B3yond the Report 10.14.08

Posted by Derek Robbins on 10.14.2008

This week in B3yond the Report, the Tokyo Game Show is analyzed, as are the latest updates to the Playstation 3 and PSP. All that and information on the final changes to Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix.

the Report! I have returned from a week-long sabbatical to your loving and embracing arms, conveniently enough on my one-year anniversary (well, at this point in the NFL season at least) at 411mania. Fuck yeah, one more and it's off to IGN baby and hopefully I'll be here for a few more to come. Thanks to Mr. Salmella for filling in for me last week.



B3yond the News of the Week!

I heard there was some sort of conference going on this week, err…what was it again? Well, I'm sure it'll come to me as I write this…

Tokyo Game Show: What Sony brought to the table

Oh, so THAT'S what it was. When I saw the letters "TGS" I thought that Ted Turner's TBS suddenly became "Turner Global Syndicate." Fancy that. Well, I guess let's see what came from Sony at this year's show and I'll just briefly comment on what was revealed. This is primarily a PS3 column (with a pinch of PSP when there's news I feel like talking about), so only games for the monolith will be listed because I am lazy that's this column's focus. This does not include Square Enix stuff. They didn't announce anything new on the PS3 anyhow.

PlayStation 3
• Guitar Hero Legends of Rock
• FIFA '09 World Class Soccer
• Street Fighter IV
• Resident Evil 5 (BioHazard 5)
• Lumines Supernova
• Metal Gear Online: Meme Expansion
• Way of the Samurai 3
• Sonic World Adventure
• SOCOM: Confrontation
• PlayStation Home
• Mainichi Issho
• MotorStorm 2: Pacific Rift
• LittleBigPlanet
• Resistance 2
• WWE 2009 Smackdown vs. Raw
• Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 2
• Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm
• White Knight Chronicles
• Gran Turismo 5: Prologue Spec III
• Killzone 2
• Demon's Souls
• Yakuza 3
• Winning Eleven 2009
• Dynasty Warriors 5 Empires
• Quantum Theory
• Flower
• Spelunker
• Castlevania (Cross-platform)
• Tatsunoko vs. Capcom
• Bomberman Ultra
Well let's start off simply, Guitar Hero: Legends of Rock is Guitar Hero III. The game hasn't seen a Japanese release. So there's really no need to go on further about it. You either like it or you dislike it. Whatever.

FIFA '09 is FIFA. I mean, it's the EURO version of Madden so if you want your yearly roster update whatever. It's already out here, I believe. I don't know, I wasn't keeping track.

Street Fighter IV is the game of the century (2000-2100). I figure if you don't know about it by now you probably don't want to know about it. If you're not excited for this game I assume you are lacking a pulse.

Well the new control scheme for Resident Evil 5 was un-veiled at TGS and has been mentioned here before it's Gears like. Luckily for those of us who didn't like Gears of War or simply preferred Resident Evil 4's control style we can choose to control in that way. Also of note is the fact that the game no longer pauses when you access your inventory, so you need to be careful when you're plucking items and such. There will no longer be ample time for you to pull out that shotgun.

Lumines Supernova will assumedly play like Lumines with new songs. I mean, whatever, Lumines is fun. This is the first console installment for the franchise.

Apparently in the meme expansion for Metal Gear online you can play as Ocelot and Mei Ling at points. Neat. I haven't even picked up the first expansion for the game yet, is it something I should do?

Yay! Another Way of the Samurai game! This is assumedly going to be like the previous two in that your actions directly effect the outcome of the game. There are many, many ways the game can end. Which is how WRPGs should be, but you know…whatever. I wonder if you can beat the game almost as soon as you start it as you could with the original one?

Sonic World Adventure is what we here in the United States like to refer to as Sonic Unleashed. You probably know how you feel about this one, but do you know how I feel? Stupidly optimistic. Everything I've heard about the game points to it being another piece of junk…but I'm hoping that the blue blur can surprise us all once again. It would be great.

I don't like SOCOM. Whatever. It's a good game, but I just don't like it. It's not for me, but I imagine this new SOCOM will be just swell for whoever wants to play it.

For those of you who don't know, HOME is basically a place for you to create an avatar and socialize with other people online. It's due for release in November for those who care.

Mainichi Issho is a Japanese only game. It was released in 2006 and I assume that the only thing mentioned at TGS was some DLC or something. There is no chance this game will ever be released here, so I'll just keep this short.

Apparently Motorstorm 2 is a departure from the desert as the majority of the game takes place in the jungle. It's racing, I mean, you probably know what you're going to get. Interesting to note that you can use tracks you have on your PS3's hard-drive in-game. I wish more games did this.

What? Little Big Planet? What's that? I've never heard of it.

If you played Resistance 1 and found yourself saying: "Gee, I sure wish there was a sequel"…you're in luck! Resistance 2, set for release on November 4th, is coming to a PS3 near you. Interestingly enough, there is no Japanese release date announced.



From the preview trailers for Smackdown vs. Raw 2009 it's very obvious that they kept the commentary the same. Again. That's not a big deal since this year's inclusion of Career mode seems to take us back to PSX's Smackdown 2 in terms of quality. This is a good thing. SVR 2009, right now at least, looks to be the best in the franchise since 2006 came out .Good! I'm still miffed about the lack of a GM mode though. Apparently custom entrances are possible on the PS3 this time…GOOD! First person entrances were a lame exclusive.

For those of you who like your Romance of the Three Kingdoms in Space with giant robots, I suppose Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 2 is for you. I enjoyed the first one for what it's worth. I can only play so many Dynasty Warriors.

For those of you who haven't played the Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm demo yet…I encourage you to do so. From a graphics standpoint it may be one of the best looking titles of this generation. That would be enough for Naruto fans out there, but luckily…for those of us not as fond of the source material…the fighting is really fun too! That's what I tell myself at least. It's the only excusable reason a 21-year-old male would want this game.

White Knight has changed from "JRPG with an interesting battle system" to JRPG doing something new. You can now have four-player online co-op and apparently there are a "ton of online modes". This is very interesting…and it's good to see a JRPG actually try something different. Of course, since it is not run of the mill…I expect it to flop terribly. OH WELL.

Gran Turismo V: Prologue Spec III…I mean…it's Gran Turismo. You race, it looks pretty, we've been doing this since the PS1.

With as mediocre a game as the original Killzone was, color me surprised that they are going to release a second one. Well, hopefully this one doesn't fall flat on its face and can stand to the hype. It doesn't look like it will. To be totally honest I think this one looks impressive.

Demon's Soul is brought to us by the guys who made King's Field, From Software. It probably won't see a US release.

Glad to see that a third Yakuza is in the works. If it's even close to as compelling as Yakuza 2 consider me sold.

Winning Eleven 2009, more soccer…yay!

…and more romancing of the three kingdoms. Jeesh Dynasty Warriors 5: Empires, can't one of the kingdoms just fuck the other two so we can move on?

Tecmo's self-acclaimed "Japanese Answer to Gears of War" is also known as Quantum Theory. For those who were interested, this is a Playstation 3 exclusive so you don't have to worry about those crazy X-guys getting THREE Gears games to play.

Flower looks very simple yet artistic. You move the flower through the level by using the six axis to manipulate the wind. I would say it might be TOO simple, but it doesn't hurt that it's also a looker.

Spelunker is a PSN title that serves as an update to the NES classic. It features graphical updates, so it's like the Bionic Commando remake in that regard…but apparently the gameplay is also quite challenging – it tends to lean on a lot of old school gaming ideas – so it also fits in with the likes of Megaman 9. It probably won't be as beloved as those titles, but it's cool to see another retro game come out.

We don't really know ANYTHING about the new Castlevania yet other than the fact that it's coming out for both the 360 and the PS3. A very short, 30 second, trailer was shown at TGS but it was apparently enough to get the Castlevania fanboys worked up. Not that it's hard, probably just pulling out a whip will do that. Let's hope it's more like the portable Castlevanias as opposed to the PS2-style ones. Not that you could make out how it looks in the trailer. There is about 10 seconds worth of footage there, all pre-rendered.

Tatsunoko vs. Capcom looks awesome but due to licensing issues there is about no chance we'll ever see it stateside.

Bomberman Ultra is a next-gen update to the original Bomberman. If that doesn't have you at least a little bit amped up, I don't know what will. Best of all? It's coming this winter. Awesome!

The show seems to have been pretty good. One has to be disappointed with the lack of Kingdom Hearts III. Love or hate the series it was heavily rumored to be involved at this year's show and to not see it…I don't know, it feels like an opportunity lost. Sure, Birth by Sleep and 358/2 Days look neat but I figure fans of the series really would rather see a third installment than anything.

Also where was that new Team Ico game we've been hearing so much about? Thanks for building our hype up!

If this list is incomplete feel free to let me know.

Source: Actual list from Joystiq



PSP firmware 5.0 and PS3 firmware 2.5

Sony has revealed some features for their latest firmwares. Let's see what they bring in, shall we? First we have the PSP…

Direct PSN Access: You can now access the PSN from your PSP. This means that the PSN computer store is now officially useless. Hoorah! You can even create an account if you don't already have one…it seems very handy. Also of note is the fact that the points you have on your PSN are interchangeable between the PS3 and PSP. This is great news for anyone fearful that Sony would take a similar direction to Nintendo and their "Points do not transfer, so buy lots of points for each system" policy.

Sleep Timer Options: You know, for those of you who don't have alarm clocks or cell phones.

Full screen keyboard option for text input. - Oh boy.

Redesigned XMB background. - Yippee.

Outside of the PSN access this seems like a pretty lame update. More of the same for PSP firmware. Oh well, whatever. I'm sure the one or two people who still use Official Firmware will be thrilled.

PS3 Firmware 2.50

PS3 Bluetooth Headset support. - Apparently you get a high quality mode for online voice chatting. I figure, hey, if you don't have a phone but own a PS3 this may be pretty handy. Also you have icons for battery life and volume level.

PlayStation Trophies interface enhancements. - Basically you can look at your friends trophies easier. There's also a status bar to tell you how close you are to reaching the next level. Whoo.

Friend Status - Now you can see how long your friends have been online! For those of you who cared, I'm sure this is enthralling.

Scene Search feature for videos added - I guess if you really like watching downloaded videos on your PS3…you can search scenes? Honestly, I'm not sure what this one is adding. Can someone tell me?

Redeem codes section in PlayStation Store. - This will supposedly make getting PSN cards and codes easier to access.

Power Save Settings for Controllers - I imagine this would help your battery life so you don't run out of power while playing or something? That or like…you can use controller power for saving anywhere! No, no…save states will never happen on consoles.

Power Shutdown for background downloading - Yep.

In-game screenshots - Apparently this feature isn't for every game out there. Keep an eye out for the full compatibility list when the firmware actually releases.

Apparently these aren't all the features for the new firmware…look for an official statement on everything once these two get released.

I have to say, this seems like a rather pointless update outside of the portable PSN store. Maybe I'm missing something…but I'm just not seeing the big deal.

- I do say, quite, Uncharted better have snapshot compatibility.

PSN Store Update

It's that time of week again boys! Let's delve into the PSN store updates…this time like we mean it!

Qore
• Qore Episode 5 ($2.99 for episode / $24.99 for Annual Subscription)

Games
• Linger in Shadows ($2.99)
• Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords ($14.99)
• Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket Powered Battle Cars ($14.99)

Add-on Game Content
• Hot Shots Golf Fall Fashion Line ($2.99)
• Dead Space Obsidian Suit (Free) - Note: Free for a limited time only.
• Dead Space Scorpion Suit ($2.49)
• FIFA 09
o All Leagues Pack ($19.99)
o Barclays Premier League English Pack ($6.99)
o Bundesliga German Pack ($6.99)
o Liga BBVA Spanish Pack ($6.99)
o Ligue 1 French Pack ($6.99)
o Primera Division De Mexico Pack ($6.99)
o Serie A Italian Pack ($6.99)
• Mega Man 9 Endless Attack Mode ($2.99)
• Mega Man 9 Protoman Mode ($1.99)
Rock Band
• The Offspring Track Pack 01 ($5.49; includes tracks below, also offered individually)
o Gone Away - The Offspring ($1.99)
o Pretty Fly (For A White Guy) - The Offspring ($1.99)
o Self Esteem - The Offspring ($1.99)
Various Tracks
* All Right Now - Free ($1.99)
* Bad to the Bone - George Thorogood ($1.99)
* Cream and Bastards Ride - Harvey Danger ($1.99)
* Nearly Lost You - Screaming Trees ($1.99)
* Push It - Static-X ($1.99)
* Stop! - Against Me ($1.99)
• Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution Single Player Map Pack: Brave New Worlds (Free)
• Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution Scenario Pack: The Victory Pack ($1.25)
• Super Stardust HD Game Bundle with Solo & Team modes ($14.99)
• Super Stardust HD Add-on Bundle (Solo & Team) ($7.99)
o Download this bundle today to get both the Solo and Team add-ons at a discounted price.
Demos (Free)
• Warhawk
• Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket Powered Battle Cars
Well it looks like a new episode of Qore is out. If you feel like totally wasting your money on this, be my guest. I really don't know what to say about it though…I mean, like, it's your money.

What is this? A demo in the game section? And it costs 2.99? Me? PAY for a demo? HAH! Okay, yeah, moving on. Fuck you Linger in Shadows.

Puzzle Quest is alright, but I'm just going to assume the other game is pure shit. Oh well, it's not like PSN needed a super strong downloadable games week. I'm sure gamers are still having fun with megaman 9.

The add-on content this month ranges from pretty useless – hotshots golf fall line (?) – to ridiculously expensive. What the hell is this FIFA 09 downloadable content and why does it cost so much money? 19.99 for DLC? That's just too much. Nickle and Diming is one thing, but twenty dolla' billin' is another thing entirely.

Also of note is the Megaman 9 DLC. Playing as Protoman is, believe it or not, even harder than playing as Megaman. He does some different stuff though…he can slide, he can block bullets, and he can also charge. It's certainly worth a try if you're loving Megaman 9. You should also get the Endless mode because, you know, it's endless. There are also leaderboards and I know how much you all love those things!

Rockband this week gives us an Offspring pack and…whoa, thanks! I love the Offspring! If only I owned Rockband on the PS3. Argh. Good song selection all around though. You also have some other songs that are okay…they're just not The Offspring though. Such a shame.

The Civ Rev content seems pretty nice and cheap…so I would encourage checking that out.

Man, the game demo section this week really sucks. I assume most people who want Warhawk own it by now…and that other game? Okay, I don't think I'd waste my time downloading that. I mean…if it's your thing, whatever…but it just looks like total shovelware.

A pretty mediocre week on PSN but who cares? Go play Megaman!



B3yond the Tabloids

The ESRB has rated Marvel vs. Capcom 2 for the Playstation 3 and X-Box 360. Could this mean that this game will be coming to PSN and X-Box LIVE ARCADE? That would be pretty fabulous because prices on eBay for Marvel vs. Capcom 2 on the PS2 and X-Box are ludicrously high. Hopefully it's the superior Dreamcast version of the game we'll be getting. I am still very angry at myself for selling that game. You see, I consider myself "teh hardcores" at fighting games. So I was all: "This game takes no skill, I'll never play it again." I was right, it does take no skill but I have such an urge to play the shit out of this game again. I hope the release is this calendar year.

So do you live in Europe…but not own a PS3? Do you want Little Big Planet? Then do I have some good news for you! Sony confirmed this week that they will be releasing LBP Bundles over in Europe. This is good news for the Euros but what about us Americans? No love?

Apparently Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe Kollector's Edition will feature hand painted box art, a 16-page "Komic" by John Tobias, and bonus video content. Color me jaded, but this doesn't seem like it'd be worth the extra 10 dollars.

At Blizzcon it was revealed that Diablo 3 could get ported to consoles. This is rather interesting because the Diablo series has been fairly quality…and console gaming generally appeals to a broader audience than PC gaming. I think it'd be a wise move if they ported this to the 360 and the PS3.

So do you enjoy having DLC waiting for you right out of the gate? You spend that sixty dollars and say: "Well, I could go for some more."? Have I got some news for you, Guitar Hero World Tour features a plethora of songs available for your immediate purchase. These include Metallica's Death Magnetic album, Hot Blooded from Boston, Jessie's Girl from Rick Springfield, a (free) guitar duel with Ted Nugent and Zack Wylde, and the X-Box gets some exclusive (for two weeks) DLC which I won't touch on. In short, "Oh boy, there goes your money!"

There will be streaking in Saints Row 2! THQ does not fear any backlash though, because their game is rated M (that won't stop ignorant parents from bitching) and because they blur out the fronts. They also apparently made their characters A-sexual so not even mod-hacking can appease horny children desperate to see women streaking across their screen. Ah nuts.

It's not like you have anything better to do in October. Halloween? Hah, that's child's play. I mean, what even comes? Little Big Planet? Puh-lease! Who needs a game that'll sell over a million copies when you can (maybe) join the Resistance 2 beta which (might) starts on October 17th. Shooting time!

Are you as pissed as I am that Street Fighter IV doesn't come out this year? Well, you can lay back and be somewhat comfortable in the fact that Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix does (Yow, that's a title). Do you want to know some of the changes made? Well I'm here to hook you up. After all, I am 411mania's resident Street Fighter junkie.

Ryu
• New move: fake fireball. qcf+short.
Ken
• Strong dragon punch is invulnerable on the way up, exactly like Old Ken's, and also always knocks down. It's now a 1-hit move, not 2-hit.
• Fierce dp has bigger arc, always knocks down, juggles against jump-ins, but no additional invulnerability.
• Short helicopter has shorter duration
• Medium helicopter kick goes slightly farther
• Roundhouse helicopter kick goes farther and faster.

Guile
• Roundhouse flash kick now travels forward rather than straight up.
• Super has easier motion: charge db, d, df, f, uf+ kick. (Old motion still works.)
• Super does slightly less damage.
• Uspide down kick is an overhead
• Upside down kick slowed down slightly

Honda
• Jump short has higher priority, can hit sweeps.
• Floating fierce move (jump straight up + fierce) can be steered farther left/right.
• Hundred hands easier to execute
• Strong and fierce versions of hundred hands have lower priority and all versions do a little less damage
• Ochio throw now bounces off the other way, preventing Honda from repeating it in the corner
Blanka
• Horizontal ball has safer recovery.
• Horizontal ball with jab and strong have same sound effect and same spinning speed as fierce version.
• Horizontal ball with jab and strong travel slightly shorter distance so whiffed roll into bite is a little more effective.
• Diagonal ball has faster startup and safer recovery.
• Hop move has new command: hold stick left or right then jab+short OR strong+forward
It's just like the old days! A new Street Fighter with very few changes! That said, have you seen the graphics? To say they look crisp is an understatement. I am convinced to pick it up because, well, it's the only Street Fighting I'll be doing this Holiday Season. Make sure to get your fill of TIGER, TIGER , TIGER, TIGER, TIGER…UPPERCUT!

Apparently Playstation 3 owners won't be getting a chance to play Tekken 6. Nope. They'll be getting Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion instead. It offers more characters, stages, items, and customization options. Apparently there is also more content than the arcade version. I figured Tekken home releases always offered more than the arcade releases though? Oh well, whatever the case, expect this game to rock our world early next year. Wait, early next year? HAH, who knows if I'll even get to play it now. That's Street Fighter IV time.

This has nothing to do with Sony, but I just wanted to let you guys know that the Mother 3 translation is just about done and should be out very soon. You have no idea how excited I am for this patch to come out. Take my excitement for Street Fighter IV and multiply it by ten or so and you may have my opinion. Just fabulous stuff all around.

- Man...it looks nice!

B3yond the Cinema



Another week, another Street Fighter IV video. You know how it is by now, I assume. This week I bring you Sakura gameplay. There were people worried that she wouldn't make it in the game…but here we are and here she is! Yay!



Here's some Fallout 3 footage if you want it. It depicts trench warfare, according to the description. It looks pretty fun…but it'll have to win me over after being, perhaps un-fairly, dubbed "Oblivion With Guns".



Wanted to go to TGS…but couldn't make it to Japan? Well I've got your back. Check out a tour of the Sony Booth from this years TGS. Awesome!



This is a preview for Dead Space. So far reviews have called it a kind of like a Resident Evil 4 in space. Well I know I can't speak for everyone but I know I love RE 4 and I know I love space…so it seems like this one has "Derek" written all over it. Man, EA sure has gotten more respectable since they hired their new CEO.



You want some White Knight online demonstration? Well that's what you're going to get. See the next big thing in JRPG in action right now!

The One Man Water Cooler



*Insert hilarious Duke Nukem Forever comparison to go along with me "I'll change it eventually" claims.*

Replay value. It's often something that we overlook when we evaluate a game. There are some games that are 40 hours long that you probably won't touch again after playing…but there are also games that run five or so hours that you'll go right back to after you finish. Call me crazy, but if I had to choose between experiences almost every time I would go with the "five hour" option. Oh sure, odds are the campaign…or whatever you want to call it…is less epic in scope but when all is said and done the odds are in favor I'll be playing the shorter game more.

This might be primarily why I enjoy fighting games so much. Any day of the week I can go and play a fighter. I'll play for an hour or two, get tired…and move on. I can do this at any time. Yeah, sure, you can breeze through the single player modes but what is the fun in that? Fighting is about perfecting one's art, getting better and better each time you play. I really can't do that with a role playing game. Oh sure, I love to play them. As many of you know my favorite game of all time is Earthbound. The thing is, with those games it's hard to just pick up and enjoy at any time. If you were to add up the time I've spent on Earthbound in my life and compare it to the time I've spent with Capcom vs. SNK 2, I bet the latter wins out.

As sad as that may seem.

This reason…this reason is why I am so excited for Little Big Planet. On the surface, if you were to just judge the game by the single player campaign you'll just see a short little gameplay world. Something that will take you probably between five and ten hours to beat. After that five or ten hours? I guess you would move on. It would be a shame if the game were to just end right there. If it were to go: "Well, hope you liked the hype…grind it out in space for a while!" "Thanks for playing!" and just end there it'd be one of the biggest flops in history.

The thing is…it doesn't do that. Little Big Planet offers nearly unlimited replay value. It all starts with the level creation. By the look and feel of it...you can create almost any sort of world you see fit. Do you want to create a level similar to Super Mario Brothers level 1-1? You got it. Want to create something similar to Green Hill Zone? Look no further. Want to make a side-scrolling Shadow Moses Island? Join the club! Want to show off your creativity and prove to the world that you are a platforming genius? Go right ahead. It's your world, build in it.

It would have been one thing if Little Big Planet attacked this creation system the wrong way. It can hamper the way some feel about the game. Look at Super Smash Brothers Brawl. As much as I may enjoy the game, and believe you me, I enjoy it, I can't help but feel that the emphasis on stage creation could have been so much more. I would probably go back to that game every day of the week if I could create levels that actually look like they come from Nintendo games. The thing is, the worlds you create have no life…they are just…flat. While Smash Brothers has enough to keep people coming back ,the people who really wanted to…create…are left out.

Little Big Planet isn't like this though and I guess that's why I'm so excited. You don't get simplistic levels that, while fun…lack life. You get the option to make huge worlds that are vibrant with personality. You really can put yourself into your work in this game and I believe that goes a rather long way. There may even spurt renown level creators and when you play a level you just know its theirs. Like a good piece of music, a good piece of game designing is something to cherish and perhaps LBP can deliver that point in all of us.

Ah, but creating alone…we can do that anytime. Why right now I am compiling word after word with not a soul in the room. Just the Chrono Cross OST to soothe my jangled nerves. (See? Told you that OST was catchy!) Little Big Planet allows you to get together in a group and create stuff together. You do not have to simply toil away at your laborious creations, you can have others help you. Imagine all the neat things you can create with a group of people? Wouldn't it be neat if you knew someone who moved away from you…and you created a level the two of you can share together? Sure that sounds unbelievably corny but the option is open to you.

Simplistic but deep. It's something that very few games, very few companies have down to a T. Sure, Nintendo can crank out "simplistic" but it very rarely can master the "deep". To be deep is to have something that goes beyond the gameplay, that goes beyond simply hopping and bopping in a horizontal environment. Little Big Planet isn't the first and it certainly won't be the last, but it seems to be the next game to do this. Easy to access, infinite possibilities.

Replay value is a thing that should be cherished more in this industry. In a world full of epic RPGs…it's nice to take a break from that and do something more light-hearted. More fun! It may never reach the esteem where I hold Earthbound or Capcom vs. SNK 2, but I can assure you that when all is said and done I hope that LBP will have been in my Playstation 3 for a long, long time.

It's too bad that the Mother 3 translation will be out by the time LBP is. Otherwise I'd probably waste all of my time on it. MAN am I a hypocrite!



B3yond the Mail!



This week I will not wuss out. I will respond as though I was Mark Salmella. Whoa ho, let's see what Mark has to say about the comments from that week.

Mark: I don't wish to do this, Derek!
Derek: Ahhh…that's a shame.
Mark: =(

Drew says:

Wipeout HD huh? More like "Poor-Man's F-Zero" HD :P

I saw a Green Hill Zone level on LBP...that pretty much sold me on the game.

First of all Drew, if that is your real name, F-Zero can't compare to Wipeout HD. What system is F-Zero on? Nintendo? Ho ho, that's rich. When I get the urge to play a kids game, which is designed for children you child, I'll give you a call.

Guest Lies:

"It appears as if every PS3 owner and their dog wants into the Beta"

Errr, could that be because PS3 owners (of which I am one) have nothing else to play? Could the lure of ONE good game finally mean we have somethjing to smile about.

I don't think you own a PS3 because if you did you would know that the Playstation 3 not only has the best exclusives on the market but it also has pretty much the same library as the 360. We lose out on Fable and Halo, but who cares about those? We get the good games like Bioshock and GTA IV.

Derek: I actually agree with everything you said…except the best exclusives available thing .That's taking it a little far! That goes to the wii, in my opinion.

I personally respond to Bell's comment

What??? There are other games coming out for the PS3? Derek doesn't give us any information unless it's related to RPGs.
I have a few questions, how are you supposed to properly use the L & R trigger buttons while having the keypad attached? Don't they look like they are going to be in the way of everything? I would file it under good idea bad execution.
Is Wipeout HD officially ready for download? I heard it was having major issues so I held off on downloading it. I'm guessing those issues have been resolved.
And thanks for putting in a blurb about Socom:Confrontation. I think it's going to be a great game if they can get their shit together.

And so you know I am officially moved back. And I've gotta say, damn it's cold. There's gotta be snow on the ground where you're at.
Thanks for gracing us with your report.

I talk about other things every week, give me a break. I don't think Street Fighter is an RPG you crazy guy! I mean, I'm not selecting from menus when I hadouken a guy! Am I? Maybe they changed it…

I'm trying to work on any RPG bias I allegedly have. I give information as I see it. I hope that I am improving.

Steve 307 has the following to say:

Aww...my streak of getting comments responded to ends. Sad.

I still haven't reserved LBP yet. Suppose I should get on that.

HAH! That was when that inferior Robbins was writing, Mr. Steve. When I am writing B3yond the Report I have different standards. I am the best there is, the best there was, the best there ever will be…and I'm gonna take my news report back even if it means starting a coup on 411mania! I'll usurp Ramon and become the games editor, fire everyone, and write every article on the game section. It'll be the 411Salmella section and you will all love it because I am awesome.

Okay, well that's enough comments for this week.

Mark: How degrading!
Derek: I'm just…just…a degrading sort of dude!

Seriously though, I appreciate you filling in for me last week Mark. It was very nice of you and it helped me catch up with some things. I hope all is well with you.

Anyhow, as always, if you wish to contact me via e-mail shoot one to [e-mail] or simply leave a comment below. It's up to you. I do appreciate what you guys have to say though…even if it's not always the best.

The 411mania Empire!



Joe Roche writes The Full Circle News Report

Theo Fraser writes The Nintendophiles

Vincent Chiucchi writes The Select and Start News Report

Chris Evans writes The PC-Centric Extravaganza.

Rod Oracheski wrote the 10th Hour for me this week.

Drew writes Coming Attractions

AJ and Mike Minotti are the voices behind The Exploding Barrel Podcast

Well. That's it, I'm out.

'til the crossroads