The 10th Hour 5.30.08: The Top 10 Reasons to Avoid Current Generation Consoles

Posted by Derek Robbins on 05.30.2008

Not so long ago, The 10th hour discussed both the SNES and Genesis, a console generation that was arguably great. This week, 411's Derek Robbins breaks down 10 reasons why this current generation of consoles could very well be the worst one yet and why - if you haven't already plunked down the money for one - you should avoid this generation.

Hello and welcome to the 10th hour! As always, there are a couple of things that I would like to touch on before I get started this week.

-I finished Penny-Arcade Adventures: On the Rain Slick Precipice of Darkness Episode 1 (Long title, yeesh) yesterday and I have to say…it really isn't bad. If you enjoy Penny-Arcade, you'll enjoy this game…it's as simple as that. It's a tad on the short side, but that doesn't really matter…in the end it's worth your cash. Any game that can make me audibly laugh is worth the dough in my book.

-Having played the demo for Dragonball Z: Burst Limit…I'm expecting an experience close to DBZ: Budokai 3. The game is really beautiful so…I'm looking forward to it. There is a slight problem, but I'll hit on it later. You'll see.

-Alright, does anyone have any recommendations for an anime series to start? I'm just in the mood to watch a new series.

Reader Feedback

I had a pretty hard-to-disagree with article last week, but let's see what you lot had to say before I move on to this next list.

The Curry Man (Or John Curry, whatever) is up first:

I'll tell you what's funny Derek...I checked out what others were saying about
my old yeller article and they were bitching that Sonic should have been
included on that list. I wish someone in the Sonic Production room would read
your article and see that there are a lot of things you can do to the Sonic
series.


That's exactly why I was glad to see Sonic WASN'T on your list. Sonic is repairable…Sonic 2006, no matter how shitty it was, HAD glimmers of hope in it. Sonic is THIS close to having a good 3D title. Plus, it'd be kind of sad to see the old blue hedgehog taken out back. I think this old dog has new tricks. We just need Sonic Team to listen to the fans and make a GOOD game.

Vallejo thinks I'm an idiot:

Anyone who honestly thinks Goldeneye wasn't a great game or that Geno shouldn't
be in Smash Brothers is an idiot. There it is; take it or leave it.


I choose to leave it. Look…Goldeneye was a pretty good game for the time, but I would not say it's even close to being one of the best games of all time. Sure, it helped popularize console FPSes…but "First console FPS that you enjoyed" does NOT equal best FPS of all time. People should also tell this to FF VII fans.

As for Geno…look, Geno is okay. He's nothing more than a plot device though, and there are several Nintendo characters more "worthy" of appearing in the Smash Brothers franchise. Especially considering Geno has only appeared in one title. (AND NO, his cameo appearance in Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga does not count). You're welcome to feel this way, though.

Mark Salmela is hoping Sonic Unleashed comes with a "Silver Bullet" code


Terrific list Derek, you hit the nail right on the head *I especially agree with
number 4, press right to win*. I don't think I could have made any better
suggestions.

And while Sonic Unleashed appears to be dropping most of the stupid characters,
Sonic Team is still planning to have levels where Sonic turns into a werewolf.

I don't care what dimension this game is in I already have a bad feeling. Why
can't we just get a simple Sonic Adventure 3 *I know Unleashed started out as
Adventure 3 too until they thought it would be funny to piss us off*?


Thank you for the compliment. I am not ‘freaking out' about Sonic the Werewolf just yet because, for all we know, he could play just like Regular Sonic but with a different appearance. Perhaps it's just part of the story and doesn't affect gameplay! That's…really the best we could hope for at this point. We know Sonic Team does not listen to their fans, so the outcry over Wolf Sonic will be ignored. I pray that I'm right and Wolf Sonic doesn't turn into something totally ridiculous.

Before you twilight princess fans point out to me that turning into a werewolf worked well in THAT game…Sonic and Link play fairly differently. While a wolf worked in the Zelda world…I'm just not sure how it'll work in Sonic's world.

Curty wonders where my hatred of poor voice work is:

Another great list, Derek.

I've always believed that Sonic just needed that one epic 3D game to get the
franchise back on track. While Sonic Adventure 1 & 2 were great games, they
just fell slightly flat when compared to the likes of Mario 64.

It's a shame because the majority of people like Sonic and want him to be a
superstar again. In my opinion will simply be remembered as an also-ran unless
something magical happens soon.

I'm also VERY suprised that getting rid of the 4Kids voice actors isn't on the
list, but then again gameplay and design are far more important.


Sonic will get that game. I don't know when, I don't know how, and it'll probably occur by accident, but…Sonic is NOT done. I have a feeling that by the end of this console generation we'll have played a Sonic game that will renew faith in the franchise

The thing is, the 4Kids Voice Actors never really bothered me, because I don't think they do THAT poorly of a job. Outside of Rouge, I found the Voice-work to be fairly acceptable. Perhaps I am odd though? I felt it was stupid that people were BOYCOTTING this game for the voice-work. Really? The Voice-work? Damn, there are a LOT of other things they should be boycotting this shit for. The VAing is the least of their worries.

Cardinals Fan from a week past has good taste in baseball games:

I'm in 100% agreement that MVP Baseball 2005 is the best sports game ever
made. It just really sucks that it isn't backwards compatible with the 360
(right?). The ESPN MLB series is ok, but not nearly as good.


I don't think it's backward compatible. Unless that X-Box magazine has released a CD that makes it so. MVP 2005 did so many things right that it's really sad that Sega bought out Major League Baseball. I still think that the pitching in MVP 2005 has yet to be matched. WHY do people think it's a better idea to use the right analogue stick for pitching? It's not fun and it's harder to control. I think it's horribly tragic that football was bought out by EA and Baseball was bought out by 2K sports. If it had been opposite, maybe I would still play sports games? Seriously, if you compare the quality of a game like MLB 2K8 with MVP 2005…it's not even close. That's really fucking sad.

JT regrettably hits the nail on the head.

Great list. It pretty much sums up the feelings of every Sonic fan who is old
enough to remember the 16-bit games. As long as people keep buying the new
titles, I don't think Sega will change the franchise's direction no matter what
they say. Sega's console game division is driven more by sales than creativity
these days.


I fear that's the way most companies are these days. I refuse to buy Sonic games when they are NEW (unless I hear they are good, like the Wii Sonic) for this very reason. Square Enix's president recently bitched out the company for making games that they want to play instead of the fans. What has SE released recently? The most unique Final Fantasy yet (XII), The World Ends With You, a new and different Crystal Chronicles…so are they being criticized for trying something different? Tch. Oh well, this pretty much guarantees an FF VII remake down the road, so at least the fanboys/girls and shut up about that.

RavenTazECW wants some sports


Ah, fellow MVP baseball 2005 fans. I still play that game to this day. The
only other baseball game I bother to play is my MVP NCAA Baseball 07 game, but
2005 still rules all.

I am much more of a Mario guy than a Sonic guy. I like the Sonic games, but
for some reason I was never able to become good at them. My personal favorite
Sonic game was Sonic 2, and I could never get past the Wing Fortress level, or
get to the Death Egg without the soundtrack code.

Has there been a top 10 sports games ever list? I've followed this column for
a long time and I don't recall one. I'll be sure to check out that Curry Man
column you mentioned. I'm sure it's hot, it's spicy, and it'll taste great
when reading it.


His columns are hot and spicy. He may also be Christopher Daniels, though I can't quite confirm that.

As for being a Mario guy…I can't really blame you. As far as consistency goes, Mario has always been the more consistent franchise. The only bad Mario titles are spin-offs. There has never been a poor "core" game.

Also, about a sports list…not yet there hasn't been. I'm a bit afraid to touch that one if I had to be honest. I'm not sure what would be included, and the only Madden I would feature would be Madden 2005. I will consider it, though.

G-Walla has a really great idea.

I'd be cool if they just took Sonic 1, 2, CD, and 3 with Knuckles and made them
into one giant game. I hate not being able to spin dash in Sonic 1... and
there's something you can't do in CD that escapes my memory at the moment.
Sure, it'd take some work to make them all be compatible, and they'd hafta
throw in some nice cutscenes inbetween. I dunno, I just loved original Sonic
way too much.


You know…if they remade the games and decided to make you play the levels in order like that, it wouldn't be half bad. Actually, it'd be really good and I'm sure the fans would eat it up! I doubt Sega would ever do something so awesome though…Ever since the Dreamcast died, they just hate pleasing their fans.

DarkKinger wraps up the comments this week with the following:

As a fan, I really do agree with this list. A lot of poor problems and
creativity hurts this franchise.

It does seem like Sega is making these games for the money, but I doubt they
are getting as much as they hoped, even when I found out that pathetic Sonic
Next-Gen sold 38,000 at launch. I believe a successful launch is 1 or 200,000
copies, so those numbers are sad.

For Sonic Unleashed, they better learn from their mistakes and make a game
worth playing. The Werehog concerns me in both gameplay and story, but if they
can make the gameplay work, more power to them. IMO, this is Sega's last
chance, otherwise, the game franchise is better off dead because I can't see
how they will convince anyone to play another new game.

I want to continue playing new Sonic games, but like you said, I refuse to
waste money on bullshit. I made that mistake with Shadow The Hedgehog, and got
cash back afterwards. How hard is it to make a decent Sonic game for home
consoles?


I think part of the problem with Sonic 2006 is that it was rushed. I hear Sony is to blame for this, but I don't want to point fingers without really knowing the facts. I believe that the reviews had a LOT to do with the lack of Sonic 2006 launch sales. I had the game reserved, saw the reviews, and did not pick it up. It just seemed like they were fucking everything up again. The thing is, Sonic 2006 is by FAR the worst Sonic game ever and it can only get better from here.

While I don't think this is Sega's last chance with Sonic, I do think this is their best opportunity. A lot of the purists are really looking forward to this game because…it APPEARS to be doing things correctly. Who knows, though.

I think creating a good Sonic game must be rather difficult because Sonic Team has come maddeningly close to creating a good game and has fallen short. AGAIN, take a look at Sonic 2006. It's a pile of shit. If you sift through that shit though, you'll see some elements that could have made it a good game. Imagine how much more tolerable it would have been if you didn't home onto your enemies likes five times in a row? Imagine if running into the walls didn't make you fall on your ass? Imagine if it wasn't a glitch fest? It would have been actually pretty good. I am hoping the next title changes things though.



Top-10 Reasons why this console generation is avoidable

Now before you sound off on me, please know that I own next-gen consoles and buy new games fairly regularly. This is not a list coming from a guy wrapped in nostalgia who refuses to purchase new things…quite the contrary! I am willing to embrace the future as long as the future is embraceable. With that said, there really hasn't been that much to embrace so far. Sure, there are some GREAT games for these current gen consoles, but…is it enough to spring money for one of these behemoths? I would argue not, but perhaps I am mistaken and am not looking at things clearly. So if you think these consoles are alright, make sure to tell me how you feel. I just know that right now I haven't touched my 360 after finishing GTA IV, the PS3 will be pretty useless until MGS 4, and I only play my Wii for Smash Brothers, while I still go back to play the SNES, N64, Genesis, PS2, etc from time to time.

Please also note that this list does NOT include portable games. I feel the DS is worth the price, and…well, I guess to be fair, I'm not going to mention the PSP either. Are there things wrong with these portables? Hell yeah, nothing is perfect, but I'm not going to hark on those consoles in this list.

There are no rules for this list.

10-) Problems with Ports - While ports have never been perfect when appearing on multiple consoles at the same time, at the very least we can admit that the games are in the same class. In the SNES/Genesis days, while some of the ports were in fact different...it was really hard to discern which one was indeed better (with a few exceptions). With this generation, sadly, this doesn't seem to be the case. Especially early on when you'd get games on the 360 that ran at a pretty serviceable 60 FPS while the EXACT same game would appear on the PS3 and run at 30. Now this would normally be a point that would apply to early games…and I had actually thought the days of 360 versions of games being superior had been over, but no! No! GTA IV comes along and apparently the Playstation 3 version has all sorts of issues with freezing. Now sure, it's not like the 360 version was perfect – it had pop-in issues and some people claimed that it was causing their console to red-ring…but the freezing issue was a bigger deal and you had to go to some pretty extreme lengths to get it to work. That just doesn't seem fair to me! I figure that PS3 installations have really helped how games run on the console – such a DMC 4, which was superior on the PS3 – but…it seems like the majority of games that appear on both of those consoles play better on the 360 – either thanks to the graphics, the frame-rate, or bug issues. I just think that's a little un-fair to PS3 fans…I wish things were a little more equal on the port front, but at this precise moment in time, they really aren't. Things can always change in the future, but right now that's how I see things. I hope things will be more equal soon.

- Speaking of GTA IV, doesn't Oscar remind you of Niko a leetle bit?

9-) Nintendo refuses to embrace the internet - Microsoft's online system is rather good and has wonderful parental controls. Sony's online system is pretty good and in the future looks to get even better, mimicking what Microsoft does (but for free)…but what does Nintendo have? To be quite honest…not very much. They seem to feel that if you can actually sense that you're playing against another living, breathing person…then the system is too immersive. Let's take a look at one of my personal favorite games ever, Super Smash Brothers Brawl. Without a doubt, it's a fun multiplayer experience to have when you've got friends around. Shit gets crazy. Try hooking it up to the internet. If you play against random people in the "With Anyone" mode, odds are you may as well be playing bots. Sure, they may do things with a personality – such a spam the taunt "YOU'RE TOO SLOW" – but outside of that…they can't really show emotion. No voice chat, no text chat, no names, not even the ability to have words associated with your taunts. GOD FORBID! I figure Nintendo is worried some poor child will see a racial slur, repeat it in front of their mother, and then proceed to get Nintendo sued because their Smash game taught their poor child naughty language! So whatever, if you play with people you don't know, you're essentially playing with robots. Whatever. Well at least when you play with people on your friends list, you can communicate with them in some way…right? HAHAHA, nope! Believe it or not, Mario Kart is the most advanced it gets so far with text chat. YES! TEXT CHAT! It's like you're using a cell phone! Other than that, it's essentially the same thing as random play except now you can see their names (!!!!!!!)– though you can see their names in Mario Kart Wii already – and you can occasionally get other bits of basic conversation through! Awesome! Oh man, I can't wait to suggest to my friend that he's a homosexual through a pokemon battle where I have to preset my speech prior to the match just to make sure it's contextual. FUCK YEAH! So really, Nintendo seems to be implying that multiplayer is better if you feel alone…which is kinda sad, but whatever. It's sad that with the exception of a couple of games, the online experience Nintendo offers is relatively slow. Seriously, have you ever tried playing Dragonball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3? It's so slow that it's almost ridiculous. Almost. I seriously felt that the hardon collider had been activated and my molecular structure was being ripped apart, that's how slow it was. I think this console generation would be more acceptable if Nintendo acknowledged there were people out there who were interested in taking their games online. That there are wii players who aren't 10 years old and can handle the occasional occurrence of someone saying the word: "penis". Oh well! Maybe next time.

Pictured: what Nintendo presumes the average person's face looks like when they stumble upon something "PG-13" on the internet.

8-) Emphasis on Graphics - Now don't get me wrong, I'm a man who enjoys his quality graphics. I realize Naruto is largely for children, but watch the Naruto PS3 trailer and try to tell me those graphics aren't fucking impressive. Or Dragonball Z: Burst Limit? It looks like you're actually playing an anime, and I really appreciate that. Now with that said, while this is easily the best looking generation graphically…have we really been rewarded with gameplay to equal those graphics? Now let's look at a game like Heavenly Sword. Graphically, it's stunning. Without a doubt it is one of the best looking games out there. When you play it though…what exactly does it do that's different? What makes it stand out as a game? What does it do that guarantees that we'll remember it from years down the road? Nothing! It's a God of War clone that is ridiculously short. That's it! There isn't anything wrong with being a God of War clone, since people apparently like that game…but if you ask me, this game really didn't do anything to make it stand out other than look ridiculously nice. Since I am all about being fair, let's look at a highly hyped 360 game now. Halo 3. While the game looked great graphically, what exactly did it do differently from Halo 2? If you had down-scaled the graphics, placed it on the original X-Box, and told me: "This is Halo 2 you are playing, we just changed the levels up a bit." I not only would have believed you, but would have wondered why you were telling me this because I'm not an idiot and can clearly see this is the same damn game. The multiplayer is fun, but it's nothing we haven't seen before. The campaign is nothing we haven't seen before. In the end, it's the exact same game we've played before and it winds up being just a prettier version of Halo 2. At least, that's how I feel. While graphics are somewhat important – I'd rather play a good-looking good game than a shitty-looking good game – you don't need good graphics to have a good game. Take a look at Katamari Damacy on the Playstation 2. That game is hardly a looker, but it PLAYS fun and different…and winds up being an easily memorable title. While there are some great looking high marquis titles out there – I'm looking at you, Bioshock – for the most part…game companies tend to compensate by painting their shitty games in a coat of pretty neat looking paint.

- Seriously, tell me this game doesn't look awesome in the graphics department.

7-) Next-Gen gets LESS features - This is mostly a concern with sports games, in particular the Madden franchise. Now don't get me wrong, I'm a man who loathes him some Madden football. I think it's a franchise that gets you to pay 60 dollars annually for what equates to a roster update, but I would be absolutely lying to you if I told you the prospect of a next-gen Madden title didn't have me interested. Not to mention the early trailer that was shown during the NFL draft looked really awesome. It was going to feel like I was actually playing football…right? HAHAHAHA, no. Not only was that trailer a down-right fucking lie, but that Madden title featured LESS than the same game did on the present X-Box. That's right! The ‘advanced' version gets less than the current version! This is downright insane, because when I get a current-gen system I expect a hell of a lot more than LESS of what was offered on the last gen. It seems sort of…lazy. Ah, but this is what EA is famous for! For goodness sakes, I rented Madden 2008 (I refuse to buy them!) and was stunned that stuff from 2005 on the regular X-Box was STILL missing. Isn't that just weird? Of course, this also might just be an EA thing…because I hear that this generation's version of Tiger Woods is missing a lot of things as well. Then again, I guess EA being cheap and money-grubbing is hardly a surprise. It'd be like me saying: "Oh hey guys, there's a new Capcom versus game coming out and I hear they're re-using Morrigans sprite again!" It's just common sense by now. I just think it's a shame that I can pop in a game with the year "2005" on it and get more features than a game with the year "2008" written on it. This is also further seen today, as the new game Dragonball Z: Burst Limit EXCLUDES the very final saga in the Dragonball Z universe while the PS2 games, with the exception of the very first one, include it. That seems ridiculous to me, because if I'm going to shell out 60 dollars for a new game it better have at least features on the same footing as a game that came out years before.

- No way in hell a game that features graphics this awesome should also feature less story content than previous iterations.

6-) Downloadable Content - First of all, let me tell you that I'm in support of DLC…as long as it's free. To be honest, if the content is on my disc and isn't readily accessible, I expect it to be free. I paid the sixty dollars and I feel like anything that is on THAT disc should belong to me. Now, if you charge me for something that isn't on the disc? Fine, whatever, I didn't technically pay for that so I'm okay with paying a small fee. After all, if it's additional to my playing experience and I really enjoy the game…why NOT pay for it? With that said, it seems a lot of games are charging you for content that you have on the disc already. Why is that? Why do I need to pay extra to play something that should already be there? That's pretty messed up. I don't know about you, but if I go into a store I expect to get everything that's on the disc, not just half of it. Imagine strolling into a game store, paying like eighty dollars for a SNES cart, and finding out that you only bought HALF of the game! That's right, you just defeated the dinosaurs in Chrono Trigger, but in order to finish the game you have to pay a little more! Just ten more bucks and Lavos is going down! Oh wait, you may need a little help with that. After all, Lavos is a TOUGH TYRANT and you'll need some ultimate weapons to take him down, so get this. Alright, alright, we're going to sell you a full set of rainbow-gear. Yeah, I know, sounds pretty generous right? Right. All of the ultimate gear can be YOURS for another ten dollars. Now you can be a lavos slaying badass. OH WAIT, is it too easy now? Do you find the legions of evil too easily felled by your blade? WE WILL REMOVE ALL THIS BADASS CONTENT TO MAKE THE GAME HARDER IF YOU PAY ANOTHER TEN DOLLARS. Argh, I know this is hyperbole, but sometimes it honestly feels like this. I pay my money, I want everything I pay for without any of that micro-payment junk. Developers, you are wrong, we do NOT like paying for DLC…we only pay for it because we have to. Please, please, please stop making us pay. I am begging you! My desire to kick ass online with new guns only expands so far!

- I say...NEIGH...to horse armor. Bad duh pssssh.

5-) Length - No, I do not demand that every game expand hundreds of hours. However, when I purchase a game, is it bad of me to expect that ten hours of my life is going to be absorbed at the very least? This isn't even counting the multiplayer, which should sap even more out of my being. Sadly, it seems that the better the graphics are or the more highly hyped a game is, the less lengthy they make it. Now before you tell me: "BUT DEREK, IN THE SNES, NES, ATARI, ET AL DAYS ALL GAMES WERE SHORT." Listen, I know. I'm comparing this gen with the last one, and if you compare playtime I think it's not even close to be quite honest. So far, there have been two games released on next-gen consoles that I would define as time-sinks. Oblivion, which is essentially an off-line MMO and GTA IV, which is…well, it's Grand Theft Auto, so there's always a ton to do. Now don't get me wrong, there are some cool multiplayer experiences out there that'll eat up your time – COD 4 for example – but if you're into single player gaming at all, it's about time you abandon consoles. Seriously, let's look at Heavenly Sword and Halo 3 again. These games will take you about six hours, if you're…slow. That's right, six hours if you're not going at full speed. Isn't that crazy? Of course, bumping the difficulty will make the game take longer – Halo 3 on legendary took me a whole eight hours. OH MAN – but a game shouldn't have to rely on difficulty for length. If it's long, it's long. Now you may thing I left out the wii, but I really didn't. Look at three of Nintendo's main franchises: Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime 3, and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. All three of these games can take you over ten hours to complete and are pretty satisfactory purchases. While they don't have the same online experience as something like Halo 3 – and I know you all love to get killed by 12 year olds in Hayabusa armor – they at least feel like solid single player purchases. So I guess what I'm saying is that if you like playing solo, the wii may be the best way to go…but if you're a fan of online multiplayer titles, one of the other two systems may be for you. Of course, this is all pre-MGS 4 which will punch us in the face with its length (well, I mean, cinematics count as length right?), so who knows really.

- Short but Beautiful.

4-) Better off to stick with the PS2 - Looking at the Gamerankings top-10, you have three non-multiplatform games listed (and I know you aren't buying a PS3 for multiplatform titles). They are: Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, and Resistance: Fall of Man. Ratchet is pretty much a rehash of the PS2 games, and to be honest…while it is a great game, it's not quite as good as the third installment which featured some pretty great writing for a video game. Uncharted is a pretty good original title that I really have no complaints about, in all honesty…and Resistance is a very heavily over-rated shooting title. If you've played *insert shooter here* you've played Resistance, simple as that. Now listen, I'm not saying the PS3 won't be getting good games in the future – MGS 4 is looming, FF XIII will be good, Little Big Planet should appeal to the myspace crowd, Team Ico is making something allegedly – but RIGHT NOW, there isn't all that much there save for multiplatform stuff. What can be seen as sort of a punch in the face to the PS3 audience is the fact that while the PS3 hasn't really gotten any great exclusives, during its lifespan, the PS2 *HAS*. Persona 3 and God of War 2, even though I don't like the latter, are both high quality titles. Hell, Persona 4 is in development for the PS2. At this point, if you don't have the money for a PS3, I don't see why anyone would be in a hurry to buy one seeing as the PS2 has a great library and is STILL expanding. Before one of you commenters come in with a laundry list of PS3 titles that will be great (and believe you me, I've seen plenty), please remember that I'm talking about the present, and not the future. If you want to buy a PS3 when FF XIII comes out and MGS 4 is also available, I can't really blame ya'. Plus, those "lists"…they always seem to be full of failure. Haze and Lair were both on said list, and both turned out horrid. Well, if you believe reviewers at least. So in short, while the PS3 may be a pretty good investment for the future, right now it isn't worth the price of admission. Unless you really, really need a Blu-Ray player that is. If that's the case then…yeah…I guess the PS3 is worth the money. My advice: Just wait and see.

- Hey, any excuse to post another P3 picture.

3-) Want a 360? Hope you like shooters! Looking at the GameRankings top-10 again, there are four exclusive 360 titles on the list. (Please note, considering most 360 games are available on PC, I am not counting that.) Halo 3, Gears of War, Mass Effect, and Bioshock. Three of the four are shooting titles and Mass Effect is a WRPG with SHOOTING elements! Before you point out to me that Bioshock is about to be available on the PS3, at this moment in time…it's not! So hah! I can use it in my argument. It seems like most every title that is exclusive to the 360 has shooting elements. Sure, there are exceptions like DOA 4, Dead Rising, Ninja Gaiden 2 and Blue Dragon…but can you name all that many where you don't aim at a guy and pull the trigger? No, I didn't think so. Now don't get me wrong, shooting titles can be fun. I for one like shooting guys as much as the next red-blooded American. With that said, I don't want every one of my big titles to involve shooting someone in the face. You can only do it so many times before it gets old. Hell, even the new Banjo Kazooie has gun-and-vehicle elements in it. Isn't that weird? Hopping and bopping Banjo-Kazooie blowing shit up. Can you see Banjo whippin' out a rocket launcher on Grunty? I can't. Feels weird. The system really needs a high-profile title to come out where you don't blow shit up, but looking ahead at the rest of this year, I honestly can't think of one. Oh sure, you have a Halo RTS, but I bet that's just going to sell because of the Halo name. And Fable 2, but with the way Fable 1 lied to us…you could forgive me for not anticipating that title. Isn't that sad when I can only think of one genre on a specific system? Look at the PS3 for example. As much shit as I gave it earlier, look at some of its upcoming titles. FF XIII (RPG), MGS 4 (Stealth), Resistance 2/Killzone 2 (Shooting), Little Big Planet (Err…myspace?), Team Ico Theoretical game that may or may not exist (If it exists, theoretically, a puzzling platformer. In theory). That's variety! That's something different! Enough so that I would argue if you want INSTANT results, the 360 is the system for you because it has a decent library of games already, but if you want a better future, the PS3 is the way to go. At least the future isn't blood-stained from the Nazis you no doubt shot a million times by now. Sadly, I don't even PLAY any of the big exclusives any more. Dead Rising had its share of problems, Bio Shock is a game you beat only once. Seriously, my 360 is for VF 5 online, and that's about it. I used to play the Orange Box on it, but now that I have TF 2 on PC…there really isn't a point. I hope something big and interesting comes out for the 360. Something where I won't be shooting shit up.

- Hrm, this looks oddly familiar.

2-) Wii like gimmicks and rehashes - I like the wii, I think it has a decent library of games and is probably the best deal at the moment, if only because it costs a paltry 250 dollars. That said, this is a list about why this generation is AVOIDABLE, and…well…the wii has plenty of things that I would deem as avoidable. Pulling up that familiar GameRankings top 10, you'll see that of the ten highest rated Wii games you'll find an astonishing EIGHT sequels or ports. They are Super Mario Galaxy (Mario 64 IN SPACE WITH WAGGLE), Zelda: Twilight Princess (OoT 2.0), Smash Brothers Brawl (Plays like a slower Melee, but does feature a lot of neat bonus content), RE: 4 Wii edition (Same game as on the cube, just with wii controls and some neat content you find on the PS2 version), Okami (PS2 port), Metroid Prime 3 (A better controlling version of Metroid Prime!), Guitar Hero III – no comment needed - , and Super Paper Mario which sort of plays uniquely. That's seven games that are pretty much rehashes, one unique title, and two others. The other two are Boom Blox which is a fairly fun time wasting game and Zack and Wiki which makes use of the wii's waggle pretty well. Now you may be asking, why am I making a point out of this? All of these games are fun! Indeed they ARE fun, but you've played them all before! You could excuse buying a wii because of those eight high profile titles being playable on cheaper, last gen consoles. For goodness sakes, Twilight Princess and RE: 4 are even available on the Gamecube. Sure, they have a fresh coat of paint and are technically new games…but they don't really play like them. With the wii, it seems like you either get a game you've played a million times before or you're getting a gimmick. Nintendo seems to love these gimmicks even though they don't always translate well to gameplay. Let's take a look at Red Steel. A genuinely terrible game that tries to make the most out of the wii's motion controls but fails miserably. Look at Soul Calibur Legends! This game could have been something truly interesting, but once again…it relies on really gimmicky controls and just falls flat on its face. I feel that the wii's controls are better suited for short, simple, quirky games such as Wii Sports and Rayman: Raving Rabids. When you apply those controls to more complicated titles they just get more tedious. Well, that's how I feel at least. While the wii is the cheapest option and offers arguably the greatest quality games, you've probably played them all before. Simple as that.

- According to this graph, the more you see something the more you like it!

1-) Quality, or lack thereof. - The one thing that should keep you from buying a current-gen console if you haven't already would be the quality of the titles. Look, there are some really great games out there like Bioshock, Brawl, Galaxy, GTA IV, and (allegedly) COD4...but in my eyes the number of great, quality playing experiences are down. My 360 goes for, literally, months at a time without being touched. When mine got done red-ringing I bought DMC 4 and didn't touch it again until GTA IV came out. I ended up selling DMC 4 because I didn't figure I would play it again. The PS3 has been pretty barren since Uncharted with the exception of GTA IV, though – as is the case with the 360 – you can probably spend the time playing multiplayer games like Warhawk and COD4. The only game I play on my wii these days are Brawl. Sometimes Mario Kart, though those lucky finishes piss me off from time to time. It's just a barren landscape right now, it seems. With the PS2 and the last generation, it seems like every time I finished a good game up there was another one waiting for me. On top of that, they had a lasting impact of me. With the exception of a couple – Brawl, Bioshock and GTA IV (Technically Portal and TF 2 as well, but…I consider those more PC titles than console) – I don't see me going: "Wow, this is a great game" ten years down the line. I'll probably say: "Oh, yeah, that was a neat game I guess"…but nothing spectacular. And that's really sad. It's not too late, though! MGS 4 is coming out and I am a biiiiig MGS fanboy. Not to mention, there are probably some obscure titles I've yet to play that could change my mind…but as of this moment in time, if you don't have the money there really isn't a reason to go out and buy a next gen console. The marquis, killer app titles just aren't around for this generation, and I think that's pretty sad. You may disagree with me and that's fine. I just think that years down the road, this will be looked at as the worst console generation yet as far as quality titles are concerned.

- Without a doubt, Bioshock is one of the best games of this console generation.

Well, that's it for the 10th hour this week, before you leave 411mania though, you should check out these other quality columns from our gaming section.

Theo Fraser writes the Nintendophiles and as always he does a rather good job with it. This week he talks about several things, which include a new Castlevania and a Viva Pinata DS title. Viva Pinata was one of the best surprises on the 360, so I hope that the DS version is every bit as fun

Owain J. Brimfield writes the Wonder Years. As always, he does a prodigious job. This week he talks about a controversial subject for the 10th hour. Mortal Kombat II. If you enjoy the game, you'll enjoy this column

Gaming chief, Ramon Aranda, is writing daily updates about working out with the wii fit. The one I am linking to is "day 2". You should check for Day 3. I'm telling you, this looks quite strenuous, especially on a sloth such as myself

Mark Salmela writes B3yond the Report. As always, fantastic job by Mark. This week he talks about how PS3 owners get to play the stellar Bioshock. Seriously, I don't care how biased any of you readers are towards Sony, this game is fucking gold. Pick it up when it's released. He also mentions RE 5 and the return of CLAIRE!!!! Some screenshots too, and I must say…the game is looking nice.

Chris Vicari writes "The Forgotten PC Games"…and this week he discusses ADVENTURE games! He talks about one that I can't freaking run on my Windows XP…Grim Fandango. ARGH. I really, really want to experience this title but it seems like fate is intervening.

Vincent Chiucchi inducts Uwe Boll into the Hall of Shame this week. He deserves it, but I have to be honest…his movies are so horrible, so…bad…that they're almost entertaining. Lord, save me, I must be insane. Maybe I take pride in people who can troll the gaming community with such ease! If only I could troll half as well.

Mark Salmela gets another mention for his phenomenal MGS special. This week he covers MGS 2 and next week we'll be getting my favorite installment…Number three! Personally, I can't wait. If MGS 4 can top 3, it will be one of my favorites ever.

Chris Evans writes the PC-Centric extravaganza. This week among other things he talks about his takes on Digital Distribution and the Battlefield demo. I am trying to get in too, so hopefully we can try it out together!

Chris Scott writes the Red Snifit and this week…he discusses R.O.B who has become sort of a forced character by Nintendo. Kind of like baby versions of their characters. It's a fairly interesting read, PLUS HE WANTS EARTHBOUND ON THE VC!!! (+1, bet you didn't think I could do it JP)

The Curry Man writes about why certain genres should only have downloadable sequels this week in the Check Point. His final reason is super true – MOST SEQUELS SUCK. Damn. Sadly 90% of the market is comprised of sequels it seems. Good job as always, John

Tommy Coloma puts together the Fact or Fiction and has two of our writers face off. This week it's one of our reviewers Ty "Houston" Huston, against Rod "Todd" Oracheski, writer of Achievement Unlocked. They have six questions as always, but my favorite one touched on Samba De Amigo and whether the wii remote could move precisely enough for it. I think it can and so do they!

Rod Oracheski writes Achievement Unlocked! As always, we update on the same day, but you should check out his stuff anyways. Good reads. This week he discusses games that have particularly easy achievements.

Joe Roche does The Full Circle report and also does a nice job. Alas, we ALSO update on the same day…so be sure to check out his newest column. I have to give him a TON of respect for the following line though: "Being a Red Sox fan my entire life was never something to be proud of until 2004, and then it became something to be ashamed of because of the bandwagon jumpers and Jimmy Fallon". I am glad you Red Sox fans acknowledge the bandwagon jumpers! I think the loyal Red Sox fans are cool but the jumpers…not so much.

AJ and Mike Minoti do the exploding barrel podcast. Their viewership is apparently like Mike's BMI and constantly on the upswing! (Hey, hey, he said it not me!) This week is a good week like any other, and they actually run an exceptionally long podcast which I enjoy. Their "Best ever" this week is Star Trek related, and I agree with what they're saying. Star Trek doesn't really translate well to a gaming world…ya' know? Ah…great job as always guys. I'm going to get a microphone soon since I play a lot of TF2, so I'll have to guest on your program sometime.

Well, that's it for this week's column. As always…if you have any feedback or complaints or anime suggestions or feel the desire to talk about Gurren Lagann or…well…ANYTHING, feel free to send an e-mail to [e-mail] or [e-mail] Your choice. Or simply leave a comment below. Also, a quick apology to TWF'ssdc. I will reply to your mail soon, I just have been a tad busy so I haven't gotten around to it yet, man! Sorry!

Til' the Crossroads

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