411 Games Fact or Fiction 11.30.09: Mega Man, Modern Warfare 2, Gameboy, Backwards Compatibility

Posted by Ramon Aranda on 11.30.2009

Has Modern Warfare 2 lived up to the hype? Is backwards compatibility on consoles overrated? Do you still play the original Gameboy from time to time? Did the Mega Man series have its best games on the Super Nintendo? 411’s Rod Oracheski and Mark Salmela debate these topics and more in the latest edition of 411 Games: Fact or Fiction!



What's up every one and welcome to this week's edition of Fact or Fiction: Games! We're joined by Rod Oracheski of Achievement Unlocked and the Four Player Co-op alongside Mark Salmela, our former B3yond the Report writer and current, back up for whatever the hell pops up as they dig into this week's topics. I'll be your moderator as usual so let's get to it!

1. Modern Warfare 2 has lived up to the hype.

Rod Oracheski: FICTION - Modern Warfare 2 is an excellent game, but I really don't think it was possible to live up to the hype. I mean it's not curing cancer or anything, which you'd have expected given the attention it was getting leading up to the launch - it's just a really polished (though not quite glitch-free) shooter that has a storyline riddled with plot vagaries we'd all love to see explained...or have seen explained in the game.

Even online, where Modern Warfare ruled, hasn't been as much of a glowing love-fest. I'm loving the design of maps, aside from Wasteland - which is a upgrade off an old map, so that's probably why - and the new perks are pretty awesome as well. There are some nasty glitches going around though, particularly the infinite care package one, and the balance issues (akimbo shotguns are EVERYWHERE) have started to crop up already. Adding in the lack of Party Chat in Team Deathmatch, which has made it a lot harder to coordinate with my friends, and it's not quite the honeymoon the first MW title received.

Mark Salmela: FACT - I have to be honest, I knew Modern Warfare 2 would be a great game, but I didn't have unrealistic expectations. I was expecting more Call of Duty 4. I was expecting Call of Duty 4 turned up from 10 to 11, and that's what I got. The level design was improved, the locations were better, and the gameplay was fine tuned. I can imagine some people had unrealistic expectations with Modern Warfare 2. Jesus didn't come cart wheeling out of an Xbox, Todd Vote still can't write, Modern Warfare 2 didn't cure cancer, Derek Robbins is still trapped in the basement, Ramon can't write either, and Chris Lansdell still isn't Mark Salmela. But for those of us who had realistic expectations, Modern Warfare 2 lived up to the hype

Score: 0 for 1 - And Salmela still carries the stench of a testicle.


2. Microsoft has seemingly given up on Windows Live Anywhere...you don't care.

Rod Oracheski: FACT - I can't really remember what Live Anywhere was supposed to be anymore. I mean you can access your account via the web or on your web-enabled cellphone, but what's the point? If they integrate game sharing (or maybe even music or movie sharing) between the Zune and 360, maybe I'd care.

Mark Salmela: FACT - With the exception of Steam, PC gaming is still dead to me. I'll still pickup games when they go on ridiculous sales on Steam, but after that I have no interest in PC gaming. I already played Crysis to confirm my opinion that my computer is unnecessarily sweet, that's all I needed to know. Now if you'll excuse me, these mines won't sweep themselves.

Score: 1 for 2


3. Backwards compatibility on consoles is overrated.

Rod Oracheski: FICTION - I think it's hugely important for the first few years of the console's lifespan for the hardcore crowd, though their need for it drops off after that. Hardcore gamers aren't that big of a market segment though, and for the casual crowd (who often wait until a price drop or two to pick up the console) it remains a major factor for the life of the console. They often don't want to abandon their existing library of games just because a new version came out.

Mark Salmela: FICTION - 1000 times fiction. I haven't heard something this ludicrous since Greg Bruno told me he was going to write a column about having a "girlfriend". I'm an avid gamer, I have lots of original Gamecube, PS2, and Xbox games. But I don't have the room, electrical outlets, or TV inputs to keep all of those consoles plugged in. I can understand cartridge based consoles not being backwards compatible, but there's no reason the PS3 can't figure out a way to include PS2 backwards compatibility. I don't care if they have to put the PS2 hardware back into the PS3 or more reasonably figure out a way to emulate the PS2 onto the PS3, but Sony needs to get off their ass on this subject.

Score: 2 for 3

SWITCH!!

4. You think having No More Heroes on the PS3 and Xbox 360 is a bad idea.

Mark Salmela: FICTION - It all depends. If the game is a complete rush job with upscaled Wii graphics, no new features, and a $60 price tag then yes it's a bad idea. But if it's a complete makeover of the game with real HD graphics, improved gameplay, and a discounted price then it's a fabulous idea. Oh, and one thing the PS3/360 port has going in its favor is the lack of motion controls, which is a plus in this writers book.

Rod Oracheski: FICTION - I like the idea of the series, if not the actual execution on the Wii - where motion controls kind of hobbled the action. I have a real soft spot for the Outlandish look of the game (also the reason I keep trying the Naruto games) so I'm hoping the 'HD Remix' (there's that idea again) comes off well. Early screenshots look very promising, so we'll see what they bring to the table with this one.

Score: 3 for 4


5. You still own and play the original Gameboy from time to time.

Mark Salmela: FICTION - The original Gameboy was awesome, but unfortunately I sold it and a bunch of my old Gameboy games to buy the Gameboy Advance when it came out. Hey, I was young and foolish. This doesn't make me love the Gameboy any less however, as some of my favorite games came out on the platform such as Super Mario Land and Pokemon. Yeah, that's right; I had to catch ‘em all bitch.

Rod Oracheski: FICTION - I think I still own one, but I'll be damned if
I know where it is. I mean you're talking about the original GameBoy here, right - the one that came out over 20 years ago? Man that thing is probably lying stone dead in the bottom of a box that hasn't been opened in at least five years. It's been a long time since I was really able to settle in for some portable gaming anyway. I drive everywhere, so there's no long car rides, and if I have free time it's usually at home where the consoles are. I'm still tempted to re-up for a new DSi and get the Final Fantasy remakes though...


Score: 4 for 5


6. The Mega Man series had its best games on the Super Nintendo.

Mark Salmela: FICTION - I can explain it in one simple phrase, K.I.S.S. This stands for Keep it simple, stupid. It also stands for something which Greg Bruno will never get to do to a woman. Megaman 2 was the pinnacle of the series, and to this day has not been topped. The boss selection is classic, the music is 8-bits of awesome, and the level design is superb. The Megaman X games may be alright, but like Greg Bruno, it's just not up to par.

Rod Oracheski: FICTION - The SNES (and PlayStation - don't forget Mega Man X4!) games might have been technically superior but they didn't really have the same charm of the old-school NES games. Salmela was wrong though - Mega Man 2, while a great game, was bettered in every way by Mega Man 3. The new slide move made for more entertaining level design and added another level to boss battles. And yes, there were some recycled boss battles - but that just made it BETTER!

Final Score: 5 for 6 - And the Salmela-Bruno fued continues lol.

OK everyone now it's your turn to chime in with your thoughts. Fact or Fiction? Let us know!