Three Player Co-Op 03.10.09: Mortal Kombat For Sale, Beatles - Rock Band, Mad World (Wii), More

Posted by Drew Robbins on 03.10.2009

With this week ringing in Spring Break for students all across the nation, developers have decided that this is an opportune time to shove awesome games in our faces. 411’s John De Large and Todd Vote join the 3PC this week to help you decide between Resident Evil and Mad World, discuss the ridiculous pricing of Beatles: Rock Band, and debate on which company will take the Mortal Kombat license. Check out the full column for all the details!



Chumps and chumpettes alike, welcome to the worldwide phenomenon known as Three Player Co-Op, now shown in several countries around the world. From the barren plains of Mongolia, or even on the peak of Mount Everest, you can read this wondrous column…but then again, you are on Mount Everest. I mean, I know I'm great, but can I really compete with Mount Everest. No, of course not! Absolutely.

Player One – Drew Robbins - According to many historians, there are only eight wonders of the world. However, ask anybody of considerable importance, and they will add one more wonder to that list: Chyna Drew Robbins. When he isn't fighting for truth, justice, and the American way, he is putting up this column which has been largely defined by the word "Incredible." Other descriptors for the column include "nauseating" and "delicious." I'm not sure what is so nauseating the column is, but delicious?! Yes, it is 99% chocolate! The 1%, I'm led to believe, is asparagus.

Player Two – Todd Vote - Everyone loves Rocky, the true story of an underdog who rises from the slums of Philadelphia to barely lose to the greatest boxer in the world. Now, Todd Vote, or Toddo, may have the underdog story, as he ascended from the slums of comment land in Working Title, working his way up to a reviewer and new moderator of Top 5. However, as for barely losing to the greatest writer in the world, I say "nay." You are going to be destroyed, good sir.

Player Three – John De Large - Often referred to as JDL, or in the Robbins household, John Dradshaw Layfield. He hates things, a lot of things as it turns out, which is why he writes the column known as "What I Hate About You." But you know what he doesn't hate? Oh, you do?! Good, tell me, I have no idea!

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Three Player Co-Op – Week 6

Topic #1: Big news of last week had our good friends at Midway revealing some not so good news. In short, the one franchise that was holding their head above water, Mortal Kombat, is for sale. Since I know everyone wants Capcom to pick it up, the question is, who will pick the rights to the franchise up?

Drew Robbins - In my heart, which despite popular belief I do have, I would love nothing more than to see my heroes at Capcom hoist Mortal Kombat over their heads victoriously, putting us all in anxious anticipation for Street Fighter vs. Mortal Kombat. But will that happen? I sincerely doubt it. So who will take this beloved franchise, the answer is quite simple, Activision or EA. They both love sequels (one more than the other, not to name names…Activision), and Mortal Kombat has been known to sell fairly well. Who doesn't love ripping Liu-Kang's spine out and then beating the stupid out of him with it? Oh, me, that's right. The only reason I even wanted Street Fighter vs. Mortal Kombat was so I could show Scorpion how a shoryuken tastes. Protip: It doesn't taste very good.

Todd Vote - I would love to see Capcom pick up the franchise, as they are probably the best equipped to handle it. That being said, there would be few in the industry that could deny the draw of Mortal Kombat, and we all know of a certain publisher that is always looking for a quick buck to cash in off of someone elses ideas. Yeah, as much as I would like Capcom, or even Namco to pick this up, I don't see it happening. Electronic Arts is sadly where I see this heading. So Scorpion and company can join the ranks of the great fighting franchises that EA already offers... Now the name Sub-Zero will be synonymous with such greats as Marvel: Rise of the Imperfects, Def Jam Icon, and WCW Backstage Assault...Oh wait, they don't have any GREAT fighting games, and I don't think EA is a good home for my beloved MK. So to answer the question, Capcom would be ideal, EA seems more likely to me, but I also would not rule out Ubisoft picking it up given the already established relationship with Midway.

John De Large - I don't want Capcom to pick up the Mortal Kombat series, they'll just make it suck even worse as a way of eliminating competition and sullying the Mortal Kombat name (even worse), y'know sort of what Vince McMahon did with ECW! I think Sega or Namco or Tecmo or any combination of the little guys are gonna scramble to snap that shit up to make a quick buck off the MK franchise, 'cuz let's face it, it's not like Virtua Fighter, Soul Calibur or DOA are on fire anymore.

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Topic #2: The PS2 is entering its tenth year on the market, and I'm sure that much like me, that sends a shiver of nostalgia down your spine…or is that just as shiver because it makes you feel old? In any case, nine years makes for a lot of great games, name some of your favorites from Sony's last-generation console.

Drew Robbins - The PS2 is a system that is near and dear to both my heart and my chair. *Looks to the right* Hellloooo beautiful! At first I had feelings of hatred towards Sony's machine, fueled by my bitter mood after I saw the original Playstation beat out the Nintendo 64. For the record, the 64 kicks the PS1's ass, prove me wrong.

Now, as for favorite games, it is well known that I love platformers. I'd have to say that my main platforming picks would be: Prince of Persia Sands of Time, Sly Cooper (whole series), Jak 2, and Ratchet and Clank Up Your Arsenal (the rest of the series needs to die in a fire). Other then that, I greatly enjoyed Grand Theft Auto San Andreas, the God of War franchise (God of War II is worth it for the first level alone), God Hand, and the somewhat overrated Shadow of the Colossus. When I say overrated, I'm certainly not speaking to the game's quality, but instead to the fact that people consider this art. It is really nice looking, has an interesting style…but art is pushing it.

Todd Vote - It has been a while since I hooked up my PS2. It definitely has some great games. To be honest, until this generation of gaming I was sort of a game snob. I knew what I liked, hack n slash, beat em up, 3rd person action games, arcade racers, and of course the Smackdown series. You would have been hard pressed to convince me to try something new then. The current generation of consoles has really opened up my gaming experience more than ever before. I feel like I missed out on so much good in the past now.

So my list of favorite PS2 titles reads like this: God of War I & II, Smackdown vs. Raw, Jet Li's Rise to Honor, I actually dug both Matrix games that were released in that generation. I enjoyed the NFS: Underground titles, and of course the numerous Mortal Kombat games. I know I am missing more, but those are the ones that come to mind off hand.

John De Large - Capcom vs. SNK 2 was a game I played so often, I wore the disc out. My memory is fuzzy (don't binge drink, kids) so lemme check my PS2 shelf for more titles. Hold on, I'll be right back.

*PAUSE*

Okay, so even though they've got nothing to do with actual fighting, I have 6 KOF games that I love very much, 5 Smackdown games starting all the way back when Brock Lesnar was still a wrestler, 4 Pro Skater games I enjoyed the shit out of before skateboarders made me hate them, 3 Silent Hills that made me sleep with the lights on, 2 Hitman games and a partridge in a pear tree.

No, seriously, I let Danny Bonaduce sleep in my trees and eat berries. Best guard-bird ever.

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Topic #3: As if they have just realized Gamestop's brilliant scheme, companies such as Best Buy and Amazon are now looking into used game sales. How awesome is this, on the scale of awesomeness, with the 0 being Mark Salmela and the 10 being Drew Robbins.

Drew Robbins - Nothing is as awesome as me, so I'm going to give this announcement a solid 9 out of 10, which is about a "Jordan Williams" on the scale. I love trading in my games, because I'm a man who often forgets his money in his other pants, and prefers to avoid paying for games by trading in his old games. Glancing over at my PS2 collection, I can spot few games that weren't purchased with the aid of Gamestop's used game sales.

My excitement mostly comes from the fact that this gets you Amazon money, which has a much wider selection than pretty much anywhere. I could trade in some of my old junk and buy some Dreamcast games! What a deal!

Todd Vote - So if 0 is Mark Salmela, and 10 is Drew Robbins, what would a 6 (Editor's Note: for the record, a 6 would be a "Rod Oracheski") be? I say 6 for a few reasons. First off, the industry is already not real happy with Gamestop doing this, so if more stores start it is only going to make them act to stop it sooner. Secondly, I don't have a Best Buy in my town, and don't purchase games online, so it really doesn't affect me either way.

On the other hand, having more places for people to pick up cheaper games is always a good thing. With the economy effectively in the crapper, people are going to be more willing to pick up a used game instead of dishing out the full $60, so in that aspect I suppose this is a win for gamers.

John De Large - Ouch, whaddaya got against Samela? Like Dan Rather, he's okay in small doses, geez.

Piggybacking on the ideas of others is nothing new. I'm sure one day some dude in charge at Gamestop went into a mom-and-pop video game store, saw they had trade ins, mentioned it to a higher up and WHAM! Gamestop follows suit, while the two dudes probably got promoted.

Since Best Buy may offer me more money for my games than the aforementioned soulsucking establishment, this gets an 11 (the 11 being John De Large), on the scale of awesomeness. (Editor's Note: The scale that JDL uses is NOT endorsed by anyone, especially not one that pegs him above me, absurd!)


- Ah, Amazon, my one true love.

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Topic #4: Beatles Rock Band's release date for all current-gen consoles has been set for September 9th, an announcement that, and this goes without saying, is thrilling. Less thrilling, for those new to the franchise, is the price tag on the special edition. You want to play "Yesterday," you better be ready to shell out $250. Your thoughts.

Drew Robbins - My thoughts are divided, with one half being angry, and the other half just happy that this game is coming out on the Wii at the same time. $250 is a price that I'm sure we can all agree is a tad outlandish. You could buy a Wii or 360 Arcade for that price.

Obviously the price was jacked up for a reason, so what special treasures could possibly be in that thing? Did they put a life-size Paul McCartney action figure in there to aid you in your singing? I'm not buying the special edition, but I'm sure plenty will, so there had better be a darn good reason for this price.

Todd Vote - $250!? Are you kidding? I'm sure this will get me tore apart in the comments, but I have never been a fan of The Beetles (Editor's Note: Commentor's have my approval to say terrible things to Todd for this). They were before my time, and I never really 'felt' any of their music. I do enjoy some songs, but definitely not enough to be shelling out $250! I can't even bring myself to cough up the $180 they want for the regular Rock Band titles, let alone this.

You get what you payed for though I guess, as The Beetles don't come cheap with royalties, and likeness fees on top of paying for all the other songs that will be featured in the game. But for that kind of scratch, I want Ringo's face plastered on each drum pad so I can at least hit something for my money. Wow, I am just flabbergasted by the price of this...

John De Large - What the fuck? $250? I might as well buy some hot single mom's kid a Wii, and then go test HER rumble feedback.

Ugh, I like Rock Band, I really do, but whenever I've got the cash to buy the whole set, I always rationalize that I won't really play it outside of parties and large get together.

Really, $250? Those jerks never even had any good songs anyway and according to a family friend, they smelled REALLY horrible. (Editor's Note: JDL and Toddo are officially the worst two contestants in 3PC history. HOW COULD YOU NOT LIKE THE BEATLES?!)

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Topic #5: Time to play my family's favorite game, Heaven or Hell. This week, our two competitors are Mad World for the Nintendo Wii, and Resident Evil 5 for…not the Wii. Both games come out next week, but you can only buy one! Heaven or Hell, lets rock!

Drew Robbins - First off, I'd like to express my anger towards both of these companies, for completely different reasons. Sega: What is your problem, releasing a brawler in the same week as RE5 and forcing me to make a decision? Capcom: This Friday the 13th release date gives me only three days of my Spring Break to spend playing your awesome game.

The answer should be easily obtainable from that last paragraph, I'm buying Resident Evil 5. Both games look pretty good (and I know RE5 is good), so the deciding factor came down to co-operative play. Mad World doesn't have it, but Resident Evil 5 does, decision made!

Todd Vote - Heaven: Resident Evil 5. Resident Evil 5 is a game I have been wanting to get into since it was first announced. I am a huge RE fan, having enjoyed nearly every game in the franchise I have played. I even loved Resident Evil Dead Aim for the PS2, bought a light gun just for it.(Heh, guess you can add that to the list above). This new game, while seeming a bit clunky in the demo, will offer loads of fun for myself.

Hell: As much as I want to play MadWorld, and believe you me, it is a lot, I unfortunately do not own a Wii at this time. I have access to Wii's as several friends have them, but that is not enough for me to purchase a game. So this gets the hell spot just because I can't play it.

John De Large - Your family plays Guilty Gear?! Man, you have some awesome parents!

The RE5 demo was okay, but it felt more like a mod of RE4 for some reason. There's really nothing bad about Resident Evil, but it's not frenetic enough to scare/challenge me anymore, it's more frustrating than anything else. I guess at some point you DO outgrow some things.

On the other hand, I WANTED Mad World really badly, but our editor passed me over on it (no hard feelings) so I guess I'll actually have to spend money on it, when the time comes. Since I'll be getting that and NOT RE5, I'll vote for MadWorld, while RE5 can suck it.

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Topic #6: Games, I know you play them, don't lie to me. So what games are you playing…and if any of those are for reviews, give your thoughts, my hungry readers demand it!

Drew Robbins - I suppose you could say I'm going through one of those retro games phases. This is strange, though, this has never happened to me. Sure, every several months I'll hook up the Genesis and play it for a day, but that is hardly a phase. It has been about 5 months since I pulled out the Nintendo 64, and it has yet to return to the closet. More recently, as obtained from my adventure that I mentioned in 3PC of week's past, I got my hands on a copy of No Mercy. This game is just the perfect wrestling game, with almost every game type perfected. Best rumbles, best ladder matches, best single-player mode, pretty much just the best everything.

This thing that Derek refers to as a "care package" also recently came in, fixing several problems with my Dreamcast. In the package was some AV cables, and even Jet Grind Radio. Haven't played it yet, but I do love Jet Set Radio on the Xbox, so I'm sure this will be no different.

Todd Vote - Well, I've been into Call of Duty pretty much since November of 2007 with the release of COD4. World at War however is not proving to be able to hold my attention for near the length of time that Cod4 did. So I am desperately trying to find something new to play, while I wait for Wanted Weapons of Fate to come in for my review. Luckily we will be hit with some great titles this month, Resident Evil 5 for example. Hell, I am even looking forward to The Wheelman a bit after playing the demo to that.

John De Large - I am required by this job to play games, sir, as are you and don't you forget it.

PS3: None, that's my daddy's, although we're going to team up to play MLB 2K9. I don't like sports games, but my Dad is the coolest person ever, so that'll be fun.
Wii: None, although that might get remedied soon, since Lord Editor is sending me Rygar to review. If there's axes involved you can't go wrong.
Xbox 360: I got SF4 in there, I play almost everyday, smacking up fools with Ken and Balrog. Bitches don't know about my Dancing Mad and Spinning Beat combos. I also play The Orange Box for Team Fortress 2. While I don't play it as religiously as I used to, I still get lost in the game's balanced gameplay and beautiful animation.
DS: The Chrono Trigger remake sits proudly in the cart slot, as this is my second favorite RPG of all time with a great soundtrack to boot. I've also got Phineas and Ferb on the way to review so that'll get played a bunch. It's not a half bad kids' show, so I wait to see how decent the game is.
PSP: Final Fantasy Tactics: War of The Lions. Only the most epic thing since the theme song to the Carmen Sandiego cartoon, FFT:WOTL took is a wesome game made awesome-er by making it handheld and adding fights, equipment and characters. It's exactly like eating a delicious meal, then asking for seconds and winding up with fourths and fifths to take home.

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Until Next Time…

And thus concludes another exciting week of Three Player Co-Op action! When this column goes up, it will be only one day away from my birthday, more commonly referred to as the "Christmas in March." It is an international holiday that I hope all of you celebrate!