Generation Y :: The MTV Generation

Soul Calibur IV

2008-09-07T20:42:00.002-06:00

So far Soul Calibur IV is amazing. Some of the mechanics feel broken, compared to II being a very solid game and III being a steaming pile of unbalanced nonsense.

I'm in love with the character editor, I just wish they didn't make you put 100+ hours into the game to unlock everything, which is a reoccurring theme in the recent generation of videogames, make you work for a product you already paid for.

Amy's a new favorite, she can be incredibly skilled, and very cheap. They kinda make Mitsurugi less flow-y and more light I remember Nightmare from II, stance oriented. Seems like they hid a lot of his old staple moves behind more complex button combinations.

Regarding Wii ownership

2008-06-24T10:36:00.004-06:00

I owned a Wii at launch. Please cease hating me, there's more to the story. My girlfriend at the time worked part time at a Gamestop and was able to pull strings to procure me a Wii on launch day. Ok, now you can hate me. But really, at first I cherished it, and loved it. I played it all day when she came home with it. I bought a 150 dollar metal suitcase for it, bond style, custom cut foam, holds the cords, system, four controllers, and the little infrared dongle that sits on top your TV. I recall owning Trauma Center in addition to spending many hours explaining to countless people how to play Wii Sports.

Some realities for me with the Wii were that no matter how cool Zelda seemed at first, I'm not any more interested in playing the Wii than I am interested in my PC or Xbox360 for playing games lately. Nothing keeps my interest very long, it seems like MMO or bust. I play Halo3, WoW, FFXI, and occasionally Guitar Hero. Anything that lacks long term progress/rewards/visibility, just doesn't seem worthwhile.

Regarding Wii ownership... I still love the little guy, but he's my party toy now. My never feel guilty there's always something to do when there's company over or you throw a party go-to guy. I've got Mario Party, Wario Ware, and Super Smash Bros Melee. SSBM was and is pretty fun, but for some reason I'm not drawn to it like I used to be to new games, no compelling desire to beat or master it.

Wii is kinda like auto insurance, you should really have it, just in case, but, I don't find myself daily saying "Man, I'm glad I have a Wii." However, it's entirely possible I'm just a singularity, in a rut, who needs to get out there and try some new games.

Xbox360 :: They must put crack in Crackdown.

2007-02-09T19:05:00.000-06:00

After spending several hours playing the demo of Crackdown, I've arrived at the conclusion that they've secretly found a way to deliver narcotics through a 360.

The game is addictive. Very very addictive.

For every white middle class minority who isn't a big fan of rap, and the counterculture it so often purveys; I give you Grand Theft Auto minus the "Ghetto". Don't get me wrong. That's exactly where it is, in some respects. The setting could be looked at as being very Ghetto. However, unlike the GTA series, the last few installments in particular, Crackdown does not leave me with the dirty gritty feeling from it's story mode. Instead of being a part of the crime/gangs you're the enforcer.

Your character is an enhanced superhuman. The details on this weren't important enough to pay attention to. I run really fast, jump really high, and I get guns and grenades. What more could a boy want? The level up system has been said to be similar to Oblivion, which is not completely inaccurate. You blow enough stuff up, and your blowing stuff up skill increases. This increases damage dealt by your explosions, and their respective range. Beat up enough baddies melee and your melee skill levels up, and you do more damage when you bash someone in the face.

The game is really quite engrossing. And short of the time limits in the demo mode, I felt no pressure to move towards objectives, much like Oblivion and other free roaming games, you can put the story mode on pause, and just have fun.

This is a good old fashion blow shit up and have a blast game. Pun intended.

I give it a 8.5/10 just on the demo. Which was more than enough to go pre-order it on Amazon.com, because I'm a consumer whore and I'm too lazy to go reserve it in person, and then go back again and pick it up.

2007-02-09T18:51:00.000-06:00