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: NHL 3 on 3 Arcade

So I went on a demo downloading binge the other night and this was one of the trials I grabbed. It ended up being a semi-addicting experience so I grabbed the full game.

We've had some peeps over the last few nights and I think this game has been a big hit.

As the title implies it's a 3 on 3 (+ goalies) hockey game. Since it's arcade, some realism gets thrown out the window. The first thing you might notice is that the action doesn't stop from the opening "face off" (and by face off I mean everyone skating into each other trying to hit the other guy). There are no penalties (one of the more satisfying things to do is to rock the opponent's goaltender and score while he's flailing around), no icing, offsides, etc.

Hitting an opponent usually leads to them spitting out a powerup such as making your player super fast, huge etc. A personal fave of ours is Tiny Goalie which makes your opponents goalie well... tiny. But there's nothing like seeing that little guy make a stone cold save.

The thing that sets this apart from other arcade sports games however is that EA basically simplified the actual NHL games it puts out. Meaning that the controls and AI are as tight as you'd expect but in a less daunting package.

You have one game mode, Red vs. Blue, and can build your team from a bevy of superstars. They are all classified as "Fast" "All Around" and "Strong" which is similar to "Skinny Guy", "Normal Guy" and "Fat Guy" from the IceHockey NES game.

If you're looking for a good pickup and play party game for the 360 that actually has some depth, hook it up.