Three Player Co-Op 03.18.09: Super Turbo 3PC HD Remix!
Posted by Drew Robbins on 03.18.2009
With Ramon Aranda and Sean Garmer as special guests this week, Three Player Co-Op looks into the dark abyss in order to obtain answers to some of gaming's most sacred questions. Is it a good idea for Capcom to continue spewing out HD remixes? What are the three best NES games? And how excited can one truly be for another Army of Two game? All of these answers inside another thrilling edition of Three Player Co-Op!
And now, for the millions…and millions of chumps and chumpettes watching at home…if you s-mellllllll what the Rob, is cooking. That might not actually be how the promo goes, but you know what, I'm allowed to make these kinds of mistakes. Why? I'm writing this bit at the tail-end of my extravagant birthday. More commonly referred to as the "Christmas in March," this is a day where millions around the world gather in harmony to pay tribute to the life of history's greatest writer. In fact, in Japan, they are erecting a statue in my honor, and creating a special currency to honor the occasion. You can trade in this "Drew-san yen" for two boxes of pocky. Now they had me at one box of pocky, but two? Man, that is just incredible.
Player One – Drew Robbins - When he isn't being honored in Japan as an international hero, Drew Robbins is doing the important task of putting together Three Player Co-Op. Because if he didn't do it, who would? Who else would get on their computer for thirty minutes, go to Kotaku, find some interesting stories, and write about five sentences to send out to two other participants? Nobody, that sounds like an impossible job.
Player Two – Sean Garmer - Everybody hates soccer, right? Well, I suppose somebody has to like it, and that somebody is none other than 411's own Sean Garmer. Despite being an advocate of the inferior form of football, he does a pretty important job. Once a year he gathers the crazed masses of the 411 Games section into one column to pay tribute to the past year in games. Not only that, he also puts out the occasional reviews.
Player Three – Ramon Aranda - Using his powers as boss and grand overlord of 411 Games, Ramon has become the first man to appear in Three Player Co-Op twice. What a grand honor this must be! Rumor has it, that upon finding out he was returning to the 3PC, Ramon began to dance the Charleston. Now I can't confirm this rumor, but I do wholeheartedly endorse the rumor.
Three Player Co-Op – Week 7
Topic #1: You know who really loves a good old rehash every once in a while? Capcom! And according to…well, Capcom, they are going to be doing a lot more rehashing (HD style rehashing) in the years to come? Thoughts?
Drew Robbins - To start things off, I must say that I love rehashing, and now that I have an HDTV, I will probably be an even bigger sucker for HD rehashing. This announcement, an obvious announcement at that, has gotten me quite excited for the plentiful possibilities. That being said, Capcom, if you do not bring back Marvel vs. Capcom 2, in HD, I will boycott all of your games….that aren't called Resident Evil…or Street Fighter…or Mega Man…or Bionic Commando…
Nevermind.
Sean Garmer - This is not a bad idea for Capcom truly. The first two games were big wins for the company and then with the release of the new Streetfighter I'm sure more people wanted to play the HD game. The ones rumored right now are Marvel vs. Capcom 2 (which also has a non-HD version in the works, and also retails for 70 bucks if you find a copy at Gamestop for the PS2 or even rarer the XBOX). Darkstalkers has also been talked about or even Power Stone. I love all three of those games so I'm ok with any of them getting an HD version for XBLA, yey for Capcom doing something cool with their old stuff.
Ramon Aranda - I'm all for it as long as they prices are kept low. The Super Street Fighter II remix was exceptional and I'm sure there's plenty of other titles out there that could use it such as Street Fighter III. I wonder however, if they'll stick with a particular genre or if they'll be open to other ones. Frankly, I"m sure there's some NES and SNES games that could use a little remixing.
Topic #2: Army of Two came out to some fairly mixed reviews, but the reception was good enough for EA to pump out another bromance-fueled shooter. Army of Two: The 40th day, is set to be released on the 360, PS3, and PSP. Are you ready to head out for another adventure with your *sigh* bros? (Challenge: Use "bro" at least three times in your answer. If you don't comply, I will replace random words in your later answers with the word bro. Yes…I am serious.)
Drew Robbins - Because I am not a fan of this series, or any shooting game in which you must dress up your armor with fancy diamonds and outfit your guns with a silver barrel, I will allow my good friend, the kind of person who does enjoy those games (you know that guy, the gangster guy who overuses the word ‘pimp' and is always reciting the phrase ‘bros before hos'), Broseph Mendez, to share his excitement at another Army of Two game.
‘Sup bros (2), check out ‘dis sweet new game called Army of Two: The 40th Day. You can go ‘round and shoot ‘dem terrorists with your pimpin' sweet golden revolver. Bitches love the bling on my gun, terrorist bros (3) best watch out!
Thanks Broseph (4!), where would I be without you?
Sean Garmer - Well bro, Army of Two did well in promoting the co-op theme for gaming. It let you control Salem and Rios and use the aggro system to heal the other or allow your partner to be focused on while you go do some sneaky killing. It also had an online versus mode where you and your bro could go kick another two-man squad's ass in versus mode. However, this tale that makes fun of the army while they are in Iraq (not something EA should be talking about if you are going to set the game in Iraq) Leads the two bros into fights with that had a lot of issues too. I was kinda excited about the first game because of the co-op aspect, but unless they fix the bugs in the 2nd one I'll give it a pass.
Ramon Aranda - I think there's some things that EA will be able to correct with this sequel, bro. Luckily for me, I'll be getting a first look on this game this Friday (3/13) so I'll have a better idea of what to expect from this sequel. Tell you what bro, co-op titles are always welcomed and I'm hoping EA will get it 'right' this time around. I'll update our readers on the game with a little preview next week, ok, bro!
Topic #3: Michael Phelps, legendary Olympic swimmer and smoker of pot, listed his top three NES games over Twitter. He asks for yours. You wouldn't want to let Phelps down would you? List your top three!
Drew Robbins - Before I ramble on about my favorite old games, I must wonder if Phelps ever listed his favorite bands? Were the ‘Doobie Brothers' number one? Alright…that joke was bad even by my standards…moving on.
Ranking in at number three is Tecmo Super Bowl, the game that reassured me that the Oakland Raiders were just a lousy bunch of cheaters. At number two is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II (the arcade port), while not as good as the arcade game, it was still awesome no matter where you played it. Last and certainly not least is Contra, the only game that accounts for one's manhood. When I beat Contra, I instantly grew a beard and my voice dropped several octaves. What a day that was!
Sean Garmer - My number 3 goes to Bubble Bobble because when I was a kid it was the only game my sister and I could play together where we didn't fight. Not to mention I still hear that song in my head to this very day. My number 2 is the Legend of Zelda, it is just a classic folks. I spent many nights playing this trying to conjure up my own fantasy worlds and it kinda got me into writing because I would write these long fantasy tales on pieces of paper (with bad grammar and misspellings included). My number 1 goes to a game that is still in my top games of all-time and to me the best Mario game ever. Super Mario Bros 3, It had it all the ability to fly, the best gameplay of the three NES Mario's and of course the best graphics. It is one of those games I can still play today and feel the same way I did back when I was five years old, if a game can do that you know it has something.
Ramon Aranda - Phelps is a douchebag. That being said, my top 3 NES games are The Legend of Zelda, Tecmo Bowl and Super Mario Bros. 3.
Topic #4: Recently, Tecmo made a very Robbins-esque statement. When revealing that a new game was going to be unveiled on March 24th, they went ahead and said it was going to be the greatest ever of that specific genre. So what is it?
Drew Robbins - For many companies this might be hard to predict, but much like a Capcom or Nintendo, a new game from Tecmo makes for some pretty obvious choices. The game will, assuredly, feature ninjas of some sort. Some of these ninjas, of the female variety, will wear skimpy clothes that distract from the game's actual purpose. I'm wagering on another Dead or Alive, as it has been a good four years since we have seen one of those that doesn't feature bikini-clad women on the beach.
Sean Garmer - I'm going to guess it will be Tecmo announcing that either Dead or Alive 5 or Ninja Gaiden 3 will be PS3 exclusive which would be a major blow to me. Those are two of my favorite game franchises and I hope they don't get taken to the only next-gen system I don't own. I'm thinking of buying a PS3 once it goes down in price, but the fact that I still have to keep my PS2 because of the backwards compatibility thing irks me a ton. I'll probably buy one eventually and since Final Fantasy is coming to the 360, if one of these games is indeed announced for PS3 only, then I'll have to fork over the cash and go to the dark side with Sony once again.
Ramon Aranda - It's Tecmo Bowl! Just kidding, of course. Shit I dunno, maybe a new volleyball game, but with more boobage. (Editor's Note: Impossible, they have already reached theoretical limits on that front.)
Topic #5: Hours after being unleashed to the public, MadWorld is already the subject of much media derision. The National Institute on Media and the Family complained that the game ruins the Wii's family friendly image. Do you agree with this sentiment?
Drew Robbins - I think it is pretty awful that somebody would assume that, just because a system has had a lot of kid-friendly games, that it can't have anything else. So obviously I disagree, for many reasons, beginning with the fact that they state MadWorld ruins the family image. I wouldn't have too much of a problem with this if the Wii hadn't already housed games such as No More Heroes and House of the Dead Overkill.
The other complaint is fairly commonplace with these outbursts against gaming, it is the parent's own fault if a kid winds up with the game. Look at the cover; it has a man wielding a bloody chainsaw, right next to a bold ‘M!' What good parent would buy this game for their eight year old?!
While on the subject, let me just say that MadWorld is awesome, and if you don't like it, then I don't much care for you.
Sean Garmer - I'm due to review this game for the site so I will soon be able to make this decision personally. However, you need to factor in how the game is made first. It is in black and white, and yes, the blood is still red, but the way they did it makes it seem artistic. It looks like a graphic novel and if the people's reception of Watchmen is any indication I would say people still like sex and violence,( not to mention Watchmen is a great adaptation of the novel). Mad World is set on a game show, where you are a player and you entice the crowd by being as violent as possible to gain more points. If you take the game show façade away, it is essentially violence for the sake of it.
Unlike GTA or Mortal Kombat though it is still in a context. It reminds me more of Smash TV than anything, sort of a beat-em-up made just to show off some pretty visual style and gore. Ultimately, does this tarnish the family friendly nature of the Wii? Only if you aren't realistic about it. No More Heroes and Resident Evil 4 have violence and there wasn't a big cry out for those titles. Let's face the facts here, Nintendo itself is not coming out with a first party title of this nature because they do like having the family friendly face. They are almost like Disney, they only put their name on the box (Disney owns different movie companies) and allow someone else to take credit for making the violent game or movie so they themselves are not responsible for the "bad" consequences.
However, both companies also know that in order for them to stay afloat they have to appeal to as many different demographics as possible. That also means the hardcore, average age gamer of about 30 years old that likes those kinda games or the young adult that loves to watch R rated films. Parents may disagree, but it isn't right for people to start blasting Nintendo for something it has to do. Just simply, stop bitching and find something else to complain about, it is only your fault as a parent if your child ends up playing the game. It looks like a very good game and in the end; in our world here at 411 Games that's what matters.
Ramon Aranda - I agree that this game kicks ass, that's what I agree with. Games that get blasted by the national media usually rock. The hell with the NIMF, they're not the gamers, we are. MadWorld has gotten pretty good acclaim from various publications and we'll be reviewing it shortly too.
Topic #6: How are those reviews coming along, and those other life-draining games you play in your free time?
Drew Robbins - I'm sure soon my review drought will end, with Legends of Wrestlemania for the PS3 imminently arriving on my doorstep. As I mentioned earlier, I now have an HDTV to take advantage of such cinematic affairs.
On the games front, it had been a pretty quiet week until recently. As I was on vacation until Wednesday, I didn't have any game time, though on a game related note I did see a tribute Beatles band, which was incredible.
When I returned from vacation I was treated to a wondrous celebration known as my birthday, in which HDTVs were obtained, and on those TVs I was able to play MadWorld. Oh…sweet jeebus, what a game. Think God Hand but with a chainsaw. If that doesn't send shivers of excitement up your spine then I don't know what will.
And how could I forget about Resident Evil 5? I did attend the very end of the launch party in order to pick it up, and so far I am extremely pleased. Single player is good enough, but the co-op is where the game really shines.
Warning for PS3 owners, though, at least a 20 minute install before you can begin shooting zombies. They were a tough 20 minutes for me to endure, but I emerged a stronger man. Yes, I know, how is it possible, when you are an omnipotent being such as me, to become stronger? I'm just that good.
Oh and one last thing, this week sees the release of a lot of good DS games, but don't skim over the list just until you see Grand Theft Auto. Henry Hatsworth is a puzzler/platformer hybrid that looks amazing from all early coverage, so you best check it out, don't let this one slip through the cracks of this busy release schedule…
Sean Garmer - Hmm, well I'm about to put "pen to paper" on a review for Ar tonelico II: Melody of Metafalica for the PS2. It's an RPG made by NIS America and Gust (now part of Namco Bandai) about singing girls, regular RPG stuff, and lots of teenage sexual innuendo. Anyway, that should be up soon I hope, if I can get a damn day off from work to write it.
I only see my girlfriend once a week and I usually get home too late to go visit friends. So, I use Rockband 2 as a stress reliever from the daily grind of class, work, internships, and other things. That's why I'm on it a lot, and I usually buy a 3 pack of songs once or twice a week. I'm normally playing on vocals because I have a high vocal range when singing for some weird reason, and it's the only thing I can play on Expert so I don't get yelled at by people online (which seems to be what a lot of the people are concerned about more often than not, which is sad). What happened to having fun? I know you can't gold star stuff if someone else plays on Hard, but it is just a game. I'm good at the other instruments too, just not as good as I am on vocals. Besides FIFA 09, which if you know me, I'm a huge soccer fanatic so I'm always playing that. Mirror's Edge finally became cheap enough for me to buy it, so I can finally play this short but spectacular game. Yeah, that's about it, other than waiting for Blue Dragon Plus and Mad World to arrive in the mail so I can play those for review. If you wanna add me, my gamertag is Crazy Sean05.
Ramon Aranda - I'm finishing up with Big Bang Mini for the Nintendo DS. A quality arcadey-shooter that packs a punch in terms of value for just $19.99....seriously. When I get that out of the way, I'll be waiting for Legends of WrestleMania.
Until Next Time…
And thus concludes another exciting week of Three Player Co-Op action! Make sure to give your opinions on this week's topics at hand in the conveniently located comments section below!
