The SIXAXIS Report 12.25.07

Posted by Mark Salmela on 12.25.2007

Merry Christmas everyone! As my present to all of you I am giving out my SIXAXIS Game of the Year award. Also look for news on the WarHawk expansion, 4 free user-created maps for PS3 UT3, holiday greeting cards from around the gaming industry, and more in this jam packed edition of the SIXAXIS Report!






Happy Holidays and a Merry Christmas from your friends at Naughty Dog Studios.



Greetings and happy holidays to all of my loyal readers. As you have probably figured out *if not, where the hell do you live?* today is Christmas. Today children will wake up and find their favorite video game *Manhunt 2* sitting under the Christmas tree and spend the next week acting like the Nintendo 64 kid and going nuts over video games, at least if they are like myself. Now I don't know what you guys are getting for the holidays *if anything, but feel free to tell me* but I got myself Sonic Rush Adventure for the DS. It's something I could have easily bought myself back in September, but it's a nice little tradition I've followed to get a Sonic game for Christmas. Starting back in 1994 *I think* with Sonic the Hedgehog 3, I've been getting a Sonic game for Christmas just about every year. I know it's a stupid tradition, but I've always had a soft spot in my heart for Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was the first video game I ever played, so Sonic will live on forever in my mind. Maybe that's why it hurts so much to see what an embarrassment Sonic Team has become over at Sega, they couldn't develop a game that'd be worthy of wiping my ass with now days. Trust me, I tried with Shadow the Hedgehog, I needed to get some sort of value out of it.

Ok, taking cheap shots at Sega and looking back at my favorite Sonic memories is awesome, but I have a column to write and a Game of the Year award to hand out. So let's get to it...



Sitting under the mistletoe, it's Sony News of the Week

The first user-created mod for Unreal Tournament 3 on PS3 is now out



The first PS3 mod for Unreal Tournament 3 has been released. Thomas Browett has released a new map called DM-Shrine. It's basically a small deathmatch only map where people fight in very close quarters. The map isn't bad, but it feels like a cheap Halo 2 style map with how it's set up. It's still impressive, and very easy for PS3 users to install, so be kind and support user created content on the PS3. You should go give Shrine a try for Unreal Tournament 3, if nothing else it's a free map that you can easily delete if you don't like it.

If you would like to create your own mod for UT3, Epic Games will soon be releasing the tools needed to the public. Basically you create the mod on the PC and the tools will convert them into PS3 format. How Browett did it without the tools remains a mystery to me.

Update: It looks as if 3 more maps and a separate mod have already been released for PS3 users to try out. I have updated the link below so users can download all of the PS3 user-created content. Be aware however if you have any problems with the game freezing you can disable any of the mods at any time. I am successfully running all 4 maps personally and will continue to download the user-created maps.

Credit: Get the mods here or go here for a constant update of available PS3 mods .


PlayStation Store update for the week for December 20, 2007



There was a pretty big update for the PlayStation Store this week. First, the main page has been updated. There are now icons leading you to all of the new content so it is now more organized instead of just slapping all of the new content on the main page. It's nothing substantial but these little changes are helping. In terms of content there 4 new games, though 2 of them will require the PSEye. Also the original WarHawk was released as a PS1 classic.

First off Toy Home and Snakeball are two games each selling for $10 and both offer a free demo in case you're curious as to how they play. I didn't get to play Snakeball much but both games seem pretty lack-luster. I wish Sony didn't raise the prices of these PSN games to $10 each so they can be on par with XBLA. For the first 6 months of the PS3's release Tekken 5 was the only game that had cost over $8. Most games cost $7.99 or less, so it's sad to see all of these mediocre games charging $10 because it's the norm. To be honest I probably would have gotten these games if they costs $7 each instead of $10, but I just can't recommend these games.

As for the rest, there's Trials of Topoq and Mesmerize: Distort for your PSEye. Trials will cost $5 and Mesmerize will run you a measly $2. These prices are more like it. With that said I did download Trials which is actually pretty fun in short bursts. You control a ball falling down platforms with your hands, and trust me it's better than it sounds. If you have $5 and want to show your friends why the PSEye is more than just a camera to flip people the bird on Burnout Paradise then this game is worth it. There's also a bunch of trailers and some downloadable content for games like Folklore, which thankfully the content is all free. Let me tell you how much my heart is warmed seeing new character models for High Stakes Poke on the PS3. Last year we get Gran Turismo HD concept for Christmas, this year we get new characters for the poker game.

Credit: Sony


WarHawk Omega Dawn expansion pack soars onto the PSN



Hey I can be jolly and merry on Christmas, so pardon my puns. For $7.99 you can now download the new expansion pack for WarHawk, Omega Dawn. Featuring the new drop-ship plane and the new Omega Factory map, Omega Dawn looks to be a solid addition for WarHawk users. I played the map for a couple games of CTF on Friday, and while the new map isn't as good as the others, it is a welcome addition considering there's only like 6 maps otherwise. The drop ship is pretty fun, and I like how the automatic multi-turret makes it hard to kill a single individual on the ground due to the lack of aiming, but it totally dominates any vehicle due to the range and spread of bullets. If you like WarHawk I definitely recommend you pick up the Omega Dawn expansion pack.



Credit: Sony



Sony Quick News!

Well isn't this fun, 2 teenagers reportedly killed a little girl whom they were babysitting and they are blaming it on Mortal Kombat. Allegedly they were practicing moves from Mortal Kombat on the child that later killed her from the injuries *unless they ripped out her spine I don't know what MK-only trademark moves that kids could perform, bicycle kick maybe?*. Basically it's another case of kids blaming video games to try and get mercy from the courts. One of the babysitters was reportedly drunk and the child asked them to stop. Paging Mr. Thompson, we have fuel for the fire.

Rumors of Little Big Planet being delayed into fall 2008 are now being reported by EGM. This makes another big publisher adding credibility to the rumor, which would be quite a blow to Sony to lose yet another game to a delay.

Red Mile Entertainment, developers of the "Sin City" video game, has recently announced they will be using the Unreal 3 engine for the game. Unless I'm mistaken Unreal's engine is the most popular one out there for the current-gen games *360/PS3*. Well done Epic.

In an interesting note, the Official Xbox Magazine made an offer to Sony to review their newest Bravia TV's, but Sony rejected their offer due to "conflicting interests between the PlayStation brand and the Xbox brand". I didn't even know OXM reviewed TV's, but then again gaming magazines are so outdated I don't even bother reading them. I can post a piece of information in 3 minutes; it'd take 3 months to get into an issue of OXM.

Sony will be bringing demos of 3 different MMO games to CES 2008 on January 7th and 8th. They will be showing off The Agency, Free Realms, and Pirates of the Burning Sea. The demos will only be available to the press however, so check back here in a couple weeks for news and impressions.




Even Microsoft and Bioware are wishing you all a Merry Christmas.



Video B3yond!



Aperture Science Enrichment Center wishing you a Merry Christmas.



Have a happy holiday's with Gran Turismo 5 Prologue.



Just to wet the appetite a little, it's Rainbow Six Vegas 2 coming to PS3/360/PC early next year.



Pixel Junk Monsters coming to the PS3/PSP next year. I forget what flash game that is based off of but it could be fun if done right. It has potential unlike Pixel Junk Racers which sucked.



The One Man Water Cooler~!

Well after 3 weeks of nominees, the time has finally come to announce the 2007 SIXAXIS Game of the Year. Last year Rainbow Six: Vegas for the 360/PC/PS3 won the SIXAXIS GOTY, and now I have selected the top 5 nominees for the current GOTY.

The SIXAXIS Report 12/04/07.
The SIXAXIS Report 12/11/07.
The SIXAXIS Report 12/18/07.

In the first article I nominated Super Mario Galaxy for the Wii. The second article featured the nominations of God of War 2 *PS2* and Halo 3 *360*. Then last week I nominated Call of Duty 4 *PS3/360/PC* and BioShock *360/PC* as the final two nominees.

For those of you wondering why Mass Effect and The Orange Box didn't get nominations, let me explain. I considered The Orange Box to be 5 separate games, like they are listed on Steam. Portal was a great game, but I didn't feel justified nominating a game I beat in less than 2 and a half hours. Team Fortress 2 has way too many bugs to get nominated, and is far from the best multiplayer game of the year. Half Life 2: Episode 2 is a great game, but it is again too short and doesn't feature a whole lot of new features to get a nomination from me. It was a great game, and The Orange Box is probably the best deal you can get on a video game this year, but I didn't feel any of the 3 new games individually were strong enough to get a Game of the Year nomination from me.

As for Mass Effect, I want to say it was the hardest decision I made for the GOTY awards. The game is simply phenomenal, but that is only when the game actually works. Mass Effect has a lot of problems, and I don't think any one person will deny that. But the problem is that this is an award for the best game the video game industry had to offer in 2007, and Mass Effect is too unpolished to be the single representation of what 2007 was in video games. People are too willing to forgive the tremendous amount of bugs in the game simply because it is a large and open experience. Other people may ignore the terrible framerate and the horrible camera, but I will not. Mass Effect is a great game when it works, but due to the increasing number of problems people are having with it, I will not give Mass Effect a nomination for the best game of 2007.

I also enjoyed Rock Band a lot, but that was only when I played with 4 other people in a party. There are not enough songs, and the single player isn't nearly good enough to deserve a nomination. That and $170 is still a lot for any one game, not to mention the huge number of problems that people are having with the guitar and drum kit breaking *they both broke on my unit*. Rock Band is a great party game, but it is not on the level of the other 5 nominees.

So without further adieu, I will now give out The SIXAXIS Game of the Year award.

The 2007 SIXAXIS Game of the Year award goes to:

Cooking Mama

Super Mario Galaxy for the Nintendo Wii

Honorable Mentions: Call of Duty 4, Halo 3, God of War 2, and BioShock



One day Mr. Miyamoto must have looked up into to the sky and had a vision. There is almost no other way to explain his incredible talents. The way Miyamoto has revolutionized the industry over the years has proved that he is the single best developer in video game history. No other person has had such an impact on video games. Starting with Super Mario Bros on the NES, the game which helped bring the industry out of the depression the home console market had been in since the Atari 2600, Miyamoto has carried Nintendo on his back. The list of blockbuster games Miyamoto has created is stuff of legend, and Super Mario Galaxy is no different. The story will warm even the angriest gamer's heart, and will bring back childhood memories for any Mario fan. For me, playing Super Mario Galaxy reminded me why I fell in love with video games in the first place. Video games don't have to be violent, nor feature any sort of deathmatch gamers have become accustomed to having.



Super Mario Galaxy features some of the best graphics the Wii has ever seen. Hell, even without 1080p high definition graphics, Super Mario Galaxy is phenomenal. Super Mario Galaxy shines with some of the most well designed and artistic levels ever in a video game. Super Mario Galaxy is a true work of art. The sound is also top notch, so good it's actually spawned its own soundtrack CD with music from the game. The gameplay is also top notch, featuring some of the most inventive and perfect platforming you'll ever see. There is a reason Mario is often looked at as the mascot of video games, and Super Mario Galaxy proves he more than deserves this title.



I think the best relation I heard of Super Mario Galaxy was this: Super Mario 64 was like Super Mario Bros. It was revolutionary and defined the genera. Super Mario Sunshine was like Super Mario Bros 2, while a good game; it fails to live up to the original and often gets lost in the shuffle. Super Mario Galaxy my friends, is like Super Mario Bros 3, it is the best title of the set and perfected every possible aspect of the genera. Super Mario Galaxy is not only the best video game of 2007, but it is perhaps the best video game in the past 3 years. I can not do Super Mario Galaxy justice by talking about it; all I can do is recommend everyone out there buy it.



Super Mario Galaxy is part of a dieing breed, a breed of video games that I don't want to lose. In an industry that is constantly maturing into a blood filled gore-fest, Super Mario Galaxy outshines them all. Super Mario Galaxy has marked its spot in history, and I can only hope people will not ignore this gem. This is a game people should be playing decades from now, this is a game you will play with your grandchildren and smile. Congratulations Super Mario Galaxy, you are the best of the best. Super Mario Galaxy has not only won the 2007 SIXAXIS Game of the Year award, but a spot in history.



The 411mania Empire~!

The Full Circle by AJ Minotti, who's much cooler than his brother. Together AJ and regular Full Circle writer Mike Minnoti host The Exploding Barrel Podcast which is craving someone to step up and show the Minotti brothers what's up.
Nintendophiles by Theo Fraser, who recommend you all buy Super Mario Galaxy. Great minds think alike.
The Select and Start News by Vincent Chiucchi.



Signing Off

I hope everyone here enjoys the holiday break. Pop in your favorite game and remind yourself why you're a gamer. You'll thank me later. But I will be back on New Years Day, so try not to be too hung over while reading my column. I will not hesitate to insert a breathalyzer and send the combine to your house if you're wasted. Cya in 2008!



Happy holidays from the Guerrilla Studios, proudly bringing you Killzone 2 exclusively to the PlayStation 3 in 2008.