Game Log: BioShock, New SMB, and NHL Arcade

So I realized this weekend that I really need to stop forming any sort of opinion on a game after playing through less than 1% of it. That might actually be a good lesson for life in general.

I'm talking about BioShock. I had noted in various sections of this blog that I was pretty meh on the game. Well, I'm glad I stuck with it as I really started to enjoy it this weekend after a few sessions.

My main hump was the controls. I was coming off Dead Space which used third person shooter controls. Before that was Gears of War and Gears of War 2 so the aiming/shooting controls felt strange. I eventually got the hang of them and am now killing bad guys at a high school level.

The second issue was just me not really getting the "vibe" of the game. There was a moment though when I finally settled into its creepiness. I don't know why it took me so long to absorb the ambiance but eventually I was really enjoying my walks through the corridors as insane people let loose with their weirdo babbling in the distance.

Third, I gots me a shotgun!

Now I'm dreading that flawed ending that starts to seep into the game about 2/3rds through. Until then, I'll just be killin' big daddies and rescuing the little sis's.

The second game I'm enjoying right now is New Super Mario Bros. for the DS. Sarah picked up Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion so I needed something to play while the TV was being monopolized for that century long quest. (Quick review of Elder Scrolls so far: it has quite the character editor).

Anyways, New Super Mario Bros is a return to the basics for Mario. It's a 2D platformer with 3D graphics and feels like a cross between SMB 3 and Super Mario World. Although a little easier than both so far. I've been blasting through that pretty easily. But, I just switched my mission from getting through the game and going back to find all the big coins and alternate routes. So World 8 will have to wait.

If you like Mario games and have a DS, you really should get this one.

Finally, NHL Arcade has full on skill stick support as I learned from various online games that made my goalie look like a fool. Anyway, this just made the game go from "fun distraction" to "potentially one of the more competitive offerings" for parties.

Before I go, I just wanna recommend the DS to anyone who's been kinda thinking about it. It's that good.

Elite Review: Burnout Paradise

Here's a confession: I fucking hate realism in video games. My fave sports game of all-time is still NBA Jam TE with the dunk-from-anywhere and always-on-fire cheat codes turned on. I'm crazy about shooters with unlimited ammo.

So there should be no surprise that given the choice between a real car simulator and an arcade racer I'll pick the arcade game every time (sorry, Gran Turismo).

For those not familiar with the Burnout series, it's basically a racing game where destruction of every kind is rewarded: taking out opponents during races gives you more boost (as do things like drifting around corners and taking your car off sweet jumps to do barrel rolls) and if you crash your wreck is rendered in painstakingly detailed slo-mo.

The goals of the game are simple: win events in different categories. You can straight up race, try a burning route (best time), smash as many cars off the road as possible, survive getting smashed or do a stunt run. These events take place in an open world filled with different scenery from mountain roads to congested highways.

I've loved all the games in the Burnout series and this one is probably the best so far. The gameplay is addicting - there are always new rewards waiting after every event you win - and even if you're not racing it's great just tooling around the different roads in the game.

The best part is that the original game is available right now at Future Shop for $20 as a "classic" game, and once you buy it you can download all sorts of free upgrades via XBOX Live, including a motorbike add-on. There's a lot of not free content too, and I've heard Critereon is planning on adding a whole other island to the Burnout Paradise world soon.

So if you're a fan of arcade racing games, you can't get anything better than this. I'd recommend it just so I can have some friends to race against!

Greg's Profile/Games

I currently own a 360 and a Wii. Off the top of my head I have the following games for each system;

360
- Halo 3
- Dynasty Warriors 6
- Tom Clancy's End War
- Too Human
- Fable 2
- Gears of War
- Dynasty Warriors Gundam
- NHL 2008
- Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
- Mass Effect
- Lost Odyssey
- Enchanted Arms
- Dead Rising

Wii
- Wii Sports Pack (the one that comes with the system)
- MarioKart Wii
- Sims

What should I get?

So since I'm ordering a controller from amazon, I also wanna get a game.

I'm looking for a good one player campaign. Basically I have it down to two: Devil May Cry 4 and Resident Evil 5.

I'll get RE5 if I can get someone to go through the game with. I don't think I can convince Sarah to play with me. Plus my constant yelling of "HEAL ME! NOW!" might put a strain on our relationship.

DMC4 looks good but I've never played any of the DMC games. It looks like a God of War type game (which I enjoyed for the PS2).

Any thoughts/other recommendations?

Cpt. Tony Games

Xbox360 Games:
-Mirrors Edge
-Portal
-Grand theft Auto IV

PC Games :
-Sims 2 (all expansions)
-Spore
-Supreme Commander
-Sim City 4
-Sim City Societies
-Quake
-Star Wars Elite Force (with expansion)

Sale: 360 controllers

I just wanted to inform everyone that amazon has 360 controllers on sale for $34.97 this week.

UPDATE: Sold out :(

Elite Review: Dead Space

So I recently finished Dead Space on the 360. It was a really fun game. Keep in mind though that I'm a fan of third person shooters, especially of the survival variety.

I had waited to play this game on an HD TV since the graphics are top notch and I'm glad I did. The controls were tight. The difiiculty was a good balance too. I ran into fights that I needed a few tries to beat. I hate when I can blast through a game without really dying. The mix of enemy classes and weaponry gave the fights a nice strategic bent. Especially in the ammo usage department.

The game reminded me most of Resident Evil 4 in terms of gameplay. There is a store scattered around to upgrade stuff. There are also benches here and there to upgrade equipment and I really liked the upgrade system.

The main difference between this and RE4 was in the fighting. Rather than going for headshots the idea is to shoot off the limbs of your enemies. You can also move while shooting.

The other big difference is having two special abilites at your disposal: Stasis, which slows things (like enemies) down and Kinesis which can pick things up from a distance and hurl them. You'll use both to solve enviromental puzzles and during fights. You can use Kinesis to pick up enemy body parts that have been blown off and shoot them at other enemies to preserve ammo. Honestly though, I rarely did that other than a boss encounter.

Conclusion: Great graphics, tight controls, fun story. Little replay value. I'm always up for trading this one.

Grade: A