411 Games Roundtable: October 2007
Posted by Sean Garmer on 10.24.2007
We are here again folks, with games such as, Guitar Hero 3, Eye of Judgment, and the Orange Box. Also the bigger winners and losers of the month. Included in all this is 411 Games staff, please come join us.
October 2007 411 Games Roundtable
Hello everyone, I really need to start getting this out on time, I totally apologize, as I started to work on this last weekend and then got busy with other things for College. Anywho, what matters is the games, and we have lots of them in this edition of the roundtable. Another thing is, some new staffers have joined us eager to post their thoughts in the monthly roundtable. So, please, join us as we run down the games of October, on the one-year anniversary of the Games roundtable.
Come Meet the 411 Games Staffers
Steve McHugh who used to write the Flashback and do reviews for us, has had to leave for certain reasons. However, he was nice enough to contribute one last time.
David Redkey doing many reviews for 411, his last one was for NBA 2K8
He loves to present you with the Hall of Shame this week he is talking about the Phantom, that lost PC console. Don’t forget to join him for the Select & Start News Report as well. Please welcome Vincent Chiucchi
A new man on the block for 411, but experienced as far as the world of games is concerned. He is a reviewing machine for 411, his last one was for PGR4Rod Oracheski is the man your looking for.
Finally, Nintendo’s #1 man, and the boss of the NintendophilesTheo Fraser
I am the host of the roundtables and a reviewer here in the Games section. Sean Garmer is my name.
1. Biggest Winner of the Month
Steve McHugh:Microsoft. Halo 3 came out and sold a well over a million copies worldwide on the opening few days making it one of the biggest selling opening days for a game ever. That must have made Microsoft and Bungie very happy people indeed.
David Redkey:Sony & 2K Sports. The PSP slim has became the best handheld console for the mature gamer in my honest opinion. If you like fighting games, the slim is your choice because you can play Darkstalkers: Chaos Tower, Tekken: Dark Resurrection, and even Street Fighter Alpha 3: Max. I can play those game with the regular d-pad flawlessly.
I already thought the PSP was a better handheld console when compared to the DS. This just seals the deal. Heck, what does the DS offer? Castlevania: PoR or DoS? Cheap knock offs of the greatness that is SotN. I feel sorry for the fools (or fanboys) that like Castlevania and won’t pick up a PSP. *shakes head*
Vincent Chiucchi:Microsoft. Halo 3 made $300 million in it's first week in worldwide sales, so I'd say they're having a better month then everybody else.
Rod Oracheski:Microsoft. $170 million in the first 24 hours in the US alone from Halo 3, plus $300 million in worldwide sales within the first week and 4,500 years worth of online gameplay in the first week alone - that's a monster franchise. We'll have to see how much that translates into increased console sales going into Christmas though. They also had two NHL games and EA's new title Skate. release with pretty decent sales. A strong month for the 360, and it gets better from here until Christmas? Insane.
Theo Fraser:Microsoft. After an extraordinarily successful Halo 3 launch, Microsoft are the clear winners this month, no question.
Sean Garmer:Microsoft. Halo 3 sold a ton, and tons of other games to help it’s cause, have Microsoft flying high this month.
2. Biggest Loser of the Month
Steve McHugh: And what was Sony’s answer to the massive Halo 3? Eh……well there must be something……..ummm……. well Heavenly Sword came out but it was a bit of all style and no substance and there was the crapfest that is Lair. Which means in the end Sony’s answer to try to get something to stop the Microsoft cash flow is to sit back and watch as they lose money. Well done Sony…genius’s at work there guys.
David Redkey:Me. I picked up a Wii, Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition (I have the Gamestop Special edition of the Gamecube version that was released in a red tin), Halo 3: Legendary Edition, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, and now I find out that it will be worse in October.
Vincent Chiucchi:Lair. Apparently the reason this game sucks is because we were playing it wrong, so anybody that does a review of the game is sent a big manual on how to actually play it. And then they wonder why the Wii is selling way better then the PS3.
Rod Oracheski:Sony: They got rocked by Halo 3's success in the video game side of things, while also getting a black eye on the movie side with their latest Blu Ray discs (with new copy protection) requiring lengthy load times (up to two minutes) or simply not playing at all. They finally admitted that there's a new, low-end SKU coming for Christmas, but it doesn't have backwards compatibility at all... They need some seriously good PR before the holidays.
Theo Fraser:Metroid Fans Hoping for Metroid Dread. It’s not coming, people. Mesa very sad!
Sean Garmer:Sony and Nintendo. People say Sony only had Heavenly Sword last month, well Nintendo did have Phantom Hourglass. Both companies were happy to let Microsoft just roll through, Nintendo not putting anything significant out on the Wii hurts them. Yeah, you can say that Nintendo isn’t really competing with them, but in essence they are still in the same market.
3. Biggest News Story of the Month
Steve McHugh:Halo 3 making more money then anything else this year including films. Bet that Halo movie is looking pretty good right now isn’t it?
David Redkey:Halo 3 Limited Edition Disks being scratched. I feel sorry for the people that wanted to pay an extra ten dollars on the game, and they can’t play it. At least.
Vincent Chiucchi:Halo 3. The latest greatest FPS to come out in the past 30 days. Be sure to tune in next month for the next Xbox 360 First Person Shooter to make all the news headlines, and next thing you know we'll all forget about Halo 3 and that other game with the sisters and giant dads...what was that called?
Rod Oracheski:Halo 3. The franchise can sell over 2 million copies in 24 hours in the US alone, and do over $300 million in business worldwide in a week, but can't get a movie deal done? How the hell have Double Dragon, Silent Hill and even BloodRayne managed it?
Theo Fraser:Halo 3. It’s become the fastest selling video game EVER, and that would be a news story in itself, but you also have the fact that this is the last of the Halo trilogy, so Xbox fans can finally “finish the fight.”
Sean Garmer:Halo 3. I don’t think there’s a doubt this is the big deal. It sold ridiculous numbers and people are playing it all over XBOX Live. Microsoft is living it up.
4. Classic Game of the Month (Does not have to be a XBOX Live Arcade or Virtual Console Game)
Steve McHugh:Landstalker (Wii Virtual Console) I know this has just come out on the Wii and it’s a very worthy purchase. Done by the Shining Force guys at Camelot this is one of the best action RPG’s during the 16 bit era. It’s quite a bit harder then you might be used to but it’s also excellent in every way and yet another game Sega never made a proper sequel to.
David Redkey:Super Metroid. (SNES, Wii Virtual Console) One of the best games made for the SNES. Why turn down a good thing?
Vincent Chiucchi:Super Mario Kart (SNES, Wii Virtual Console)
Rod Oracheski:Simpsons: The Arcade Game After playing the well-presented but gameplay-challenged Simpsons game demo on PSN, I really wish someone would port this older arcade title to PSN or Xbox Live Marketplace.
Theo Fraser:Sin And Punishment (N64, Wii Virtual Console) Sin and Punishment (N64/VC). Don’t let the 1,200 Wii Points tag put you off; this is an essential purchase. Plus, more buys=more rare titles coming to the Virtual Console catalogue!
Sean Garmer:Kirby’s Dreamland (Wii Virtual Console)
5. Best Game released in September
Steve McHugh:Halo 3. Oh I wonder what it could be? Halo 3 kicked the ass of anything else released in Sept this year. In fact it’s one of the best games released this year.
David Redkey:Halo 3. Umm…I think it is called Halo 3. Anything else doesn’t even come close.
Vincent Chiucchi:Halo 3.
Rod Oracheski:Halo 3. Not really much competition however, with games flooding out of the month of September to avoid being overlooked.
Theo Fraser:Halo 3. There were plenty of other great games this past month, but a Halo title is always going to walk away with the prize.
Sean Garmer:Halo 3 & FIFA 08. I didn’t get to play Halo 3, but I don’t want to get yelled at for not giving the game its due. FIFA 08 is great and can definitely give Pro Evo a run for it’s money. People should give this a shot, if you don’t want to wait till February.
Winner: Halo 3 (XBOX 360 Microsoft Game Studios)
Overall Winner: Microsoft Halo 3 I think that says it all.
6. Currently Gaming
Steve McHugh:Halo 3 (XBOX 360)
David Redkey:NBA 2K8 (X-Box 360. This game=teh sex), RE4 (Wii), LoZ: PH, NHL 2K8, MP3: C, SFA 3: M, and Halo 3 (even though it is going unloved because I only picked it up to satisfy my GF).
Vincent Chiucchi:Mario Kart DS, Kart Rider, Smackdown vs. RAW 2007
Rod Oracheski:Halo 3, Project Gotham Racing 4, NHL 08, Smackdown vs Raw 07 (gotta get those Achievements before the new one hits), Warhawk and pondering a return to World of Warcraft.
Theo Fraser:Final Fantasy VI Advance (GBA), Mafia (PC), Half Life 2 (PC), Super Smash Bros. Melee (GC), Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (DS).
Sean Garmer:FIFA 08 (XBOX 360), Blue Dragon (XBOX 360), Brain Age (Nintendo DS), Madden 08 (XBOX 360)
Here are the Games coming out this month, I listed them in ABC order and by release week, so it’d be easier to find. Firstly, I want to point out, I had to cut this short, so the only games listed are the ones that the writers decided to talk about. I didn’t list the other games, to make sure this came out on time, sorry. Please keep in mind that just because we don’t talk about a game, doesn’t mean it’s going to suck. I send out the template for these two weeks in advance, so sometimes changes are made in release dates by then and we don’t get to talk about any new games added. If you see a game on the list that intrigues you, we implore you to take our advice, and find information on it on your own. Here we go.
Steve McHugh: The Bleach DS games are excellent as they should be seeing how Treasure is behind them. This will follow suit I should imagine and be well worth getting for anyone interested.
Vincent Chiucchi: I've got a lot of friends who are anticipating this game. Considering the series is based on sword fighting and it's on the Wii, this could be quite the interesting anime based fighter.
FIFA 08 (All Systems Soccer Simulation, EA)
Steve McHugh: Ok I know Pro Evo rules all in the football gaming world but this year FIFA actually managed to put together a fresh, exciting and above all else good football game. We finally have a two horse race as this is well worth your time and money.
Sean Garmer: I’ll have a review up for this shortly. Everyone can croak about Pro Evo’s supremacy, but this year, FIFA has hit the jackpot providing a realistic game, with all the licenses, and cool online play to boot. The gameplay is slower and the goals will not come around as quickly either. Be A Pro isn’t a full season mode, but it’s a preview of what FIFA 09 could have in store. Regardless, this a great pickup for any Footy fan.
Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions (PSP Strategy Game, Square-Enix)
Steve McHugh: Well I never got to play the original as it wasn’t released in the UK (thanks Square and Sony). It certainly looks very nice and it does make me think about possibly acquiring a PSP. I won’t but I’m thinking about it.
David Redkey: Well, Jeanne d’Arc is a fun SRPG. This one should be better because it is a port of the original game that appeared on the PSOne. I can’t wait for this goodness because these type of games are like crack to me and I should O.D. by the end of this year because of another game that is coming out this month. God is out to get me, I think.
Rod Oracheski: This game tempts me to finally pick up a PSP, based on the amount of fun I had with the PS1 game.
Sean Garmer: I’m glad my roommate has a PSP again. I never got to play the original game, but I did play Tactics advance. Normally Strategy games aren’t my thing, but my roommate says he’s gonna buy this game, and since it has the FF name on it. It intrigues me. Anyone that was either a fan of the original or the GBA game, this should be an easy grab.
Folklore (PS3 & PSP RPG, SCEA)
Rod Oracheski: It's getting wildly varied reviews, but based on my time with both the Japanese and European demos, this isn't one that I'll be getting. The 'see-saw' the controller gameplay mechanic for capturing tougher souls got old pretty fast. Developers, learn from Lair and don't use the motion controls just to say that you do!
Sean Garmer: The premise is that you are two different characters catching these things to help you. Sounds like Pokemon to me, my roommate has this game, and it seems you have to run through the story with both characters. There’s lots of monsters, but I have a feeling it gets old after a while. I’d say rent it, before making a big purchase.
Half-Life 2: The Orange Box (XBOX 360 & PC FPS, EA)
Steve McHugh: A potential GotY candidate. At the very least this is going to give you the most bang for your buck. Half-Life 2, Episode 1 and 2, Team Fortress and portal make this one of the best value for money games going and even if you didn’t get portal and TF it’s still a must have game. TF’s inclusion makes it almost criminal if you don’t look into it.
David Redkey: Halo…what? Fanboys M$ should bow down to a superior game, and superior series when compared to Halo. This game offers Five games in one. I didn’t stutter either…five games on one disk. Let me list the goodness: Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2: Episode One, Half-Life 2: Episode 2, Portal, and Team Fortress 2. This should be a dream come true…
Vincent Chiucchi: Not only do you get the latest episode, but Team Fortress 2 is FINALLY coming out along with the FPS-Puzzle hybrid Portal. Definitely worth getting.
Theo Fraser: A great package, this one, and if you’ve yet to pick up Half Life 2 in any form, this is the one you’ll be wanting to purchase. Not only do you get Half-Life 2 and it’s half-sequels Episode One and Episode Two, you also get the highly anticipated Team Fortress 2 (which looks manic, and I mean that in a good way) AND the mind-bending Portal. And you get all of that for a very reasonable price! You’ve got absolutely no reason not to snap this one up.
SEGA Rally Revo (XBOX 360, PS3, PS2 & PC Driving Game, SEGA)
Steve McHugh: The Saturn version was awesome, the PS2 sucked and it looks like this new version takes it back to being awesome again. Anyone after arcade thrills should check this out. Motorstorm? What’s the point in that anymore?
Rod Oracheski: The Saturn version was awesome, the PS2 sucked and it looks like this new version takes it back to being awesome again. Anyone after arcade thrills should check this out. Motorstorm? What’s the point in that anymore?
Touch Detective 2 ½ (Nintendo DS Adventure Game, Atlus)
Steve McHugh: The first one was…..short. And uninteresting. But it’s Atlus so my hope remains that they’ve learnt from past mistakes.
Vincent Chiucchi: Two and a half? Is Leslie Neilson in this game or something? Anyway, this one looks to be a big improvemeny over the last game, so I'd say it's probably worth a rental.
Steve McHugh: I loved the PS2 version of this and I really hope that they can stick to that formula (as opposed to the slightly crappy PSP version.) The extra power the 360 gives should make this one of the games to look out for this year, and the prospect of online gaming with Katamari is a wondrous possibility.
Rod Oracheski: It's a concept that's kind of getting played out, but appearing on a new console might help broaden the audience a bit more. Hopefully, they can shake things up if they pop out another one.
Sean Garmer: It was the darling of the gaming world a weird game, with a funny concept gets popular. Katamari Damacy is all kinds of fun getting to bowl over stuff and make into big piles of whatever. The power of the 360 should make this appealing and I might pick it up.
Elder Scrolls Oblivion: Game of the Year Edition (PS3 RPG, Bethesda)
Steve McHugh: It’s great. Go buy it. Unless you already own it. Then don’t bother as that would be stupid.
Vincent Chiucchi: It's the same Elder Scrolls with an expansion pack included. Only get it if you've never got the game yet.
Rod Oracheski: If you didn't get it yet, what are you waiting for?
Fish Tycoon (Nintendo DS Strategy Game, Majesco Games)
Vincent Chiucchi: Oh my god, another Tycoon game. This time it's about raising FISH. So if you've wanted to play a tycoon style game but thought Roller Coasters, Lemonade, and Zoos were lame and just can't match the excitement of raising FISH, go right ahead and pick this one up.
Flash Focus: Vision Training in Minutes A Day (Nintendo DS Puzzler, Nintendo)
Vincent Chiucchi: Um...does anybody find it weird that their releasing a game to improve your vision on something people claim ruin your eyesite if you look too closely at it? Seriously though, unless you really need visual training, I'd pass this one for Brain Age.
Sean Garmer: Well, if your brain has had enough, there is always time to train your eyes, in another good offering from Nintendo. Learn to achieve greater hand-eye coordination in this title.
Rod Oracheski: Sorry Tony, you missed the boat. Gamers were wanting more realistic gameplay instead of 90 foot verticals out of a swimming pool, not just better graphics. The Tony Hawk team will either have to finally do a revamp of the entire gameplay concept or consign themselves to being the 'hey, if you want a simple arcade version...' version of Skate.
Steve McHugh: Ah it was only a matter of time. Let’s hope it’s a good game and not a horrible mess.
Vincent Chiucchi: DO NOT BE FOOLED. THIS IS IN NO WAY RELATED TO THE DUCK HUNT GAME WE ALL KNOW AND LOVE FROM NINTENDO WITH THE ANNOYING DOG! AVOID AT ALL COSTS!
Steve McHugh: This looks stunning and if past installments are anything to go by it should play pretty well too. The story is going to be dreadful but that’s not exactly the point, if you want to have massive dog fights with very fast and dangerous planes then this is for you. Another 360 exclusive that used to be a PS2 exclusive, what did Sony do to Namco?
Rod Oracheski: After really enjoying the first few, I dropped Ace Combat from my 'must buy' list. With multiplayer making an appearance, and some stunning graphics, I might give this one a look.
Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles (PSP Action Game, Konami)
Steve McHugh: The fact that as an extra this games contains symphony of night tells you all you need to know. It also has a remake of Rondo of blood, which whilst I haven’t played it is apparently one of the best in the series. With 3 must have PSP games this month it looks like Sony are finally giving us games that are worth buying the machine for. Took long enough.
David Redkey: A re-release of a game that has gone unreleased in the US. That game is Castlevania: Rondo of Blood. For the price of admission ($29.99), you get Castlevania: Rondo of Blood (remake), Castlevania: Rondo of Blood (original), and a re-translated and re-localized version of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. This makes it my favorite for game of the year.
EA Playground (Nintendo Wii & Nintendo DS Action Game, EA)
Vincent Chiucchi: I'm pretty sure it's just going to be like Wii Sports except with EA's take on it.
Sean Garmer: I think Vinny’s statement says it all they are trying to capture the magic of Wii Sports with some different games. We’ll see how it pans out.
Eye of Judgment (PS3 Card Game, SCEA)
Vincent Chiucchi: If you're a fan of CCGs, then I would look into this game because it's pretty fun. But the thing that bothers me about this is the online battles, because I get this strange feeling that people are going to cheat online by just playing whatever card they want from their deck at will.
Rod Oracheski: Selling as a bundle with the camera, I would bet a lot of people bite on this one. The gameplay trailer that went up this week on PSN didn't really assuage my fears of it being more unwieldy than I'm willing to put up with though. I was always a huge Magic: The Gathering fan, and I'll give this a shot, but I think my card games will stay face-to-face over the kitchen table.
Sean Garmer: My roommate is getting this, so I’ll be playing it a lot. It looks pretty cool, and anyone that’s a fan of any kind of CCG should totally look at this.
Front Mission (Nintendo DS Strategy Game, Square-Enix) -A new game, based off of missions from the old SNES and Playstation games.
Steve McHugh: I remember the old Playstation games with a mixture of fondness and hatred. Despite a reasonable story and some nice gameplay additions they could be an absolute bitch to play. Still I’m quite looking forward to seeing how this works out. It’ll have to be very, very good to compete with Advance Wars though.
Steve McHugh: Yes the logic used in the courts sometimes don’t make sense and yes it can be unfair sometimes but who cares these games are excellent with so many fantastic moments that the little problems become smaller and smaller as you fall in love with Phoenix and his crazy friends. Detective Gumshoe is a hero.
Vincent Chiucchi: If you've gotten the first two games, then you should definitely be getting this. But then again if you got the first two games, you've probably been to some Phoenix Wright fansites and already know about the characters and the plot twists and such. But nevertheless, buy this!
Theo Fraser: Wahoo, more Phoenix Wright! And the last of Phoenix Wright, as the spiky-haired attorney reportedly won’t be in the next iteration. Fans who loved the first two Wright games will probably have already decided to pick this one up, to see how the story ends. As for newbies to the series, it’d be better to start at the beginning and work your way towards this one, just so everything makes sense and you understand all the back story. But yes, if you’ve played the previous Phoenix Wright titles, you won’t want to miss out on this one.
Sean Garmer: I’m still on the first one, but I love it, and I can’t wait to get through the 2nd one, so I can play this one. Certainly, anyone that has been through the other two better pick this up.
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (PS3 Platformer, SCEA)
Steve McHugh: In theory this should be one of the ‘big’ games for the PS3 this year but there’s not been much in the way of advertising that I’ve seen for it. Also whilst every R&C game has been excellent after 5 (I think) games they’ve all sort of blended into 1. So in other words this is going to be great but don’t expect much new from before. Even so a good exclusive on the PS3 should be celebrated because they now number about 2.
Rod Oracheski: While a fan of the PS2 games, the demo disc for this one didn't really do much for me beyond show that it's the same game, only prettier. I'll probably get it just to have something to play on the PS3, but I hope they do something substantial with the next one.
Table Tennis (Nintendo Wii Table Tennis Game, Rockstar) -Port of the PS2 game with Wii controls.
Theo Fraser: I’d wait for some definitive reviews, but it looks like the essence of the Xbox 360 game is there, with the added bonus of motion control to give you unprecedented accuracy and management of your shots. Assuming the final build is as good as the preview versions have suggested, this is one Wii title you’ll most certainly want in your collection.
Vincent Chiucchi: First of all, Treasure Island Z was a better name. Secondly, I really hope this doesn't get looked over because it looks like it could be the best console puzzle game to come out in god knows how long and the Wii can definitely use a major selling game not made by Nintendo.
Sean Garmer: Man, puzzle solving and adventure never looked so good, Hopefully this sells for the Wii because it’s looks like a good game and the reviews have been good for it as well.
Games coming out the week of October 28th
Dementium: The Ward (Nintendo DS Adventure Game, Gamecock)
Theo Fraser: A horror game on the DS? That’s genuinely scary? You better believe it. So far, it looks to be making terrific use of the DS hardware, producing some awesome 3D visuals, and the FPS gameplay appears to be implemented well, although Metroid Prime: Hunter’s “Clawhand” style of control is used. Still, keep an eye on this one, as it could turn out to be a great addition to the DS’ catalogue. If it sells well, it might encourage other developers to bring some more adult titles to the system, which would be a nice breath of fresh air from all the family-oriented titles available at present.
Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness (PSP Strategy Game, NIS America)
Steve McHugh: Now this is a reason why I may buy a PSP. I LOVE Disgaea and think they’re probably the best game of this type that’s been out since Shining force 2. The fact that it’s funny and full of genuinely interesting characters and gameplay make this a must have game if you own a PSP.
David Redkey: I’m sure of the fact that I’ve done something very wrong (or very right) because I’m picking up Dracula X Chronicles, The Orange Box, War of the Lions, and this game. I’m going to kiss my free time goodbye. Good thing I have a girlfriend that likes videogames (she is picking this up as well) because she’ll understand why I’ll be so pre-occupied the next year or two with these games.
Rod Oracheski: The second game in the month to push me towards a PSP. The PS2 game was a ton of fun to kill hours in, just running through battle after battle.
Sean Garmer: Makes me wanna get a PSP, this game does, because the game is funny and the battles just keep coming. If you have a PSP you should give this a look.
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (XBOX 360, Nintendo Wii, PS3, PS2 & PC Music Game, Activision & Red Octane)
Steve McHugh: Basically it’s more of the same. If you loved GH2 (and who didn’t?) then you’ll love this one too. The song list looks pretty interesting this time round too.
Vincent Chiucchi: The developers may have changed but the game remains the same...for the most part. They added new stuff like the Battle Mode with the power ups, boss fights with famous rockers, and online multiplayer, but it's still the good old Guitar Hero we know and love.
Rod Oracheski: While I really dislike the look of the new 'battle' modes, the basic Guitar Hero gameplay should still be rocking. I'll probably get it on both the 360 and Mac - to play at the office.
Hellgate: London (PC RPG, EA)
Rod Oracheski: Was insanely interested in this, but that was ages ago. I've cooled on it since then, especially when considering my computer is getting older every day, so we'll see what kind of reviews it gets.
Steve McHugh: I don’t care. I really don’t. The first one was mildly interesting with some good ideas but this just seems to be violence with little to no reasoning behind it. And now that violence has been removed so what’s the point? Rockstar should be better then this.
Vincent Chiucchi: The game is finally here but now gamers are complaining that the ESRB sucks because they forced Rockstar to censor some of the major violence. Well maybe the ESRB would've been a bit nicer about letting Rockstar keep the stuff had ESRB not been under a lot of pressure and negative feedback about how they rate games since the Hot Coffee incident started by...well what do you know, ROCKSTAR! What goes around comes around. But back to game, I'm pretty sure once this comes out the game will quickly be mostly forgotten like that one where you save school kids from other school kids...what was that game called?
Rod Oracheski: I thought the last game was a pretty shameless attempt to cash in on negative marketing to get sales, at the expense of the rest of the industry's rep, and this one seems to be no different. It seems to be controversial just to be controversial, not to make a compelling game.
Theo Fraser: According to reports, the PS2 version ain’t too hot, so I guess you can decide for yourself whether or not you want to fork out the cash. The Wii version, on the other hand, is the one you REALLY want. Yes, despite the alterations thanks to the ESRB’s strict ratings scheme, this is still a key title in the Wii’s catalogue, and if you’ve got the stomach to stand this type of game, I can’t recommend it highly enough. The Wii controls add so much to it, giving you a sense of immersion that just can’t be felt in other versions. Buy it.
The Simpsons Game (All Systems except PC & PSP Action Game, EA)
Steve McHugh: This actually looks very interesting and could well be a bit of a surprise. Simpson’s games are either dreadful or a lot of fun and I certainly hope that this is in the latter of those 2 categories.
Vincent Chiucchi: I thought they were going to rush this out in time for the Movie, but EA is actually taking their time and turning this into the one true Simpsons game that isn't a carbon copy of another popular game we've finally been waiting for.
Rod Oracheski: Looked great in trailers, played pretty poorly in the demo. Going to be wait and see on this one. I can get all the 'fantastic Simpsons presentation' that I want for free on TV if the gameplay just isn't there.
Sean Garmer: I love the Simpsons, my favorite show ever, after the fun game that was the GTA lite, Hit & Run, EA are now looking to make this even better. A platformer playing as the big four characters and running around doing many things sounds fun.
Timeshift (XBOX 360 & PC FPS, Sierra Entertainment)
Steve McHugh: Ah Timeshift, the game that’s changed pretty much everything about itself in the past few years. It now looks very interesting and I’m certainly looking forward to seeing if the final game lives up to the premise. It’s a bit unfortunate that it’s coming out in the same year as 4 (and another one that certainly could end up that way) of the biggest FPS titles of all time but that’s how it works sometimes.
Viva Pinata: Party Animals (XBOX 360 Virtual Life, Microsoft Game Studios)
Steve McHugh: the demo seemed like a lot of fun, although I’m not sure how it’ll translate to a whole game. Still it should be a laugh with a few mates and lots of beer.
Rod Oracheski: For a kids title, this one looks to have some legs. I was surprised how many games the demo allowed you to play - maybe they're serious about pushing this one.
Sean Garmer: Turning Viva Pinata into a party game seemed like a weird concept at first. However, it seems they’ve done it, making it somewhat like Mario Party with length of games chosen, with eight characters, this looks like tons of fun.
Alright readers, that is all for this edition of the roundtable. We’ll see ya soon, in November.
