My Metroid is Tarnished.

I bought it the day it came out. I got the special art pack for pre-ordering the game. I beat it in one week, 100% item collection rate. I traded it in before it was out for a month. I am so disappointed to the point I have to write about it.

Metroid: Other M is supposed to be a good game. This is an utterly biased statement, but I have good reason for making it. Every Metroid game I have ever played, ever, and I have played them all (haven’t beaten all of them, but most of them) has been an excellent experience [CORRECTION; Metroid Corruption was only OK to me, and Hunters was passable, and I refuse to acknowledge Pinball as a true Metroid game]. Either way, the term Metroid is synonymous with “good game”. That tradition is now broken. Enough patter, I will know elaborate.

Other M (OM) is the first Metroid game made by Team Ninja, the guys behind Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive. I guaranteed this is the last time they will touch a Metroid game, too. So they tried to make it very similar to Ninja Gaiden with a very fast paced Metroid game as opposed to being an explorative one like every other Metroid. This seems like an awesome idea, it really gives Samus a reason to use that gun attached to her arm. All is not well, though, as the Wii’s controls don’t allow for a very accurate movement in a 3-D environment using only a D-Pad. So it uses auto-aiming, which is somewhat accurate. Here’s my problem with the combat though, it is degraded down to room around the room while charging your gun, aim in the general direction of the enemy, fire. Occasionally, you have to fire your missiles, which involve s aim the Wiimote at the screen. This seems like an interesting mechanic, except you can’t move while doing this. This also would have been an ok mechanic, had this been completely different from EVERY METROID GAME EVER MADE. In literally EVERY METROID GAME EVER MADE you can fire your missiles while moving, as if you were using your arm cannon, just a more powerful and slower version of it. In this game you must lock on to your target, while standing still, and fire a missile from there. In a high action game this title wants to be, this is not a good thing at all. It’s a complete break in the action that is just not necessary.
Enough of the shooting, let’s just get to why so many people hate the story of this game. It’s sexist. My wife calls me sexist all of the time; I just might be a little bit. This game though, basically says that women are inferior, especially as soldiers, they are whiney brats as teenagers, and are intolerably irrational. Had I said any of those things to my wife she would slap me. OM says it throughout the entire game. I think the thing that pisses me off the most, is that Samus enters this mission FULLY F**KING POWERED UP, the same way she was back at the end of Super Metroid. But she chooses to restrict her powers because her former commander from WHO CARES how long ago says she can’t. At the beginning of the game, some soldiers you meet can’t progress because they can’t open the damn door. Samus blasts it open with a missile like only she can, and they STILL choose to restrict her powers. Why she agrees to this is beyond me, since she could have easily said “No”, or rather “Perhaps you have forgotten I can destroy you all by turning into a little ball and laying a Power Bomb?” This pisses me off to no end, because Samus enters this area with an active volcano (on a damn space station?) and chooses not to save her own skin by activating her Varia suit until her commander says “Hey, go ahead and equip you Varia suit.”
This is just a tacked on plot device and I hate every bit of it. I also hated the whole “Concentration thing, where Samus thinks hard and regains all of her missiles (that part I actually didn’t mind) and her health (this I hated). The only way to gain health in this game is to hit up a save point or if you are about to die, concentrate. No health orbs, no rockets scattered, no…..wait a minute. There is also the thing about collected Energy Tanks and Energy parts, which is only 1/4th of an energy tank….and accel charge tanks….

THIS ISN”T A METROID GAME!!!

What we have here a disappointing game created by Team Ninja, it attempts so hard to be a Metroid game. This is the direct sequel to Super Metroid, on of the best game ever created?

Nintendo, listen: Metroid games in 2D are gold. Every 2D Metroid game has sold millions and is top rated. Metroid, Metroid 2, Super Metroid, Metroid Fusion, Metroid: Zero Mission, these games are absolutely worth every penny to make them. I would gladly drop $50 to play a good, side scrolling Metroid game on the DS. Here is you mission, should you choose to accept it: Make a good 2D Metroid game, and please, abandon all 3D attempts. Retro Studios has already written the book on 3D Metroid and no other company is going to make one as good. Go back to your roots.

Demo reviews?

What is this crap about?

Look, shut up. Demos, IMO, are to be judged more severely than the actual game itself.

Heres why: No one is forcing a gaming company to release a demo, and there have been more than enough games that were released demo-less. (Fallout 3, Most every recent WWE game, COD... I could go on). Demos encourage hype and support for the game before it's released, which is a good thing true enough.

Wait a minute, didn't I see just a few days ago that a Modern Warfare 2 demo is available? The game's been out for a year..... ah. You mean to tell me that gaming companies will release a demo after the game has been out for a while to re-kindle the game hype fires? Yes. Yes they do. Common practice.

SO. If demos are to be as bastardized as gaming companies treat them, I will almost always judge a game by it's demo. Hey, if you didn't want it to happen, you shouldn't have released a demo.

First on the block, EA Sports MMA.

Hoooooorrriiibbblllleeee. Here's why:

The total control system from Fight Night Round 3 and 4. I didn't like it, I don't think anyone else I know liked it either. Why....would you put it into.... a fighting game like UFC? For those not in the know, all of your punches, their power and direction, is controlled by the right stick. So you want to swing a right hook? Curl the stick down and to the right.

The problems?

Well, what if I want to swing a 1-2 hook combo? Too bad fatty, the stick has to go back to neutral before it can start swinging again. It takes a fraction of a second, but you'll notice it. Furthermore, your game is relying on a few well known fighters, the Strikeforce title, and the bouts in Japan? And this is riding on a sketchy system? Umm... well, I was going to relate it to NBA LIVE/NBA 2K series, but even thats been questioned these last few days. It'd be like making a "NFL" game on a Blitz control system and engine... yeah. Like that. You don't have much to go on, AND your overall system isn't stable? Look out world. I applaud them for attempting to do something new, but shun them for making it feel more arcade-like. Bad gaming company, that's not how we do things. DIDN'T BACKBREAKER TEACH YOU ANYTHING?

Ok ok ok, enough of that.

Enslaved.

Remember those games I constantly reference at the store? The ps2 games that were the core of the system? Legend of Kay, Tomb Raider, Sly Cooper, Ratchet and Clank, Jax, the Crash series, Rayman, PSYCHONAUTS, Spyro, Ape Escape, blah blah blah.

They are called 3d platformers. They are beautiful games. (You can see where I'm going with this)

The basic idea, you have an attack button (sometimes two), a jump button, a use button, a control stick for the camera, a control stick for the character, a block button usually, and a set of skills. Solid games, great stories, and tons of different versions to try. I love them, don't get me wrong, the biggest reason I own a psp-go is for Daxter and the ratchet series (no seriously, platformers on psp-go FTW).

Enslaved is under this category. It's gorgeous to look at, an interesting story (you maniacs, you blew it up... you'll get that joke after you play the demo), and solid controls. So what's the problem you ask? Well, it's the same joke told a thousand times before, it's nothing we haven't seen yet. Grab a ledge, jump up, hit the button twice to stun the guy, a 3rd time kills them, jump to higher platforms to get collectables. Is that enslaved? Well, actually it's describing Daxter, AND enslaved.

Nothings wrong with it though, I like that the genre is still going strong, I'm just not one to shell out $60 for something that can be $5 on the ps2.

Whuts next you ask? Kane and Lynch 2.

Ok, all you alls, you're full of shit. You didn't play K&L1 when it came out, you started playing after it had been out for a while. Stop your lying. The reviews and sales prove it. I remember when that game came out, no one had it, then like 6 months later, BAM. They all was playing it.

My problem with these types of games (and specifically this game), is that it requires precision controlling, but doesn't give you any. So the demo starts (oooh look at the neato filming techniques, wow, way to hype something that just lowers the quality of the screen), and you start getting shot at. Normally I'd take cover behind something and start to pick my targets. Well, turns out your crouch and your cover look are the same. Watch out for that.

The mass reviewers tore the game apart, and I happen to agree. It was set on normal. I ran out of bullets after 8 shots, tried to crouch run to the next cover, and got shot by a guy who was standing behind me. Real awesome. I liked the first K&L, but not enough to shell out $60 for another fore into the series, especially if it doesn't actually get any better.

Seriously Doug, did you like anything? Oh my yes. But we'll get to that at the end.

Gothic 4.

Ok..... read what I said about Kane and Lynch, apply it to Gothic. I own Gothic 1 AND 2. I got both of them on the days they were released, am I asking for a pony? No. I'm simply saying I tried the damn things from the ground up. Gothic 1 was pretty interesting, you could waste hours on small missions, and more hours on the storyline. But this was all before Fallout 3, Oblivion, GTA4, before I knew better. Plus it was pc only at the time. The game doesn't do anything really right, except be a time burglar, if you're willing to put in the time. I, however, am not. The last 2 gothic games didn't go over so well, why would you push for a 4th? What is this, two worlds?

I've wasted enough time, the good stuff.

Mafia 2. Simply put, I played the demo, complained about the controls, then 2 hours later (after playing through it 3 times), I went out and bought the game. I looooove love loved Mafia 1, still have it installed on the alienware. This, to me, is just more of the same, and I'm not complaining. After a day or so of playing and enjoying Mafia 2, I'll shoot out a review. Here are the games it reminds me of: Godfather (1 NOT 2), Mafia 1, GTA4, and Saint's Row. More of the same you say? A yup. What about the gripes over the controls? I lived with it. Good storytelling, a solid engine, and beautiful graphics can make me, nay, force me to learn how to work a new control scheme. It's not different or strange, just sticky and picky.

Moral of the story, demos can tell a lot. Some games made me never want to buy them, others basically demanded it. Go figure.

Welcome, to the world of the THIRD DIMENSION!

And no, I don't mean 3D games, but still takes three dimensional movement very seriously.

Flotilla is an indie game that I played on the Xbox 360, though I'm told there is also a PC release.  The game is a turn-based game where you are a ship captain with only a few months left to live.  Knowing this, you decide to head out on your last adventure into space.  On this final adventure, you fly from planet to planet, you encounter all sorts of creatures both helpful and detrimental to your quest.  More often than not, you will head into battle against these characters in a 3-dimensional environment which you must navigate and use to outmaneuver your opponents.

Blendo games really hit on something special with this one.  The game is just so damn charming!  It's very relaxed, for being a game that is essentially about space warfare.  I love tons of elements about this game:  the music (kinda plinkity piano stuff, very classical inspired, really chill), the weird characters you meet on the way (at one point you may need to de-fang some yetis), the 3D environment which is littered with debris you could possibly use to your advantage.

The major downfall of the game is that it takes quite a long time to set up the moves for each of the ships in your Flotilla.  At one point in the adventure I played the other day i had six ships, and it took me 5 minutes or so just to set up all the moves for a 30 second cycle!  And the other thing that's rough around the edges are the controls to set up the maneuvers.  It can be dizzying zooming in and out and flying the camera around just to see where you'd like to end up.  This problem is forgivable if for no other reason than you are maneuvering IN A 3D SPACE on a 2D screen, so there's really no escaping it without giving up some element of control over the movement of the ships, and that'd be a different game anyhow.  These elements may turn some people off from playing the game, so my advice is to just try the demo.

You can get the demo or the game in the XBL Marketplace for like 800 ms points, or for PC from the Blendo Games Website or on Steam for 10 bucks.  I mean the demos are free, just the full game costs money.  You... you knew that... you're so smart.

Video Game Audio: Not just for your ears

So pop quiz hotshot, what do you use to listen to game audio? I've noticed more and more that people are straying away from the standard tv speakers and going into more uncharted territories.

Now we all know that those Turtlebeach Headsets are amazing if you play shooters, talk to people constantly, or want to be with it and hip, but does everyone use them? Surprisingly no.

Biggest problem is cost, they're upwards for $70 usually, and for something thats somewhat cumbersome... not my bag.

I personally use a various setup depending on what I'm playing.

DS/PSP-GO-

Headphones, no getting around it. I have a pair of Klipsch Image S4 buds that I'd probably murder someone over, they're so so nice... but this ain't Amazon or cNET.

Those I use for sitting around the house playing portable things, or long trips where I won't be moving for a while. They're also my main use headphones for watching movies on the mac, or various events.

What do I use if I'm stop and go-ing? -

JVC has a pair of buds called "gummies", umm... they're $10 a piece, and pretty durable, if they get broke, buy new ones and call it a day. Those are my ipod headphones/ portable headphones. I like em.

Playing MMO/ PC Games? (*cough*alliance*cough*)

Honestly it depends on where, if I'm at my residence, I'll usually have my speakers all hooked up, in all seriousness these are nothing fancy at all, just some 5.1s I've had for years. If I'm on the go, I'll usually just use the computer speakers, I know it's not fancy, and the quality isn't super, but I don't listen to them very loud. If I do need headphones, I'll usually just rock the JVC gummies.

Playing Xboxes/Ps3s-

I have.... this gorgeous pair of wireless headphones. Sennhiser makes them. Wait wait Doug, those are expensive things! Well, not if you buy them when a certain big box store was going out of business..... *winks* I use them all the time for many reasons.

-They're wireless

-In-line volume control (I'll explain why)

-Take batteries

- Comfy/cozy

See here's the problem, Microsoft and Sony both hate you. They design their systems to be used almost strictly with a stereo, unless you're fine with the TV speakers. Now, if you use a computer monitor, you're screwed.... unless you get a separate stereo system or a turtlebeach headset.

Unless.... you get headphones with an in-line volume control, in which case you hook up the rca directly to the headphones and give a big old finger to the idea of stereo sound.

Do I hate stereo sound? No, but honestly, unless I'm at home alone no one else wants to hear "RAMIREZ DO THIS", at full volume. Sure the bass is nice, sure not having headphones is nice, but then you get into the complications of headset/mic requirements.

Ok ok, I'll admit it, you know that one multiplayer who just refuses to use a mic? That's me. I'm using a double-ear headphone setup and can't be bothered. I've seen all sorts of conflagrations, headphone underheadphone, microphone taped to headphone, Double headphones with mic.

Look.... is talking on a headset that necessary? Sometimes. Generally speaking not at all, if I'm playing BF:BC2 and need to talk strategy because I actually want to win, then I'll toss on a mic and put it under the other headphones... but beyond that.... I just hate the mic chatter. I suppose one day I'll get Turtlebeach..... oooh.... or Siberia headsets..... but look look, too many 12yr olds calling me a douchefag, so I just avoid it all together.

What about your mmo/pc games Doug? You need to plan your Lich King raids... or umm... ahem.. whatever game you play? Well kids, I own a mac, it has an excellent mic. I press "control" and it turns on the mic. done and done.

SO, my questions for you.

- What do you use?

- Any suggestions for me?

- Dream setup?

- Common audio gripes?

Leave comments, or pictures, or money.

I'm going back to Dragon Quest now....

Xbox 360's Red Dead Redone-it

Was I the only one who played the shit out of Red Dead Revolver?

Yes.

Was I the only one who thought Gun was too damned complicated?

Yes?

Red Dead Redemption: Rockstar's most recent fore' into gaming once again. Now, the game's been oot for a while, but I figured with the media pulse from the first DLC being released, it might be a good time to talk about this game.

It's good.

but.... let's not go crazy.

I'm not going to spend a ton of time talking about it's father, Red Dead Revolver, if you will remember back, that game was released to less that amazed masses. It was a pretty standard cowboy game, with lots and lots and LOTS of tunnels and caves to explore... well... not explore, be forced into. I loved it, I loved being like a 12yr old and using the Dead Eye to shoot my fathers murderers. (SPOILER ALERT? NO! THE GAME IS LIKE A DECADE OLD, OH PS, DUMBLEDORE DIES, TITANIC SINKS, AND THE TOTTENHAM HOTSPURS WON THE WORLD CUP IN 1926, geez, get with the times.... random person who hasn't played the game and is currently writing an email to complain about spoilers)

ahem.

It was a decent game, Rockstar was still finding it's calling.

Found it these last few years, open world basically sandbox games with a single focus, being a badass.

Red Dead's story is somewhat confusing, and almost annoying. (I really wanted him to get with this one girl, but he has a family back home blah blah blah).

So, you ask yourself "will he talk about the game?" yes. Played GTA4? Great. Did you like it? Great, you'll love Red Dead Redemption. Didn't play GTA 4....hmm.... play that first, then see.

Here's where the problem comes in, GTA4 has a beast of an engine, and Rockstar will use the hell out of it, to the point that it will take that engine, give it a fresh coat of paint, add horses and some better aiming, and call it Red Dead.

On the surface there is nothing wrong with the game. You play a lone gunman who wrongs the right, or rights the wrongs depending on how you live your life. You press one button and he runs, press one and he draws, another and he shoots. Done and done. Solid controls... at least once you get the hang of them. I've been mashing the lower center button to run for years, so it seems pretty normal now, if not a bit annoying.

Ok, old west, pretty open. No cars... a hmmmm, so I have to walk, ride a horse, or take a train/wagon (think subway).... that might get annoying. Luckily they have an autofollow option of sorts when you have to head out into the wild with someone, which'll happen constantly. More than that even. Get used to it.

Your missions will consist of cleaning house by killing everyone, catching horses, shootouts and duels, retrievals, and a mixture of any of the mentioned. Anything wrong with that? Well no.... but... it gets repetitive.

As with GTA4 theres a plethora of other things to do, gamble, train horses, run guns, buy things, women and guns... it's all good. But honestly, at the end of the day, you really have to love this world to play past the main mission. Mostly in part because the main missions require you to do some annoying things. (are you shitting me, I have to go back to where i just was? then to mexico, then back?)

20 hours will do ya. I've heard good things about the multiplay and I've played good things with the multiplay, so I guess I could address that.

You and your friends, or online strangers/future lovers, can accomplish missions online, shootouts, all kinds of things. It's fun, it'll lose it's appeal fast-like.

Well shit Doug, how does the game play? Graphics? Music? Controls?

Look, it's literally the EXACT SAME ENGINE as GTA4. The graphics are spectacular, the gameplay is solid and effective, if not repetitive and somewhat easy to master, the music is period and thrilling, the controls are the same as GTA4. It's all very good, but just feels like an expansion of GTA4 honestly. Remember when we all loved Half-Life, then played Opposing Force and loved it, but not as much as Half Life? That's Red Dead. A good game in it's own rights, but... eh... more of the same.

Here's the strange part, I STILL play it from time to time, making a little money, shooting some stray dogs. It's a sandbox game, so there. Enjoy it for what it is. A game to waste some time with, and enjoy for a bit, then leave. You'll probably keep it forever, or for a while at least until something else comes out. It'll stay on my shelf for the duration, mostly because I'm devoted to Rockstar (they were little once), and I love any game involving the old west. (YEAH, I DO HAVE BOTH CALL OF JUAREZ GAMES, I like them too, different feel, but still old west, and YEAH, I DID WATCH DEADWOOD).

Buy or Rent? Well, if you rent it, you'll never rent it again, if you buy it you might not love it forever. Base it on how you feel about GTA4 and how you feel about the old west. At any rate, it's a good Thursday-Sunday night game.

Its the Name Of a Motel

I am Stan! A confidant of Doug and a now a fellow reviewer of all things game. Quick and dirty intro: I live in Florida and am attending Full Sail University for my Masters in Game Design. That covers that.

So after a bit of playing Sin and Punishment: SS, I tried out what was supposed to be an instant cult classic, No More Heroes and No More Heroes 2 for the Wii. I just wanted to say, if you haven't played these games and you own a Wii, go play these games and support innovatively designed games.

You play this chap aptly named Travis Touchdown who happens upon a lightsaber during an EBay auction. He incidental kills a top ranked assassin and now wants to kill the top ranked assassins in the world to be the top dog.
So what makes the game innovative, besides being a swear heavy, hyper-violent action slasher? Not much really. It's like a violent, poorly written version of Kingdom Hearts, but the bosses are what make the game innovative. In both games, you fight 10 bosses who have different attributes and witty styles that make fighting them a real entertaining kick.One of the bosses is a pseudo-super hero with machine guns for nipples and a polite demeanor. Another boss example is a 60 year old lady with a shopping cart that converts into a 100 foot long laser cannon. Part 2 gets even more creative, one of the bosses being a football jock surrounded by cheerleaders. It sounds normal until they combine together to form some kinda giant, Japanese robot.

Heck, slicing the heads off anyone who gets in your way before you can face the bosses is fun in and of itself.
With this game, though, you have some downfalls. In the first game, you have to earn money to get the "right" to fight the next assassin. This means you have to do some sort of part-time job with menial skill involved or go on an assassination mission to earn cash. Which do you think I found more fun? Certainly not chasing down missing kittens. I would rather slice the money I need out of someone's face rather than remind myself that in this society we have to work hard for someone else to earn what we need. I have a damn lightsaber for craps sake! I am officially above stupid chores for money. No More Heroes 2 solves the whole chore thing by making it totally optional, and you can jump from boss to boss.
No More Heroes 1 also had an annoying feature, it tries to be all "open world" by making you drive your motorcycle to any location. This wouldn't bother so much of you didn't have to drive EVERYWHERE to do ANYTHING. If the Gummy Ship in Kingdom Hearts was annoying, then the bike sequences are the 3rd circle of hell. Nothing stops the action faster than having to drive everywhere, even from you part time job, to the location of the job, and then back to your home. If I wanted to play GTA, I would have, but I didn't and I don't. Since NMH 2 got rid of this feature altogether, I loved it all the more. As a matter of fact, enough gripes, let's get to the goods.

NMH 1 took a great combat idea and ran with it. Once the combat gets going, it gets going. Hack, slash, dodge, block, its all here and its beautiful. The only real terrible thing about the combat of killing hordes of people with a light saber is this one runs on batteries. If they die, you have to, umm, charge them in a peculiar way, but thats the fun of the game! A short game to say the least, 15 hours to beat 100%, it a solid run.
NMH 2 is essentially the same game, except halfway through you get a dual light saber combo, making your march through the assassin ranks flashy and sexy. Very sexy, actually, this game has improved breast jiggle physics and isn't afraid to use them. Oh, and a lot more random and needless cursing. This game worked hard on its M rating, that much is apparent. I actually had no complaints about NMH 2,until.....

So at the end of the game your fighting the final boss, and he is unnecessarily difficult to start with, what with his random teleport/knock you down/fu** your world trick he will do up to three times in a row. As a bonus, he can one shot kill you, no matter your health, almost randomly. It this kind of overbearing, unjust difficulty that seems tacked into what should be an enjoyable game, right at the end of the game, that made my hate FFXIII.

Gripes and praises aside, these are great games. If you have a bored weekend coming up, give em a rental or a Gamefly rent. I say rent because once you best them, there is nothing left to do with the games. But, still, these games prove that the Wii can be a hardcore system , too, if the right developers get behind it. Buy it, support innovation, then trade it in for a 360 or PS3 game once finished.

LIMBO - pretty much amazing in every way.

Okay so I'm new to the blog thing, so sorry if I break the rules of blog etiquette.  But I'm throwing the metaphorical rule book across the metaphorical room, but not out the metaphorical window, in case I metaphorically need them.

I play quite a lot of Xbox Live Arcade and Indie Games.  That is, I play a lot of demos, and then play the games I like.  If you are like me in this regard, then you probably won't get any real insight from me.  However, if you don't try to test any game that sounds even remotely interesting on Xbox Live, then perhaps I can turn you around.

The first game I decided to talk about is possibly the best 2d puzzle/platformer this year.  I am of course, as the title suggests, talking about LIMBO.

This game is built around the premise that you play as a boy who enters "Limbo" in order to try to find your lost sister.  This very basic storyline is very much a large contributor of the mystery that surrounds the game.  As the game starts, the screen is entirely in shades of gray, nay, shades of black.  The small bits of light on screen draw your attention so strongly, as you try to make out where you are.  You then notice two small specks of light, the boy's eyes, appear as the only truly white light on screen.  As the boy rises up from the tall grass, as if out of an eternal slumber, the beauty of this game hits you for the first time, HARD.

But beauty is not the only thing this game has to offer.  Though the gameplay is not really more complex than some other similar games (Braid comes to mind), and the challenges aren't terribly difficult - YOU WILL DIE A LOT.  Especially the first time through the game.  Don't be discouraged, as dying is an important consideration the designers took in making the game.  There are points in the game where dying is the ONLY way of learning how to get through some puzzles.  Because of this, the death is always gruesome, sometimes violent, but never bloody.  In death, a sort of gorgeous lesson is learned:  the world of LIMBO is cruel, and unforgiving, and so one must stay vigilant to succeed.

This game succeeds by keeping the narrative simple, mysterious and full of inquiry.  The first level alone could go down as one of the greatest levels of any game in history.  Why is that?  Giant Spider, all I'm gonna say.

1200 MS points.  Worth every penny.

Xbox 360's UFC 2010

Yeah, I know I'm behind. Read the last post. then SHUT IT.

I love UFC. Hell, I love WWE. I don't know why, or what about it specifically, I think it's just the spectacle of it all. With WWE I love that it's such a production, grown men in these dramas with lines of dialogue, and characters and just the theatrics of it all.

I think I like UFC because it's secretly what people want the WWE to be, actual fighting.

More to the point, I love the UFC games.

Why? Well, I've always been a fan of fighting games, but until the UFC games came around we were limited to our choices.

Yeah, I know, all you fighting fans out there are typing me a list that says.

-Street Fighter

- Virtua Fighter

- Tekken

- Mortal Kombat

- Rumble Roses

- DOA

- MVC

and the rest. Here's the problem, they're all arcade fighters. You pick a character, learn his moveset, learn his combos and bam, you're awesome at it. Everyone has a special fighter they like, and they play that fighter. Button mashing whether it's at a specific moment or just an out and out smash fest.

The UFC games, and the WWE games even, require a bit more.... I dunno, thought? You have a stamina bar, you can get injured. Hell, the old UFC games (of which there are many), you could get kicked in the head in the first few seconds and be knocked out. Something about the randomness and yet the science behind it makes it work though. Same idea with Fight Night, it's not just a button masher, since that would destroy your character faster than regular fighting would.

So, UFC 2010 is the vastly improved version of UFC 2009, which was the first next-gen creation of MMA fighting. The original UFC was an extremely solid fighter alone. You picked a fighter and each one had a focus of kickboxing, wrestling, muy thai, boxing, judo, and the rest. Then you went against different people in your weightclass, with different fighting styles. Depending on the fighting style you'd have to fight differently.

Essentially it's all left punch, right punch, left kick, right kick, but you can change the height of those blows, as well as the intensity so you end up with a huge range of possibilities. I spent one entire fight low kicking my opponents right leg. Was at it for a good 6 minutes. Finally he took me to the ground, and I twisted my way to his leg and put a lock on it, he tapped within seconds. It's that sort of science that goes into it that makes this game much more than some button masher.

Fighting against someone who likes to box? Better use your kicks and takedowns whenever you can, otherwise dodge and weave away from him. The game allows you to think critically about what your doing, and how your fighter should move in his situation, and they do it quite well.

Graphics: do people even mention these on the next-gen systems anymore? It looks great. Done.

Sound and music: solid as ever. they spend tons and tons of money on these games to get the sounds right, and they do their job right.

Career mode. Aha, I think I might have you there sir. Career modes are the strongpoint of wrestling games, and they really really really (see: really) want to be the strong point of UFC games too. Unfortunately the point system is very rpg heavy. Spent your last 3 weeks of training on cardio work? Well, your character better have high stamina points to allow him to last longer, or higher speed points to keep him moving during the fight, since he'll be tired from all the cardio workouts.

Too detailed? Nah, people out there like that kinda stuff, and from what I hear it's had a complete overhaul for the better.

As for myself, I like to make a character look like a cirque performer, give him the name Balzak and send him on his way.

Should you buy this game? Maybe. I'd say rent it first and play the hell out of it. It's going to stay on my shelf for a while simply because I enjoy ability to have an intelligent fighting game once and a while, beyond that... well... you'll need to be a huge UFC fan. Oh you are? Buy this game.

The Rooms for DS

Look, I'll be honest.

I've been kinda busy. Here's the deal. I've been doing more theatre than video games. And I'm sorry.

Also,

*SPOILER ALERT*

I'm loving all the site traffic I've been getting. Google has a program that tracks it, and well, there are people reading this thing. Lots of em. So I figured I should start posting again.

HERE WE GO.

The Rooms for Nintendo DS.

The game also exists for the Wii, I've played both, and frankly... the game works better on the DS. I'll explain why.

The Rooms is simply a tile game, only you can travel from tile to tile. The basic concept is pretty simple: slide different tiles into different positions to allow travel from one point to another. Sometimes you'll need to collect a key to open a door, sometimes you need to travel by way of a Matrix-esque phone system. However the game tends to slowly up the complications at a nice pace.

So why is it better for the DS you ask?

...i will assume you asked.

Well, since you asked. The controls basically require you to slide tiles, and sometimes click on a specific area (keys, doors) on the screen. This is perfect for the DS, made for the DS, jives with the DS so nicely that you'll enjoy the tile game aspects of it even before getting into the puzzle aspects.

The Wii version is a good attempt.... but, its.... lacking. Since all controls are done by the remote it tends to be less accurate than a stylus.

Moving on. The music is super solid, very Professor Layton/ Room 214-ish. (See: mysterious and simple)

The sound effects... well, I don't remember any standing out but that can be good or bad. So there. The controls are as tight and simple as they need to be. The storyline is as vague as you can imagine, (A talking book requires you to solve puzzles in a hotel), but it's a very small part of the game. It's all about puzzles.

So why haven't you heard about this game? Why haven't there been ticket-tape parades celebrating the existence of this game? Surprisingly enough, it's made by a smaller company, and surprisingly enough, this company isn't well known either so the game pretty much gets thrown to the dogs. Which is sad, but common.

Soapbox:

I find myself more and more enjoying the games by smaller companies (Metro 2033, Rooms, Nostalgia, hell... even Alan Wake ((sorry Remedy))).

Mostly it's their passion for gaming, and the way they go about making the game. Smaller budgets means they have to be more creative about things, while making an addictive game.

Overall I say give it a try. The new Professor Layton is out too (review coming as soon as I stop hating how stupid it makes me feel), but if you want a more tangible puzzle game, and you enjoy your DS but have gotten tired of the lack of good titles recently, PICK THIS GAME UP.

You might like it. If you don't, well chances are you found it used, so take it back.