Living LIVE 01.10.09: Fantastic Freebird Fourth Edition
Posted by Trace Aber on 01.10.2009
Mystery, Biology, Robots, Missiles, and DLC that isn't from a music game. Best week ever? Find out inside!
Welcome to the fourth edition of Living LIVE. I write this column after forcing myself to quit playing Braid and Goldeneye. The things I do for this site. Luckily, we have a rather uneventful week in LIVE during my first week of winter quarter at Wright State. Going back to school is, despite what various reports may have you believe, never cool.
My name is Trace Aber and this is Living LIVE.
Game Marketplace - A weekly look at the arcade game, demos, and add-ons released this week.
Arcade Games LIVE is nothing but puzzle games lately, but at least this week we have a different type of puzzle game. Still...how about an action game or even an RPG? Eh, wishful thinking.
Interpol (800MP)
In Interpol you are a top secret agent sent to capture the evil Dr. Chaos (original, huh?) and his three cohorts, Mister Smith, The Hammer, and The Artiste. You can imagine their specialties. You spend your time traveling to various cities of the world like San Francisco and a couple of landmarks within each city. You may be getting really excited at this prospect because I know I did. Then it turns out all you do is look at a screen for a while trying to find hidden items. While I do not mind doing this at a kiosk in a store, I am not quite sure how I feel paying for it.
The graphics look good, even zoomed in. Then again, that is all the game has to offer.
There is multiplayer support where up to four players can search for loot and find the criminals. The music is acceptable and the game menu sets the mood for a detective, so points for that. I am not going to lie - I actually did not hate the game and thought it was decent. But I just cannot justify the 800MP price tag. If it were 400MP I would think about it, and for 200MP I would get it just because I certainly see where it can be fun in large groups. Recommendation: Wait for the price to drop.
Community Games
The problem that I have been noticing with these community games is that the majority of the games offered are just shoddy, poor versions of older games. Sure, you might find a decent one here and there, but there should be some sort of filtering system. And, if there is one, they should improve it as it is clearly not working.
Altar of Gems (400MP)
Here is yet another Tetris clone, though this one is not half bad. The music is rather calming, actually. You have your typical modes of play, including an "adventure" mode in which you attempt to either score the highest score, most combos, etc etc. There is multiplayer mode, but I never found games like these to be anymore fun while playing with others. You are still placing blocks on top of another while matching colors.
Multiplayer "action"
If you are into Tetris clones, I suggest this game because it has a good look and I am a fan of the music. Sometimes it is nice to just sit back and relax. Also, it appears as though there is some good replay value as each "adventure" mode has seven levels, and there is an endless mode as well. Recommendation: Though it is a little expensive at 400MP, it is a decent game and I would recommend it to any Tetris fan.
Biology Battle (800MP)
Corny rock music? Check. Weird female robot voices? Check. Explosions? Check. This game, albeit rather pricy for a community game, is actually really fun. I only played it on single player, but I still had a pretty good time and can imagine with four players that things get a little hectic. In Biology Battle, you are a small ship shooting all the enemies, but the problem is you do not always have ammo. While other games of this type have not thought of this I do not know, but it works in here. You will spend just as much time shooting enemies as you will running from them while trying to pick up power-ups.
Indeed, that has gotta' hurt
The visuals in the game are good for a community game and are enough to keep you interested for quite a while. The stage itself changes slightly as well, as it appears to be some sort of a membrane you are in. Probably fighting viruses and whatnot. If you are looking for a fun, fast-paced shooter with a twist, this is definitely for you. Recommendation: If you are a fan of shooting things in what appears to be a cell, then I highly recommend this, even with the 800MP tag.
A.I.R. Play (400MP)
I do not really understand the storyline in this game besides you are a robot being trained by humans on the planet...Plan.Net. Clever, eh? Besides the absurd storyline, the game is pretty ridiculous as well. You play some form of a soccer game while controlling two robots (one with the left stick, one with the right), which sounds fun in theory but can get confusing fast. The game looks fun and it should be fun, but the controls make this game not nearly as fun as it should be.
See, it looks cool. But, oh God, it is not.
You get fourteen characters, multiplayer mode, and 7 different arenas in the full version, but none of this means anything if you cannot control the game reasonably. Perhaps with a bit more practice I could manage controlling two robots while trying to play defense and offense at the same time on a screen that is constantly moving...or I could just play a game with better controls. Recommendation: Despite the potential this game has, it does not live up to any of it and ends up just being disappointing. Avoid.
World Revolution (200MP)
In Revolution you choose what region of the world you want to protect then you shoot the oncoming missiles that other regions have fired or shoot at their missile launching sites. The game is pretty basic in its concept but things can get a little wild after a certain point, when you have apparently made every country in the world mad at you for not letting them bomb you. It is a cruel world, isn't it?
Despite the menu being in the way, you really are not missing much.
The graphics are pretty simple but they work in the context of the game. You rotate around the globe, in which you can zoom in and out, and intercept missiles. The animations are basic, but, once again, work well enough. This is a fun timewaster and it is pretty cheap too, so why not? Recommendation: Who does not like blowing up missiles with more missiles? Download.
Demos
Looks like we are back into the swing of demos, and I for one am happy to see that as I love demos.
Skate 2 Demo
I realize I am in the minority here, but I was not a fan of the first Skate. I only played the demo and did not enjoy the camera angle one bit. Skate 2 does add quite a bit new material from the first one, but I am starting to realize that though the controls may be different from THPS, Skate 2 seems to be heading that way subtly. You can now walk, move objects, and even skitch. Even so, the game is still more realistic than THPS and that is what matters most. I just hope that as the series progresses it stays unique and true to the roots that made it popular in the first place. I personally did not enjoy the demo, but I see why the game has such a following and any fan of skating games should give it a shot regardless. Recommendation: Download and try it.
Game Add-Ons
Finally, some non-music downloads. I am way too excited for this, in all honesty.
Shaun White Snowboarding The Glamour Pack - New gear, boards, jackets, pants, and "a bunch more". 400MP
Tom Clancy's EndWar
Faction Elite Pack - Unlock JSF 15th Special Ops, Spetsnaz Alpha Brigade, and Enforcer Corps Battlegroup 1. You also get access to 6 exclusive unit upgrades. 300MP
Tomb Raider: Underworld
Wetsuit Costume Pack - Two wetsuits for Lara. It is free...but it's also wetsuits for a virtual character. Blah. 0MP
Guitar Hero: World Tour
Country Track Pack: The three songs listed below. 400MP
Rascal Flats - Me and My Gang 160MP
Brad Paisley - Ticks 160MP
Brooks and Dunn - Hillbilly Deluxe 160MP
Rock Band
Roy Orbison - Ooby Dooby 160MP
Roy Orbison - In Dreams 160MP
Roy Orbison - Oh, Pretty Woman 160MP
Video Marketplace
It was suggested to me last week that I suggest a movie each week. Unfortunately, the movie I recommend will not be one of the new releases.
The List (Std: 320MP)
Notting Hill (Std: 240MP) (HD: 360MP)
For the Love of the Game (Std: 240MP) (HD: 360MP)
Recommended Movie of the Week:
Shaun of the Dead (Std: 240MP) (HD: 360MP)
Ok, to be fair, I have an unhealthy love for this movie. I love zombies, I love comedy, and I love Simon Pegg. This movie manages to put all three of these loves together to create some form of super love. While I am sure most of you have seen this movie at least once or ten times, there is no reason not to watch it again. I actually saw this a few weeks ago on Comedy Central and it was just as funny as the first time I watched it (which was at 4AM on a bootleg version). The movie is your basic "a pack of survivors fight zombies and some of them die," but they go about doing so in both a funny and creative way. The great thing about Shaun is even if you are with someone who does not like zombie movies, they will still most likely enjoy it to some degree. I even watched it with my grandmother, who, to say the least, is not a zombie fanatic.
Events
Monday: Game With Fame - CoD: WaW You can play with Black Stone Cherry, who apparently is a band with all of the members being under 23. I do not like it one bit.
Monday: Music Monday - Rock Band 2 Same deal as last week. But why play Rock Band when you can play CoD with a REAL band?
Tuesday: Family Game Night - Kung Fu Panda Play Kung Fu Panda with th...oh God, who would ever want to play that game? Seriously?
Wednesday: Cross Platform Clash - Shadowrun This is your chance to play Shadowrun with computer players. Though I have yet to hear a good thing about this game, so why even bother?
Wednesday: GamerchiX Ladies Night - Left 4 Dead A night for ladies only, and if you don't want to play Left 4 Dead, you can just go on the MyGamerCard.net Chix Tracker and search for other games that girls want to play.
Thursday: Co-Op - Gears of War 2 Play Gears of War 2 co-op just like any other day, except this day is special because Microsoft said so.
Friday: Game With Fame - Gears of War 2 In case you did not get enough Gears with just normal people, today you can play with the band Gym Class Heroes. Yay.
Sunday: Community Playdate - Gears of War 2 First off, I hate the fact they call these "playdates." Anyways, you can play with XCast, who is an XBox community. Which is odd, seeing as how playing on XBox LIVE makes you a part of the XBox community anyways. And, seriously, three events in a row dedicated to Gears 2? Come on...variety!
Ten Xbox-Live Arcade Games Everyone Should Own
I love playing the random, quirky, and classic games that Xbox Live has to offer. Obviously, like everyone else, I have my own quirks about me that form the types of videogames I like. So, each week, I will be revealing a new game to my list of XBLA games that everyone should own. Or, at the very least, try out. These are in no particular order, by the way.
Week 2: Streets of Rage 2 (400MP)
I am going to start this off by posing a question - Who has yet to play a single Streets of Rage game? The answer should be nobody, because Streets of Rage is my favorite side-scrolling beat 'em up game of all time. The story is pretty basic - it is a year after the first game and Mr. X is at it again - kicking ass and taking names. It is your job to kick more ass and take more names...if you are up to it. This, my friends, is Streets of Rage 2.
How could this say anything but 'badass'? That's right - it can't.
Most everyone who has played this game remembers the music and layout to every level, but the game never gets old. I have beat it countless times, trying new weapon variations along the way (weapons ranging from knives to pipes to katanas), and it always presents a new challenge. The game only has eight levels, but they last you quite a while and you have four characters to choose from, each having different skills and abilities. The replay value lasts because of this, as you can be Skate flip to your opponents to death, or be Max and hit them with countless atomic drops. Never was a big Blaze fan, however.
Max, despite not looking anything like he does on the cover, is still the
ultimate powerhouse
The LIVE release has seen some slight changes to it, including a graphical update. It looks better but nothing that you will be amazed with, which is probably good anyways. The game also features online multiplayer support and thankfully you can still find people to play with and kill some time. Everything about this game is just fun, from the wacky enemies to the atomic drops, this game has it all.
Closing
That wraps up another edition of Living LIVE. Join us next week as I hope and pray for a non puzzle arcade game and maybe even some good DLC. Cross your fingers and download like there's no tomorrow.
