manny_c44

You sir, have crabs.

Although I'm all for what the DS is doing, I think they went around it in a bizarre fashion. You seriously can't look at two screens at the same time, so, sadly, one screen could do the job just as well. What they could have done was scrap the buttons completely, just a D-Pad and a screen. This way developers could either choose to make the game directly control with your finger, or the developer could basically invent a control scheme for their game, or do whatever they wanted. I think that would be interesting (and since I use on-screen mapping for PSone emulation on my PDA, I can attest that a touch screen button is as good as any other button...but when you start getting into fighting games and twitch shooters you might have big problems). As it stands, you have one bottom screen that is incapable of displaying graphics of equal quality (they run on different processors) and it is too akwardly placed to serve as a secondary control pad. The design is flawed but I think the concept is excellent.

Lumines. The only one gamespot has reviewed so far.

Mostly it was lauded for its graphical prowess. Plus it was made by Yu Suzuki (Virtua Fighter)... and even though it's predominantly boring, the fleshed out universe was pretty cool. Plus, the voice acting was hilarious. Also alot of people haven't played old great adventure games, so this was their first exposure to a laid back semi-cerebral game.

Yeah Last Blade 2 isn't that great, I just wanted to know how far into that 'scene' you were... Garou, I don't know, I'd say interesting with its meter-mechanic--and I like how one of the characters is named 'Butt', but it has the same pacing problems as LB2. As for MvC2, thats just a bizarre party game, all of its tactics are just gimmicks, and super and special moves are basically all you use, whats even the point? Its my least favorite 2d fighter on that list. SF3 is just amazing, in my top ten games ever and my favorite street fighter. I'm glad someone else here knows the complex pleasures of 2d fighting. As for Power Stone, for a strictly multiplayer its OK. I like the crazy enviornments but its damn shallow. Probably good when you're drunk.

It's pretty hideous man, you could probably do better on your own. With a wife beater and a sharpie.

I think ben's list is a bit heavy...I wouldn't wish powerstone onto anyone...Ikaruga and Banghai-O (couldn't beat either one though) are important ones I forgot. VOOT and Jojo are pretty hard to recommend, although the first one has very cool multiplayer. And if you're going to collect all of the insane fighting games for DC don't forget Last Blade 2 while you're at it. To be honest, there isn't any point in trying to track these games down. Dreamcast was partially killed by oh-see-easy-look-mom-no-mod piracy, and to not jump on that bandwagon now would be dumbassery. Now that I think back on Dreamcast, it might have been the best console besides for NES.

ICO wasn't embraced that much by magazines, sites like Gamespot discounted it, and the frothing IGN or OPM coverage could hardly be taken seriously by someone out of the know. This game looks a bit more awesome raphically, so maybe that will help it.

Jet Grind Radio, Street Fighter III:Third Strike (if you like fighting games, its probably too hard to find anyway), and you might as well get Shenmue, many people like it. Oh and especially Rez, but that ones even harder to get. Good memories, Dreamcast had only a handful of good games, but they were classics.

Sad but not surprising. Hopefully he'll still be making things for portables.

Its a platformer/puzzle/action game, like ICO. Anyway, 'Shadow of the Colossus' is pretty good, considering what they could've named it. Also, Japanese games are usually renamed for the US and North America- they use phrasology that would just be flat out bizarre anywhere but there. "Wanda and the Colossus' probably isn't exactly what the Japanese title is, and in my opinion doesn't sound that great anyway.

Oh, you see, most people would list that down around "pulling teeth" on their amazing experience list.

Me too! And I think I know why. Besides for the improved camera and controls, the water pack added the ability for correctional movement in the air. In mario 64, you jump wrong, you're fucked. But in the older marios you were given alot of (implausible) mobility in the air. The water pack reintroduces this into the formula and makes for a more enjoyable game.

Wow. I thought Shenmue 2 was a longwinded and often absurd tangent. Have you forgotten the padded-out running sections (in the apartments and in the woods at the end), the storyline that went no where, the constant repetition of lifeless drab streets? Shenmue 1 and 2 were both pretty poor games, but the first one at least had a small, detailed town that the player became connected with. The characters were interconnected and the game had a sense of continuity within its universe. Shenmue 2 was just a discombobulated mess. It utilized the fighting system better, but in the end was a much worse game. And what was with the tree?

No, I meant quite literally. In the platforming aspects of the game, which consisted mostly of running on walls, it felt like you were entering and exiting action loops, rather than actutally controlling the character. You were just deciding when to switch rails...the whole thing felt wierd to me. As for Soul Calibur, its pathetic. It offers more neon than other 3d fighting games, and its worse in every other category.

Sam Fisher was always an ugly cunt, even before he was shiny. Anyway I thik the reason for wierd faces is this: faces have never looked good really, only in Half-Life 2, and mostly because of the texture and the animation. Other developers are using normal mapping on people just like on metal or plastic; its hard and unnatural, where as faces and enviornemtns tend to be lit by scattered light in a difuse way. We'll just have to wait this 'action-figure' phase of graphics out.

Gameplay wise POP and BGE were nothing amazing. Prince of Persia, even outside of its combat, felt like a wonky on-a-rail experience. BGE was a good mix of different platforming styles, but nothing new and in many ways was just a rip-off or retooling of other games styles and gameplay, BGe was good for different reasons though. Really overrated games: Halo Soul Calibur 1 & 2 KOTOR (especially)

It's sad when a games sole bright spot is presentation. That means there are people willing to see something through, but have no good idea to build it on. This game really has that feeling, the gameplay is pretty much awful, who came up with the rectangle concept? The only fun is in the quips... Mr.Pants has been seeing lots of ass lately, but sadly, it's just his game.

Heckling bean-counters doesn't make for interesting interviews, they're just as dry as their motives. I also think hassling small wannabe developers won't do any good because they are just victims of the existing machinery, it's like making fun of a retard. I even-more-also think that the interview with Ron Gilbert was the absolute right direction to head in. I mean, we all know why the gaming industry is mired in shit. Now the thumb can dig through the shit, panning for gold, and then give us meaningful and hilarious interviews. The only problem is (I guess) getting the interviews. But not every interview has to be with someone really important like Sid or Ron, why not interview Greg Kasavin? He'd probably enjoy letting loose on topics he restrains himself for on gamespot. Etc etc. Also, I was thinking about how the popularity of any fun-based web site relies on visuals. Penny-arcade, that homestar whatever, somethingawful, or grumpygamer (and the rest) all have it. So if the thumb ever heads in that direction, I think it would be better to have a 'New Yorker' setup than a strictly continuous character method. You know, just a thought.

I think we should stop beating around the bush and let Intrepid Homoludens tell us his life sotry...

No one wants to see that smarmy Gates character buy another company. Sony has no face to hate.

Yeah, besides, every game is released for free. Its just if you want to take it or not....thas the question. And one thats been beaten to death, so don't even think about it.

Those Penny-arcade guys are turning into huge shills...(slightly unrelated, I know) But yeah, that Trrip guy is off his tits. Fucking insane.

It looks like he wanted his remains blown out of a cannon, and his family is respecting that wish.... Awesome

No, it's probably true. I know for the last Splinter Cell game you couldn't put the shadows all the way up to high quality without a GeForce card, my ATI only did the 'medium' setting. So for Ubisoft to ally even further with nVidia is kind of odd but not entirely suprising. After all, ATI users wil still be able to run the game either way, so technically ubi's not alienating anyone... ...they're just making ATI users drink from the other water fountain.