Note: I previously published this on GamePro.com, so some of the content may involve that site, and some of the old links may not work anymore.
My problem with online gamers.
I've been playing Online games for a while now, and throughout my many years of online fragging, I've come to one conclusion...Online gamers suck! Now, some may call this whining, but hear me out. Online gamers are the most dishonorable players around. In my time with a multitude of online games, I've found very few honorable players. Some might say, I'm trying to push my style of playing on others by writing this, but to me it's not a matter of play style so much as a matter of respect. If online players had more respect for their fellow gamers, and quite frankly, more respect for the games themselves, then there would be certain lows they wouldn't sink to, and I wouldn't have to write about it.
Do you remember the good old days at the arcades, or even when playing multiplayer with your friends from the comfort of your own home where there was an unspoken, but understood code of honor of how you played the game against others? In fighting games you didn't use the same cheap move over and over again, in first person shooters, you didn't camp the health refills, you didn't use cheap kill weapons, and etc. It seems to me that the anonymity provided by the internet has totally eroded the old standards. Your oppenents are no longer sitting in the same room as you, so you don't have to worry about someone slapping the crap out of you if you get out of line. This seems to give people the idea that they then have free reign to play as cheaply as they please without any consequences for their actions. While there may not be any consequences in the short-term, the long-term consequences, however, can mean the death of the game's online community. A great example of this is Killzone on the PS2.
Now, I'm not sure if you've ever had the pleasure of playing Killzone online for the PS2, but, while still having the ability of being fun, the game's online mode really feels like an afterthought. There are only a few modes, there's no way to vote people out, and there's absolutely no customization. You can't ban the use of cheap blow-you-up-weapons, so you guessed it, that's all they use in that game. The only time people use bullets in that game is while they're on their way to the cheap weapons (like the grenade launcher which has a secondary fire mode that lays down proximity mines for maximum cheap and easy kills). In order to even get people to use their guns, and play a game of skill, you have to beg them by naming you game "Bullet Only". I'm not even kidding. However, due to the fact that there's no way to stop the placement of said cheap weapons on the map, that means that it's up to the other players to honor the rules, and you know what that means. It means that the supposedly "good" players get mad that they actually have to have some skill to get kills, and have to resort to blowing people up, and all hells breaks loose from there.
I'm telling you all this, because Killzone players actually complain that no one plays the game (only around 130 people are online at any given time). They say it's because others are afraid of them and that the others suck, but I say, no Killzone community, it's because you suck at the game, and have to make up for it by playing like b****es that no one wants to play with you. It's like inviting people to your hose for a dinner party, insulting everyone of them to their faces, and then wondering why they don't come to the next one. It has nothing to do with what's at the part, and everything to do with your actions towards other there.
Though it's a really good example, I'm not just going to single out Killzone, because it's problems aren't unique to it alone. In every online game there are people who put so much of their self-worth whether or not they win that they go to any extreme low to do it. This not only results in the cheapness of play, but often times cheating. Now, there are obvious forms of cheating in online games such as running hack on a PC game, using a codebreaker on the PS2, or even modding on the Xbox. However, there are other, less obvious, ways to cheat like glitching (which in games with a lot of mayhem can make it hard to see that you got shot through the ground), and lag switching.
Perhaps you've never heard of a lag-switch before. I know that telling some of you about their existence will be a bad thing, because some of you might be tempted to make your own, and then use them against other players. However, I'm also informing those of you who aren't big enough b****es to ever want to use them about their existence in the process. Lag switches are essentially light, or any other type of switch that can break the current, that people splice into their ethernet chords so they can turn their connections off and on quickly with the aim of disrupting their connection, and thereby causing lag and giving themselves an unfair advantage.
Have you ever come across a person that very conveniently lags all over the screen every time they get in a gunfight? Not to say that some people don't just have crappy connections, but chances are they're using a lag-switch. I'm talking about people who otherwise ping perfectly fine to the server, but for some mysterious reason, their connection lags during gun battles. Some people are very smart with their use of such switches, and you've gotta watch them, and more importantly their ping, closely, but some others aren't that smart about it. You'll see them running in place, and then, all of the sudden, you'll see them zoom across the map at warp speed in an obvious lag switch move. Those people are stupid obvious about it, and are easily spotted. I know that educating people about lag-switches, can lead to further use of them, but it can also lead to both gamers and developers finding ways to put their use to an end.
There other ways to be a game ruiner online like camping (what are you afraid of, that you might actually have some fun if you get up and play the damn game?), screaming/singing into the mics, stacking the teams (It's called auto-balance. Use it!), and my own personal favorite, having your buddy spectate and call you on the phone to tell you where everyone on the other team is (or just tell you over the mic in the case that you're ganging up on someone who doesn't have a mic themselves), but I won't touch on those subjects.
As long as there are online games, there will always be little trolls who abuse their online privileges. I hope that in writing this, that I can help effect positive changes in the play of even one person. Just getting one person to change their ways online, and learn what it means to play honorable, stop ruining other people's experiences online, and to maybe even say a "good game" instead of a "you suck" (which is especially annoying to hear if either they had to play cheap to win or you beat them and they're still talk trash), will make it feel like I've done my job here. You'll never be able to change the way that others choose to play, but you can choose the way that you choose to play, and while that will often times make you end up with a loss, it'll give you the pride in knowing that all your kills are legit, and can help improve the overall fun you'll have with the game. Why be cheap, when you can actually be skillful?
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A Day In The Life Of A Newb
(by ShortHairedOffender)
Recently I have gotten my first online game. Unreal Tournament III for the PC. I came in half expecting to see the N-word yelled out like a song at a rock concert. Surprising to me I did not hear ONE curse word on my first day. This gave me high hopes
My first game was a death match which I lost for sure. So, I decided to go to a two player Duel. This was fun and the guy was also new to the game. I soon learned he was from Greece. The next game was another Death Match that I faired a lot better in still not taking first. So, I quickly ran back to Duels. There a met someone who was really really helpful. He showed me how to dodge and gave me a few tips.
After this I decided I was done for the day. I realized that Unreal had a VERY GOOD community and that there are a few gamers out there with some intellect.
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Making your own gaming videos.
If you've been around the internets for a while, you've no doubt come across a little site known to the world as youtube. Perhaps you've mixed your interest in videogames with your interest in watching short vids on youtube as well. Have you ever wondered what it takes to post gameplay videos online? I'm not talking about the crappy ones where people just video tape themselves playing the game, I'm talking about clean and clear gameplay videos. Well, I'm going to take you through a step by step process of what you need and how to set it up.
What you'll need.
You'll need a computer, a TV, RCA AV wires, Stereo splitter wires, and a video capture card.
Here is a pic of my video capture card, it's software program, and RCA cables. I bought my external capture card from Best Buy, but you can find them everywhere online for cheaper. Mine was slightly more expensive than the base model, but that's because I paid extra for the ability to use mpeg4. Mine is decent quality, but there are better ones out there for sure. The capture card is what puts the vids on you computer.
These are the stereo splitter wires. They split up the signal so you can play the game, and capture video at the same time. These were about $2.00-$3.00 each.
How to hook it up
First and foremost, you've gotta install the software for your capture card. That's pretty much a duh statement though. It's better to do this first to get it out of the way because it's a pain.
This is my system selector box which I use because it's so much more easier if you've got as many systems hooked up as I do. I'm just using it in my illustration here. If you don't have one, don't sweat it, just plug the cables directly into your TV instead. It's not required at all, so don't go out a buy one for making vids with. However, if you've got a lot of systems, and are constantly having to hook them up, and unhook them to play them, then I thoroughly suggest getting one. They make life so much easier.
Now, do you remember the stereo splitter wires? Well the first step is plugging them into the red and white audio jacks, and the yellow video jacks. Once again, I'm using my system selector box, but you might have to plug them directly into your TV. These allow the game's signal to go to the TV, and your computer at the same time.
As you can see here, I've connected the RCA cable into one end of the splitter. Make sure you've got them connected in the right ones. Audio to audio, and video to video. It can get confusing if you're not careful.
The other end of the RCA cable goes into the capture card which plugs into any USB port. Depending on how far your computer is from your TV, you might have to get a really long cable, or some extensions. It's up to you to decide what you'll need as far as that goes.
Now you hook up your system of choice's wires into the other end of the splitter wires. Once again, double check the colors. Red with red, yellow with yellow, and etc. I use the 360's wires here, because it's easier for you guys to recognize it's AV wires. Now, if you've got your video capture card hooked up to your PC, and the software is running, turn your system on and get ready to capture.
Here's what it looks like when you're finished setting it up:
And here's what it looks like on my PC with my specific software:
Here's a picture of me taking my own screenshots of games:
If you take a screenshot, then you'll have to crop out the black box surrounding it, and shrink the pic down for quality reasons. Also, sometimes it just doesn't take very good action shots. If you take a pic and it's blurry, try shrinking it down in size, and that may clear it up, but sometimes it still won't.
Anyways, I hope this answers a few questions you guys might have about making your own video game movies. If you've got more questions, just ask in the comments section, or try looking it up on (what else?) youtube. As far as editing and stuff goes, the software has a tutorial, and I'm sure you can find hints all over the net.
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Reviews
Mortal Kombat Snes vs Genesis comparitive review.
(System: Genesis, and Snes | Developed by: Probe Entertainment Limited (Genesis)Sculptured Software (Snes) | Published by: Acclaim | Review by: teh2Dgamer)
Though I didn't partake in Mortal Monday as a kid, I did eventually end up renting and then later buying MK for my Genesis. I'd only played the Snes a few times before, and I borrowed it from a friend for this comparison. Now, both versions obviously pale in comparison to the arcade original so I won't be rating them in how they stack up to that version, but that begs the question of how they compare to each other.
Graphics: The Snes clearly wins hands down in this department. The character models are bigger, and more coloful, and the backgrounds are sharper and more colorful. The Gensis version looks a little washed out, and it's backgrounds look pretty bad. The ending sequences on the Genesis are cooler though. The Snes endings are kinda lame. Let's also not forget ABACABB, or the blood code in the Genny version.
Sound: The Genesis version's sound is pretty good, but once again, the Snes version has the better sound. The voices are clearer, and the music is a little better too. Also, the Genesis version seems to miss a few voices here and there. As we all know, the Snes' sound chip was superior to the Genesis', so this should come as no surprise.
Control: If all you've got is the old Genesis three button controller to play this on, then the Snes version is far superior. However, if you've got the Genesis six button controller, then there's no contest. The Genesis has a way better D-Pad for fighting games, and the Genesis version's controls are also way more responsive than the Snes version. Throwing Subzero's ice, or any of the other quarter circle movements are way easier on the Genesis controller. Also, I was un able to do a number of the fatalities in the Snes version because of a slight delay in the controls. The Genesis version just controls smoother than the Snes version with the six button arcade pad.
Playability: The Snes version is still perfectly playable, but though the Gensis version looks worse in character models, and backgrounds, it moves a lot smoother ans is a lot more playable. In fact, the Snes version is noticably more sluggish. It even effects the controls a little. It feels like there's a little delay when you put in the commands that you don't have in the Genesis version. This makes the Genesis version the more playable of the two.
Bottom Line: If you wasted your Mortal Monday on getting the Snes version of Mortal Kombat, then you were slightly ripped off. If you've had the Snes version for years, and never took the opportunity to get the Genesis version, then perhaps it's time for you to do so. The Genesis version might be uglier, but it plays better than It's Snes counterpart. It's faster and it's controls feel way more responsive than the Snes version which feel slightly delayed. They're both fun, but the bottom line is that the Genesis version is better. If you've got an oppurtunity to play the arcade original, then ignore both versions of this game, but if you don't then go with the Genny version.
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Crazy Taxi
(System: Dreamcast | Developed by: Sega-AM3 | Published by: Sega | Review by: teh2Dgamer)
There's an entire city full of potential passengers with pockets brimming with money who are willing to share some with you if you give them a fun ride. You are a taxi driver, and the catch is that you've got a time limit to get said passengers to their destination. Crazy Taxi is one hell of a fun ride. The entirety of the game is spent taking customers from one place to another in a giant city. As boring as that sounds, the game is an absolute blast to play. There's are tons of gut wrenching jumps, and crazy near misses to keep you on the edge of your seat along the way. The crazier you drive the more money is in it from your very impatient passengers. This version also has some added modes that teach you techniques you'll use in the game in addition to the regular mode of play that give it some extended replay value for those who chose to partake in it, but for the most part, you'll be playing the regular game. There is also an extra added city to the home version.
The game has come under fire for being too shallow. Well, yes the game is simple, and yes it is a little shallow, but in it's defense, is was an arcade game, and arcade games are designed to give you some quick, and shallow gameplay, and just as quickly take your money. People who criticize this game for being shallow miss what makes the game so great. Crazy Taxi isn't a game you're going to sit down and spend 10 hours at a time playing, but it is a game that's great to play ten minutes here, and twenty minutes there. In fact, I've had the game for around seven years now, and I still pop it in every now and again for a quick go-around. So yes, it's replay value might not be in playing it for great lengths of time so much as playing it a lot over a long period of time. It's just mindless fun. It's a game that gives you instant satisfaction, and it doesn't need to be anything else. Sometimes fun is more important that depth.
Bottom Line: Crazy Taxi is shallow, and simple, but most of all it's a blast to play. You won't play it for long periods of time, but it's one of those games that's great to play a little bit here and a little bit there. Crazy Taxi proves that not ever game has to be an epic deal. Sometimes games are just supposed to be fun, and this game fits that bill. No story, cutscenes, or hype. Just fun.
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Mass Effect
(System: Xbox 360 | Developed by: BioWare | Published by: Microsoft | Review by: captaininsano15)
This is a huge game, just like most RPGs. It starts you off with Commander Shepard, a character you build from the ground up. You can pick anything from his gender to his military background. The story reflects on any decision you make. There are many different ways to play the game, and you will get many different outcomes. That gives the game tons of replayability. What also gives it replayability is that since Mass Effect is a planned trilogy, your character will transfer over to the sequel. The game has outstanding dialog and voice acting that immerses you into the game. It makes you really feel what the character feels. The graphics are fantastic as well. The game has plenty of "Wow" moments too. One for instance being the time that you first see the Citadel. It is just a huge environment that the game offers you to explore. The game is at least a 15 hour game, not including side missions, that could take you up to 20 or 30 hours. The combat system is very similar to Gears of War. There are a few minor flaws in the system considering the grenade button is the back button, and to give out orders to your squad as your in combat takes away from the heat of the battle. Overall the game is fantastic, and is by far one of the best games the 360 has to offer.
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No More Heroes
(System: wii | Developed by: Grasshopper Manufacture | Published by: Ubisoft / Marvelous Interactive | Review by: FETALJUICE)
You are Travis Touchdown, an otaku who gets caught up in the world of assassination because he tried to impress a hot chick with his eBay bought beam katana. Now he wants to fight to the top of the ranks as the number 1 assassin. Pretty straightforward story isn't it? More is explained as you go through the game of course.
In the first level, you decide whether you want to do the tutorial level (which is kinda lengthy) or not. It is best recommended though. Although you don't really waggle the Wiimote to attack, you Press A instead for attacking with your beam katana. The B button is used for kicks, punches, and throwing (under certain conditions). The + button is pause and the - button is to use on your Anarchy in the Galaxy power (can carry only 3 and its a powerful explosion attack that kills everything on-screen.)
Tilting the Wiimote up puts Travis in his High stance and tilting it down puts Travis in his Low stance. Since enemies can block either High or Low, Travis must find the perfect stance for each situation to defeat enemies. Attacking enemies drains your beam katana's power and once its depleted, you must press the 1 button and waggle your Wiimote left and right repeatedly to recharge your beam katana (expect a hilarious animation).
When you are about to finish off an enemy aka Death Blow, a arrow appears on-screen and you must shake the Wiimote in the direction of the arrow to perform a over-the-top finishing move. Expect lots of blood and gore.
When attacking enemies with punching and kicking, you can stun enemies under certain conditions. For example, a bad guy is blocking high. You assume the High stance and punch him, which automatically stuns him. When he is stunned (stars flying on his head) you can perform throws (wrestling moves to be exact). For throws, the Nunchuck and Wiimote are used. Follow the arrow sequence to perform a devastating wrestling move.
You can charge your punching/kicking and beam katana attacks by holding the corresponding button. When you charge up your melee attack and hit an enemy, you stun him no matter what. Now, when you charge your beam katana attack, your stance depends on how far you hit your enemies. Low stance while charging your beam katana delivers a powerful vertical slice which instantly kills enemies, while charging your attack in High stance delivers a diagonal slice to front enemies. These attacks are a method of crowd control when things get rough.
As you kill enemies, 3 slots at the bottom of the screen will line up. When you get 3 of the same slot, these are the possible super attacks that you can get:
Cherries: Time slows down to attack your enemies easily.
Bells: The Blueberry Cheese Brownie attack. A crosshair appears and you can aim and throw fireballs at enemies, which kill instantly.
Bars: The Raspberry Chocolate Sundae attack. The screen turns black and white and you move slower BUT, your enemies don't attack in and cower in fear. When you get close to an enemy, a button appears on the screen. Press it a you will witness a badass killing move(s).
Grasshoppers: The Strawberries on the Shortcake attack. Travis' hair turns gold Super Saiyan style and one hit triggers the Death Blow and when the dial appears, you can slash at whatever direction you want.
Sevens: You hear someone laughing and a Anarchy in the Galaxy attack is added to your stock.
You can lock-on to your enemies and block attacks by pressing and holding the Z button. While lock-on, you can also perform a emergency roll to avoid unblockable attacks. When enemies are down on the floor, press A near them to stab them in the floor.
Gameplay is fast and furious. Many enemies can come at you at the same time. Enemies tend to block a lot in the higher difficulty levels. The Sweet difficulty has auto-block when standing still. There is lots of blood and gore with each kill you do and sometimes the game can slowdown when there is too much going on. Sword fighting never gets old due to entertaining events in certain levels (the 2nd assassin's henchmen are baseball player and throw balls at you and you can swing them back to kill enemies).
Recover life by eating a slice of pizza or an entire box of it hidden within breakable boxes. There are cards and masks to collect. It is recommended that you do find as many masks as possible to increase your wrestling moves. In the overworld, you can travel to many places of interest. You can travel to the gym, clothes shop, ATM to make payments for the next ranked battle, the job center to gain cash (jobs vary from grass cutting to trash picking).
Your motel No More Heroes is a place to save, change clothes, listen to messages, pet your cat, eat food from fridge to restore health, watch TV, change weapons, and read the map. Pretty cool place I'd say.
In my opinion, this is probably the best 3rd party game for the Wii and must be bought to support games like these in console's future. Though it takes up to 14-16 hours to complete, its a great game. If you thought the Wii was made for kiddie games, think again.
My rating of this game: 9.0 out of 10
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Tomb Raider II
(System: PS1 | Developed by: Core Design | Published by: Eidos | Review by: teh2Dgamer)
Though many people say that this is where Tomb Raider lost it's focus, Tomb Raider II is probably my favorite game in the series. Tomb Raider might be the best, but Tomb Raider II was my first introduction to the series, and is therefore my favorite for that reason. So what new does this game bring to the table over the first one? Well, It's got a more epic adventure, Lara Can now climb (yes that's right she couldn't climb up things in the first one), She now has the ability to ride in a few different vehicles, and this is the game in the series where she became less of an animal murder, and more of a mass human murderer.
Though it has word Tomb in the name, you'll spend very little time in the tombs. This adventure takes Lara across the globe from The Great Wall of China, to Venice the city on the water, to even the wreck of an underwater ship, and etc. Yes, the locations might not be tombs, but Lara is the Tomb Raider, and this is her adventure, so the tombs really aren't missed. Sure that might make for puzzles that don't make sense, but Tomb Raider has always been essentially a puzzle/adventure game. I think too much emphesis has been put on having realistic puzzles over having well though out, and well designed puzzles. It might not make sense for there to be pull switches and booby traps in ancient mansions in Venice, but if it's still engaging gameplay, it doesn't have to.
The game also strikes a good balance of puzzles vs action. It doesn't throw enemies at you all the time, so you never quit know when they're going to pop up thus keeping the player on their toes at all times. this means that Tomb Raider II is just as capable of creating an air of suspense as it predecessor. Lara also has a bigger more varied arsenal to deal with the game's bigger more varied cast of baddies. Lara will need to use every weapon at her disposal to take out her new Human, animal, and the "whatever" opponents that the game throws at her.
The game's controls are what turn most new Tomb Raider players off to the game. Tomb Raider II's controls are typical for the old Tomb Raider games. That means they're tough to learn, and tough to master. Ms. Croft might move like a tank, but the controls work great for the square grid that the levels are designed to. For the many jumps that Lara has to make, the controls allow the player to be able to make jumps even when the often bothersome camera doesn't give the best angle for the jump. However, the controls mixed with Lara's auto aim make the camera issues that killed many of the games in that era less of a problem, because you can have confidence that you can make a jump without even seeing it, or even shoot at an enemy that isn't in your view. Often times Lara's auto aim will be the first to alert you that there is an enemy present which will can be a life saver at times.
Another complaint that people might have with the game, and the series in general is that it's not always clear what to do next. This complaint is understandable, but it just means that finally figuring out a though puzzle is all that more rewarding (that is if you don't give up on a though puzzle first) to the player, and in this Tomb Raider, you have to option to save anywhere, so the many and often frustrating deaths no longer mean a lot of backtracking for the player. Tomb Raider purists criticized the game for allowing player to save anywhere saying that it made the game too easy. Believe me, the game is plenty challenging regardless.
Bottom Line: This is my personal favorite game in the Tomb Raider series. It's still more of the same, but if you're a fan, or have never played the old Tomb Raider series, then it's worth checking out this lengthy and challenging adventure. However, if you hate Tomb Raider, then this won't change your mind about the series.
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The gaming quiz.
1. Which of these N64 games had the expansion pack as a pack-in?
A. Perfect Dark
B. Donkey Kong 64
C. The Legend of Zelda Majora's Mask
D. None of the above
2. What is the name of the female protagonist in the game Ico for the PS2?
A. Kartia
B. Yuna
C. Epona
D. Yorda
3. What was the first 3D fighter to allow players to sidestep?
A. Battle Arena Toshinden
B. Tekken
C. Virtua Fighter
D. Criticom
4. Valkyrie Wilde was a controversial April Fools Joke for what gaming magazine?
A. Next Gen
B. EGM
C. Game Informer
D. PSM
5. Virtua Hampster was a cancelled game that was scheduled to be released for what Sega console?
A. Sega CD
B. Sega Saturn
C. Sega 32X
D. None of the above, I made the game up.
6. In 1998, what system's fans ripped Gamepro magazine a new one for saying their system was dead (it was) when it still had a few games coming out for it?
A. Sega Saturn
B. Atari Jaguar
C. 3DO
D. Sega Genesis
7. The PC Engine is the Japanese name for what system?
A. Sega Genesis
B. TurboGrafx-16
C. NES
D. CD-I
8. What was the last Crash Bandicoot game made by Naughty Dog?
A. Crash Team Racing
B. Crash Bandicoot Warped
C. The Wrath of Cortex
D. Crash Bash
9. "You Spoony Bard!" is a famous quote from what game?
A. Pirates Gold
B. Snatcher
C. The Bard's Tale
D. Final Fantasy IV
10. What's the name of the PS1 skateboarding game that hit prior to Tony Hawk?
A. Grind Session
B. Thrasher Skate and Destroy
C. Street Sk8ter
D. None of the above.
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My Gaming Life
The other day I borrowed both the Snes Version of Mortal Kombat, and Killer Instinct from my friend. I know that KI is very popular on the boards, but I still just don't get it. It's a second rate MK rip-off at best. Sure, it's got teh combos, but I just don't see it. It's decent b-class material, but when compared to MK, Capcom 2D fighters, or SNK 2D fighters, it just doesn't compare. I actually saw a youtube video from I think it was gametrailers (they apparently have a youtube channel as well) that put KI as number five on the top 10 best fighting games of all time. They put it ahead of Virtua Fighter, and Tekken, and they didn't have one single SNK game on there. That's just disgraceful. The Art of Fighting, Fatal Fury, King of Fighters, Samurai Showdown, The Last blade, and many other SNK fighting games are some of the best fighters out there. Don't worry, other youtubers let them have it in the comments, but why are "game journalists" sometimes so stupid?
I've been tinkering with Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II for my PC the last few days. I got 3D acceleration to work once, but now the game keeps messing up when I try to use it. It's no big deal, it just smooths some things out, but the game still moves so damn fast that it doesn't matter. I guess my crappy Geforce 6600 LE is just too new for the game that it has compatibility issues. I guess it's not cut out for the job like the 16mb Voodoo 2 that was popular back Jedi Knight's day.
I know COD4 is currently the big game online, but I just don't see myself putting much time on it. It seems like one I'll play a few hours here and there, but never get hardcore into it. It's kinda like COD2 on the 360 which I recently picked up for a mere $5.00. I play that game online a little here and there, but once again, I just don't see myself devoting a lot of time to it like I used to with a few older online games I played. I did play two games with FETALJUICE the other day on COD2. I had to stop because I had some dinner to cook.
I've also been reading my old gaming magazines. I'm currently holding Gamepro issue number 133 from October 1999. This is a really good issue. It represents perhaps my favorite time in 3D gaming. You see both the PS1, and N64 were at their peak in this point in gaming history, but this issue is special because it's the Dreamcast Launch issue. The Dreamcast was a breath of fresh air to gaming in it's short lifespan. It bridged the gap form the PS1/N64 gen into the next gen. It had a number of the same games come to it that were also on the other two systems, but it also showed us what next gen gaming could be, should be, but ultimately wasn't. There is still no system like the Dreamcast. It was the last true hardcore gamer system. I'm not talking about mainstream crap like Halo, I'm talking about innovative, fun, and quirky games that only true hardcore gamers could enjoy. Stuff that was too weird for mainstream "gamers" to understand, but true gamers loved. What saddens me about looking at this particular issue of Gamepro is that while those of us who are old enough to remember this particular time in history still have great memories about it, the Halo Generation (A phrase I use to describe this new generation of gamers) thinks nothing of it. In fact they don't give two drops of rat semen about the Dreamcast or for anything having to do with gaming's past. This has inspired me to add a new section to 2.5D in future issues. In this new section I will inform, and give my take on something from gaming's past. In a sense, I'm going to monday morning quarterback the gaming industry. Look for my analysis in future issues of the zine.
Well, that sums up my gaming life for this past month of gaming. Besides a little Zelda OOT, and some Soul Reaver, I didn't play a lot of games in the last month. Exciting I know.
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Underrated Gem of the month
Nascar Rumble
It might have Nascar in the title, but this game has nothing to do with going in circles. What EA did (that's right, EA was capable of making a good game at one time), was take the Nascar license, throw it into Mario Kart style powerup racing, and put them in original non-circular tracks that are full of shortcuts. What you get is one awesome fast and furious racing game. The most feared powerup in the game is the dreaded tornado where your car shoots out a twister that then sets out to spin around any poor sucker ahead of you. If you set the setting up to mayhem, then the volume of tornadoes really increases. It gets quite hectic. Like I said, the tracks themselves are well designed, and are full of tons of hidden shortcuts. This game is just a blast to play. If you've got the ability to play PS1 games, then you really need to play this game. You should even check out it's PS2 sequel called Rumble Racing (they dropped the Nascar license). You really won't be disappointed even if you're not big on racing games.
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The Send-off.
Well that's the end of the fourth issue of 2.5D. I hope you enjoyed reading it, and for all you people pushing me to get this issue out, it's 2:30 am right now. I'm going to lose sleep. I hope you're happy with yourselves. J/K Sleep is overrated.
Anyways, I'd like to thank captaininsano15, FETALJUICE, and ShortHairedOffender for their contributions. If you'd like to contribute, then I'm only a PM away. I'd also like to thank Gamepro for providing me with the Mass Effect, and No More Heroes screens.
Also, here's a thought for some of you guys out there, 2.5D doesn't have to be the only blogzine on Gamepro.com. I'd love to see more members create their own blogzines. I'd gladly contribute to theirs. I won't get mad if other people start their own. I'm just glad to see that more creative blogs are popping up as of late Looks at Spooty's podcast.
Anyways, that's all folks I hope you enjoyed reading this issue. Now I can rest.
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