Re: The Fall of Samus Aran Part II

"Later in the game, Malkovich goes on to sacrifice himself to destroy the Metroid infestation, as Samus is left helpless to do anything, locked in a damaged power suits. She resorts to begging, screaming, and crying at him to convince him to not go ahead with his sacrificial plans."

This is where Steve makes me think he just watched cutscenes of the game, cause not 2 minutes before this, we see that Adam shot her to disable her temporarily and explained that anyone who goes in there is going to die. In fact, the only way to destroy the Metroids, who were unfreezeable, was to activate the modules self-destruct program which involved it detaching from the bottle ship and blowing up. He also said that Samus was the only one could defeat Ridley, and that is why when it came to someone sacrificing themselves, it made more sense for him to do it than her. It was only in about every line of dialogue in that scene.

"The Samus I know would shoot that asshole in the leg and take care of business herself. She would find a way. This Samus? Team Ninja puts her in the position of a feeble, helpless little girl; a bystander to a man’s heroics."

As stated, said "main's heroics" involved dying and as I said above, Adam's reasoning was because only Samus could defeat Ridley, who was still alive at that point. Also, the Samus I know would never do that to anyone on her side, but just in case she would, Adam shot her in the back so that she couldn't stop him from performing his heroic sacrifice.

"But the the most shocking and insulting moment in the game is her confrontation with her old-time nemesis, Ridley. Other M is the last in the Metroid series, meaning Samus has mutilated Ridley’s ass around a dozen times by now."

No, the game is set before Fusion and sets up many moments for it. Also, I like you Steve says dozen when there isn't even a dozen games. In fact, before Other M in the Metroid timeline it rounds out to about 4. 5 if you count both the Meta-Ridely fight and the Omega Ridley fight in Metroid Prime 3. But they are Metroid, Super Metroid, Prime 1, and Prime 3. The first two games had limited story-telling gameplay and the latter two she had ample time to process his revival before fighting him. In Other M, he literally just pops out and starts wailing on Samus.

"But what does Samus do in Other M when Ridley confronts her? She has a panic attack and passes out. Ridley picks her up, and goes on to beat the living pulp out of her fainted body until she is rescued by a male character called Anthony. That is actually what happens."

Considering that Samus makes a special mention of Ridley finally being dead in the beginning, this doesn't come off as much of a surprise. Also, consider this because this was also mentioned in a long laundry list of things Samus had done at the beginning. Ridley was killed, his remains were destroyed on the planet she accidentally blew up, and the only people who could or had any interest in bringing him back were also all dead. Ridley's revival was an accident in this game. Samus had no idea he would back and so her guard was down when he showed up. Two more points: why does Anthony's gender matter and what about Rundus? Rundus saved Samus from Ridley's attack in the beginning of three. He was also male, ableit, an alien.

"[He] goes so far to scream at Ridley: “Don’t you know how to treat a lady?” A lady? This woman has committed alien genocide. She is the most feared person in the galaxy; Ridley is treating her just like he should be."

1) Anthony was being funny. He has also called Samus "princess" in nearly every other encounter with her. But, it wasn't insulting or derogatory, it was because they were friends. Also, calling Samus the most feared person in the galaxy is a bit of stretch. I understand where it is coming from, but how much of that is canon and how much of it is projection. The federation has been bossing Samus around as her employer in nearly every single Metroid game and this and Fusion are the only ones where she actively starts defying them, you know, character development.

"This single line isn’t the character of the game talking, it’s Team Ninja talking through him. This is how they view Samus, and likewise, all women."

That is perhaps the biggest piece of pretentious bull-shit in this whole mess of vomit. The fact that Samus did fight and defeat Ridley, was ready to do it again in the same game, defeated every monster in the game no sweat including a Queen Metroid, and was pretty much the only person the Eliminator couldn't get to, I would have to say that the rest of the game proves this statement wrong. Also again, Rundus. He even says "now you owe me one" and that was by Retro.

"She is just lady, a small orphaned girl one who should be coddled and held onto, and then rammed in the ass since that’s all she is good for."

Again, she killed every single monster in that game. Every single one. Most of which on her own. Also, because Steve didn't play this game and thus he couldn't possibly remember that this was the second time Anthony saved Samus, the first being against the monster that would be Ridley and in fact foreshadowed the second rescue by saying "the next shot is for you" (which also pinned him as a suspect for being the Eliminator).

"Just as offensive is the diction of Anthony, who is black. No, he doesn’t say “We need to find an exit” or “We have to get out of here!” in moments of peril. Instead, he yells “WHERE DA EXIT AT?!” and “YO SAMUS, RUN GIRL!” Because everyone knows that if black space marines were to exist in the future, they’d speak in urban ebonics while pointing at their gold chains. Duh."

I don't remember that. I remember Anthony talking pretty normally and having an ethnicity. I wish the writer would give some specific scene and examples other than the ones everyone who hadn't played the already knew. Also, games, movies, TV shows have done this...Steve needs to get out of that rocks he is under.

My experience with Kinect

've decided to make a blog about my thoughts, impressions and hands-on with Microsoft's motion-controlled attempt, Kinect.

Also, before you start reading, I just want to point some things out:

- I've played 4 games. (roughly 10 minutes each)
- Not sure if the games are in their final builds.
- Kids were going crazy all over it!

Right, here we go!

-[Introduction]-

Microsoft's Xbox Kinect. Microsoft's answer to motion controlled gaming and their attempt to get into the whole motion market alongside the Wii and Playstation Move.

When it was first announced, I was quite curious. I had many questions in my mind:

- Will the device work?
- Will it have good games?
- Will it be cheap?

Now shifting straight to E3 2010 and Microsoft's abysmal press conference, I was starting to lose interest in the device. Fanboys from one camp are bashing it to oblivion while another is defending it with all their might.

Later on, they've announced the $150 pricetag, which was a turnoff for quite a hefty amount of games. They thought it would be a huge waste of money. It's gonna have casual games and nothing more. It's gonna bomb.
Leaving that aside, I said to myself: I'm gonna have to try this for myself before I hand down my verdict on this controversial device.

-[Gitex Shopper 2010]-

For the last 3 years, I've always wanted to go to Dubai just for Gitex. Due to some complications involving school or my dad busy with work, it delayed my dream, until last week.

So we skip to the 21st of October and realize that I'm in Dubai and I checked out the Gitex Technology Week 2010 event that was being held there. Electronics, gadgets and anything IT related EVERYWHERE!
Checked out some laptops. One of them was 3D enabled and let you use any standard passive-shutter 3D glasses (RealD glasses that you get in the cinemas for example). Glasses-less 3D screens (which work pretty well, but seem a bit blurry) and many other crazy shenanigans.

But anyway, that's not today's subject. I'm here to talk about...

-[Kinect: Eyes-on impression]-

So there it was, a sleek bar with a stand that sat on a table next to an Xbox 360. I was watching some kids playing some games. It looked fun, and I thought: How bad could it be?

But then, the ugly truth met me face to face...

-[TEH LAGZ!]-

For those who are still in denial, Kinect has an obvious half a second lag, and it's f*cking everywhere. It's in your games. It's in your menu navigation and to me, it was the ultimate turnoff.
I don't know if they're going to fix this issue before launch, but for now, it's f*cking horrible.
A short while later, it was my turn to play some Kinect games. I have played 4 games and here's what I think of each one of them:

-[Kinect Joy Ride]-

It wasn't too bad, but the lag just kills it for me. The cars are always accelerating, so all you have to do is steer, boost and occasionally, do stunts while in mid-air. Seems easy, but the crappy steering (thanks to the lag) kinda ruins the experience for gamers, but I'm pretty sure children wouldn't give two ducks about it and just have a blast!
In all honesty, I'd prefer this game if it was as it was back in 2009. A free racing game that uses a controller to play.

-[Kinect Adventures]-

I played this one with some guy who was standing in line with me at that time. The only stage we were able to play was the River Raft stage. Playing with a friend is pretty fun. You and your partner are gonna have to be coordinated for a good and fun experience.
Once again, like Joy Ride, there is lag, but you'll only notice it when you jump. While it doesn't really kill the experience, it can be a nuisance to see your avatar jump half a second after you do.

-[Kinect Sports]-

*sigh*.....Rare......f*ck you....

Now, I'm only saying this because they've decided it was a good idea to have Samsung logos and T-mobile bowling balls in the game. Now I don't really mind in-game advertisements, but come on Rare!
Anyway, the only sport I've played was Table Tennis (just to compare with what I've played on Sports Champions and Wii Sports Resort). It's pretty lackluster. It's not like you're moving your paddle. It's like your body is strapped right onto the Avatar. It feels and looks really crappy. Even the Miis playing Table Tennis look more decent than what the robotic puppets known as Avatars look like. They always glitch up and sh*t and it's just bleh. Gameplay wise, it makes Wii Sports Resort and Sports Champions 50 generations ahead of its time!

I've also seen some kid play bowling. It looked okay, but it seems that it was made to be noob-friendly since the kid was going ape sh*t and throwing strikes all the time! (and keep in mind that the kid was like 4 or 5?)
Also saw some kids play the 100m sprint. All I can say is that it's just running...while you're standing still.

While the lag may not be that significant like the other 2 games, it's still there and it's hard to ignore.

-[Kinectimals]-

........I dunno what I was thinking when I was pla.......SKITTLES!!!!!!
I'm kidding. It wasn't Skittles, but it was some Cheetah that I decided to call Derp...in my mind. Anyway, after the bizarre and awkward air stroking, it was time to play some ball!
Rules are simple. Throw the ball at your......Kinectimal.....and it'll hit it back. You must keep this up for 20 seconds to win. Simple, right?

All I can say is that, it was the most hardest thing I've ever done in my whole life period. Responsiveness was craptastic. Sometimes it works, but most of the time, it decides that it doesn't want to work!
Now, the lady working there told me that it could be because the sensor is overheating.....

-[Overheating]-

I kid you not. That's what she told me!

-[Conclusion]-

While Kinect may be a great peripheral to buy for the kids because they are gonna have a f*cking blast, gamers may want to back up on this one for now. If you're curious and you're thinking about getting one for yourself, I would recommend doing that when the price drops, more games are available and they fix that horribly God forsaken lag!

Top 5 worst games of this generation (that are successful)

In gaming, there will always be a best and a worst. This rant is not for the kind of bad game that gets insanely low reviews and sells 100 copies total. You all know not to buy those games. This list is for bad games that have suceeded in both the review and sales area as well as the respect of most gamers. This list will be controversial and many will argue with it, but ultimately its the truth so lets just pull the band aid off and get to it.

5. Duke Nukem Forever.

What more can you say about a game that has been hyped for 14 years? Fans hoped that this would be a winner and thier nostalgic dreams of the 90s would be reborn once again, but the completely unorganized development of this game ensured that it would be terrible from the start. Even with the obvious signs that this game would bomb, the old school gamers still defend this game despite the archiac controls, out dated graphics, and long load times that plague it. Duke Nukem is a painful reminder that nostalgia is only good if it stays in the past because if it is remade for your more complex adult brain, you will realize that the only reason you liked it in the first place was because you were just easier to impress when you were 12.

4.Metroid Other M.

This is not a game I would ever expect to be on a list like this. The Metroid Prime series was pretty much the best 3D transition Nintendo ever made with their series. Metroid Other M promised to mix the 2D and 3D elements we have come to love and for the most part they did that right. What they got wrong was the recharacterization of Samus. Samus has changed from a fearless bounty hunter who takes orders from no one to a submissive weakling. Samus now cowers in fear over enemies she has killed multiple times and takes orders from some dude who has no authority over her. This is the equivalent of making Rambo wear a tutu. Its embarassing to watch and soils the good name of the first real video game heroine. As good as the gameplay may be, the presentation is a deal breaker.

3.Bayonetta.

If you are looking for a game to prove to your parents that video games can be a mature and classy medium of entertainment, you are about as cold as the south pole. Bayonetta is the quintessential example of using sex to sell a game. You play as a woman with extremely long legs who constantly walks with a model pose and strips off her hair clothing when she fights while the camera zooms in to get the best angles of this. Did I mention this game is japanese? There is no coherent story or innovative gameplay here. This is all a visual spectactle for the gamers who are lonely enough to use this game as...aid. There is no class, no shame, and no subtley to Bayonetta at all. Bayonetta has only served to push the argument that games are just violent, sex crazed, and misogynistic when we were finally starting to shake off that image. Now that image will be stuck with us for many years to come.

2.Saints Row.
There have been GTA clones before it, but none of them are as shameless in thier cloning as Saints Row is. Saints Row is Grand Theft Auto in almost every way. Whatever its done, GTA has done before and better. The graphics are bland, the story is immature and nonsensical, and the gameplay is buggy to the point of nearly being unplayable. Saints Row is the original game for being unoriginal and has set a new low in the gaming industry for just how much you can steal from a sucessful game and get away with it. The industry has become full of uninnovative clones and Saints Row made it all completely acceptable with its success.

1.Wii Fit.
Here is a game I can barely even call a game. Wii Fit is more like what you would get out of a bad infomercial. You stand on a board and do some aerobics and this is supposed to make you fit? Not by a long shot. Nintendo Execs have even flat out said that the game is not supposed to make you fit at all. So what is the point of this game? To exploit the insecurities of our more rounded gamers? I thought games were supposed to help you escape the realities of everyday life, but this game takes life, throws it in your face, and calls you fat while doing it. Its like buying Portal 2...without the portals...just glados calling you fatty the whole time...and we pay for this.

Honorable mention: Beatles Rock Band.
The Beatles were the greatest band to grace modern music, but thier low tempo music does not make for a fun rhythm game at all. All the songs make you hit a button about once every 5 seconds (and this is on expert) guaranteeing fast boredom for even the most unskilled player. If you really want to rock out, GH Metallica is the way to go.

A look into Resistance 3 Multiplayer Beta

PSN users with Playstation Plus have been given a real treat in the latest PSN store update. The Resistance 3 Multiplayer Beta. I decided to take some time off from playing Witcher 2 and try it out and here are my thoughts.

The graphics in Resistance 2 were nothing revolutionary but they were pretty and the engine was able to deliver huge amounts of players and AI monsters on the screen at the same time. In Resistance 3 Insomniac has created beautiful maps with a color pallet consisting from multiple colors instead of gray and its shades. There are plants and signs of the alien invasion spread out the areas creating a proper mood. There are also radios that play the emergency messages and whatnot in some buildings which is a nice touch. One complaint is the human character models who look like they have gone over the edge and stare at the alien invaders eyes wide and with no emotion. In short they look creepier than the chimera.

The maps are large and they hold 16 players in the Beta, we will see if the huge massed battles of Resistance 2 make their way to the third. Map design is in general good and there are multiple ways to close in on your enemy. This at least in the Beta has almost completely removed all campers, some try but usually end up failing as you are easily able to get to them some other way. There are few positions created clearly sniping in mind but they don't enable the snipers to massacre the other team. All in all the maps are well balanced.

Guns and their sound design is solid with the carbine making a proper noise when fired where as the Bullseye makes a higher whining sound. Also the snipers make a distinct loud proper bang. Only weapon that lacks in the sound department is the Berserks gun that is a huge cannon but makes a muffled whump sound when fired. The weapons as the maps are well balanced counting out the mutator which seems little over powered. The problem with mutator is that it makes already a good impact damage and also poisonous damage over time. It also has the ability to turn enemies into rampaging mutated minions that attack and charge against their allies. The mutator is unlocked at level 20 which then can turn a low level game into a massacre. Hopefully in the final release or in luck already in the beta Mutator will be balanced properly. Guns each have their own stats and different secondary fire modes which to many are familiar from the previous games. Guns affect also your running speed which is a good thing that you can outrun or swiftly flank enemies carrying for example the mutator or Berserks.

The game now has perks and killstreaks. This has been an issue to some people and I understand why. They easily throw the balance out of the window and flip off the fair game in process. Luckily there are no overpowered perks for they range from from shooting a little straighter and extra clip size to body armor that increases your health but slow you down. There are few shield perks but they don't make you invincible and of course you are able to use them yourself. Killstreaks award you after three kills an assault shield for the resistance which blocks fire coming from straight ahead leaving your back vulnerable or to chimeras a cloak that disappears after firing at an enemy. Both have a time limit that is about 60 seconds. 6 kills award you then the Auger which was in the last two games very powerful so i can see why they made it a kill streak. It has the same old abilities. These are seeing the enemies highlighted trough the walls and being able to deploy a shield using the secondary fire. You can't shoot trough walls anymore or at least I didn't hit anyone, I'm not completely sure if I just didn't aim properly or has it been taken out. The last killstreak mutates chimeras into bigger, harder chimeras that you probably remember from Resistance 2 and they have this kind of a alien rocket launcher which is deadly but the ammunition don't move that fast and it has a fire rate of about 60 rounds a minute. The resistance fighters get combat armor and a slow chain gun which bears resemblance to the minigun in Resistance 2. It also fires explosive ammunition so there are really no big difference between the two streaks.

In general the multiplayer is just very well made and I hope Insomniac will keep supporting the game after the release and continue listening the community. If you have a chance to play the Beta i highly recommend you checking it out. This at least for me is a sure buy when it hits the stores in September.

Where's My Spectator Mode?

We all like challenge. Most of us who like challenge like competition. Those of us who like competition are likely to enjoy watching two sides go at it. So when you combine that with the love of video games, you get a very enjoyable and even a guide to those who don't find themselves doing well in a particular game. With what I feel is such a wonderful option to give gamers, why isn't it everywhere?

I didn't start playing online shooters until a few years after the currrent generation of console games had started. I was fairly new to shooters in general with only Halo 2 under my belt and a few others that aren't worth mentioning. When Uncharted 2: Among Thieves was nearing release, I decided to pick myself up a PS3. Aside from the fact that I turned out to be rather talented at the game, I enjoyed the game's offerings. One of those things was the cinema mode. What is more satisfying than watching myself or another player beast around a map other than doing it myself? It was a feature that I wish was in every multiplayer game, but found it wasn't.

Almost a year later, I pick up Resistance: Fall of Man. Now, this is easily my favorite single-player shooter ever, but I have to say the multiplayer left a bad taste in my mouth. I have nothing against it and I respect those who find it to their liking, but it just wasn't my thing. But while I WAS playing it (kind of), I stumbled across spectator mode, which allowed me to view other players' games. I thought this was probably one of the coolest features I'd ever run into in a video game, but it was even better because instead of just looking through an orbital camera, I was able to walk around and jump as if I was actively participating in the match. Then there's the ability to watch other player's race in Gran Turismo 5 - the only problem being is that you take up a space in the lobby even if you just want to watch, which can understandably annoy some people. But how cool is that?

I can only wish that more games would adopt a set-up similar to that found in FoM. I thought it was a great feature in a game that not too many people play anymore, but what if it was implemented in a new and/or popular game like Resistance 3 or Battlefield? Imagine the epicness of being able to soar across a huge map in real-time and witness a full-scale battle taking place. Wouldn't that be cool? Or maybe a more personal teabagging by a live player? Double the fun!

With a few more games giving cinema mode to gamers this year, I hope this starts a much desired trend in my future purchases. Having access to these modes regardless of what I'm actually playing would be like a dream come true. I might have to wait until the next generation or beyond, but I really hope I don't. These modes truly complete the multiplayer experience and give the community a stronger connection.

I think that if there was one thing I could make standard in all future multiplayer games, it would be to include a Cinema and Specator mode. You can learn, lay back, laugh, or watch a friend finish his game instead of waiting at an uneventful lobby screen. I'm sure I can find some people here on N4G that would agree with me, no?