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Month: January 2011

VGH #2: Martha Washington Was My Prom Date

Published January 26, 2011

iTunes

In their second episode, the VGH crew chat about the games they’re looking forward to in 2011. Plus, D.J. probably doesn’t have world exclusive news about the next Soulcalibur. Addictive substances and legendary 80’s frontmen both somehow play a part. Lastly, the 3DS: Will it print money? Tune in to find out!

This week’s music:
“SEARCHING”, by Eric Skiff (glitchnyc.com)
“COME AND FIND ME”, by Eric Skiff (glitchnyc.com)

Referenced in this week’s show:
Pre-order a Nintendo 3DS
Journey’s “Open Arms”
Nintendo 3DS Launch Window Titles
Poncho from Animal Crossing (Paul: I miss you…)
Portal 2 co-op trailer
Journey trailer
The Technology Behind Performance – demo of the motion capture tech used in Rockstar’s L.A. Noire

Corrections:
D.J.: I mentioned that Valve bringing Steam to the PS3 would be the first time there’s been true crossplatform play between consoles and PC. Microsoft actually accomplished this earlier with their Games for Windows Live initiative, allowing Xbox 360 owners to play against PC gamers in games like Shadowrun, Universe at War, and Lost Planet: Colonies. Portal 2 will still be a milestone, however, since it will be the first time there’s been crossplatform support offered for a game people actually want to play.

Click the jump if you want to see some more games we’re looking forward to in 2011!

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D.J.’s top games in 2010

Published January 17, 2011

Splinter Cell: Conviction

#5: Splinter Cell: Conviction

I’ve admittedly played very little Splinter Cell prior to Conviction, but it was still easy to see how much of a departure this game was from the rest of the series. Instead of the calm government operative he was in the earlier games, Conviction’s Sam Fisher is a free agent calling his own shots, and it has a huge impact on the gameplay. Everything feels very organic and on-the-fly, and without your support team chattering in your ear all the time, there’s a great sense that you’re really on your own. The main storyline is short, but it moves along so briskly that I had a hard time putting the controller down, expecting another shocking twist to be around the next corner. Also noteworthy is the multiplayer co-op campaign, which serves as a prequel to the main story and has one of the most memorable finales ever.

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Randy’s Top 10 of 2010

Published January 17, 2011

10.  Singularity
A game that was released in late June and then, it seems, somewhat quickly forgotten about.  Singularity is an FPS in the BioShock vein, combining shooting mechanics with powers (in this case, a time-altering mechanic) that increase in intensity as the game progresses.  As an American marine who’s helicopter crashes on a mysterious island, you inadvertently cause a time singularity that results in a future world where the US is under Russian rule.  It’s flawed, but it’s fast-paced and has enough unique stuff going on to keep it interesting.

9. Picross 3D
This puzzler for the DS kept me coming back.  Breaking blocks to reveal the shape hidden inside sounds like kid’s stuff, but the challenges actually became quite nefarious as the game progressed.  There’s tons of stuff to do on this cart, including hundreds of puzzles, the ability to create and share your own challenges, and new downloadable grids each week.  Addictive and insanely fun.

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Paul’s Top Ten of 2010

Published January 17, 2011

#10 (barely…) Fable III (Note: this really should be the #1 worst game of 2010, why is it on my top 10? -Paul)

Dear Peter,

You make good games!!! So stop promising us that you’ll change the world with your projects! That way, a solid title like Fable III won’t be labeled a disappointment in some random blog post on the internet. Your team knows how to create charming worlds, with interesting gameplay mechanics, but can’t seem to grasp the technical side of game development. : ( I hope your feelings aren’t hurt and we can still meet for tea and crumpets some day.

Yours sincerely,

Paul Sandhu

P.S. Those are my initials! : – )

P.P.S. Please make sure you release your titles without game breaking glitches. It is kind of embarrassing when people have to restart their game because of clipping issues. When I say restart, I don’t mean reboot their console, I mean RESTART their entire game/save. That’s so 1996….

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