon it, put it into different settings and made these games seem unique, but they all owe a debt to GTA III. A game like Assassin's Creed II, which I am enjoying right now, is a fine example of an updated version of the sandbox style game.
I find the rankings themselves to be wildly subjective (of course). Just being included on this list ought to be a reward in an of itself. Still, I was glad to see some of my favorites not only make the list but get pretty high rankings. Bioshock comes in at #27, Diablo II at #28, Half-Life at #29 and Elder Scrolls: Oblivion at #30. Other favorites of mine include Fallout 3 (#65), God Of War (#26), the recent Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (#56) and Mass Effect (#58). I was also glad to see Halo placed somewhere I feel was appropriate. While I recognize the series' greatness, in the end it is still just a standard FPS. The original Halo is ranked at #39.
My only gripes (and they really aren't serious; this is just someone else's list after all) are that:
EDIT: I forgot to mention that Borderlands made the list and was called an "instant classic" despite the fact it was released just a couple of weeks before the list was compiled.
It's hard to know how they determined the list, especially since they had the audacity to rank the games 1-200 as well. Earlier classic games seem to have been given a priority (The Legend Of Zelda from 1987 is #1 while Super Mario Bros. from 1985 and Tetris from 1984 are #2 and #3) but I am not sure if that is because of perceived innovation, influence or something else altogether.
The first "modern" game to make the list is Grand Theft Auto III at #4. It's hard to argue with the impact this game had, basically inventing the sandbox-style game where you can go anywhere within the playable world and do basically whatever you please. Many games have taken this formula and expanded upon it, put it into different settings and made these games seem unique, but they all owe a debt to GTA III. A game like Assassin's Creed II, which I am enjoying right now, is a fine example of an updated version of the sandbox style game.
I find the rankings themselves to be wildly subjective (of course). Just being included on this list ought to be a reward in an of itself. Still, I was glad to see some of my favorites not only make the list but get pretty high rankings. Bioshock comes in at #27, Diablo II at #28, Half-Life at #29 and Elder Scrolls: Oblivion at #30. Other favorites of mine include Fallout 3 (#65), God Of War (#26), the recent Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (#56) and Mass Effect (#58). I was also glad to see Halo placed somewhere I feel was appropriate. While I recognize the series' greatness, in the end it is still just a standard FPS. The original Halo is ranked at #39.
My only gripes (and they really aren't serious; this is just someone else's list after all) are that:
- X-COM: UFO Defense, a PC game from 1993 that is in my top 5 games of all time, came in at only 164.
- The Front Page Sports Football series, a PC American football simulation that was completely innovative for the time and helped usher in season modes into modern sports games, was totally left off. It's also in my top 5 games of all time.
- The Beatles: Rock Band didn't make the list. This last gripe is actually quite understandable; they only put a couple of music games on the entire list and that seemed to be for innovation only. The original Guitar Hero and Rock Band 2 cover that genre very adequately.
EDIT: I forgot to mention that Borderlands made the list and was called an "instant classic" despite the fact it was released just a couple of weeks before the list was compiled.
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