Going Retro

I have found three Facebook games that I actually enjoy. Granted, they’re not unique to Facebook; they’re tie-ins/spin-offs of console and PC games. Civ World, Dragon Age Legends, and Assassin’s Creed: Legacy. They’re fun and surprisingly deep, so give them a shot.

I know, these aren’t “retro.” But, I’m constantly seeing ads on the sidebar while playing these games telling me how to play older games like Mega Man X. I first ignored them because I am very familiar with emulators. One day, I got bored and clicked one. Sure enough, it led me to an emulation site. Woo.

Regardless, it just ended up fueling my current Mega Man kick. A couple months ago, a co-worker and I started talking about Mega Man in some depth. It all began when he shared a band called The Megas with me. The Megas have created an album entirely of Mega Man 2 BGM they covered in a rock-style. The catch or hook is that they included lyrics that turn the album into a sort of rock opera telling the story of Mega Man 2. It is fantastic and if you love video game music, Mega Man, or both you are doing yourself a great disservice if you do not listen to it. (Support The Megas and, who knows, they may make another album!)

Since my coworker shared this with me, I realized that I missed out of the whole Mega Man thing. So, I decided to go back and play some of them. I started at Mega Man 1 and had a blast. It was hard as hell, but I loved it. Then I moved to Mega Man 2, and same thing. It felt more polished and I can see why it has such a big fan following. I’m currently on Mega Man 3 and have been having one hell of a time with the Wily stages. Currently, my main trapping is Mega Man X. I have fond memories playing that with a buddy of mine when growing up, though I distinctly remember not knowing what the f*** was going on.

All of this makes me yearn for some of those older sidescrolling platformers. I’m thinking of checking out some I never even played before like Yoshi’s Island or Symphony of the Night. More than anything, though, it’s reinforcing the idea I’ve had in my mind for quite some time. The sidescrolling platformer is nearly dead, and there is no reason for that, and I think we’re on the cusp of a reemergence. When Nintendo brought back old franchises with new coats of paint (New Super Mario Bros., Kirby’s Epic Yarn and Donkey Kong Country Returns), they were reviewed very well. At the same time, Metroid: Other M tried to marry 2D and 3D and received some very mixed results. Then, enter such games as Cave Story, Shadow Complex, Outland, Limbo, Braid, etc. These are all fantastic sidescrolling platformers. Plainly, the genre is still alive and kicking. But, I think we need a full-fledged retail release on the Xbox and PS3 to really bring it back.

And, guess what. We have one coming that may kick off the revolution: Sonic Generations. I recently had the opportunity to try the demo, which consisted entirely of a single stage of the first act of the game. It was more or less a retread of the very first stage Sonic ever sped through, but it was still enjoyable. The controls felt very comfortable and the speed factor was fantastic. I love the colorful and saturated environments as well. My only complaint was that the background was so detailed, I wanted to stop and enjoy it but I was going so fast I couldn’t. Also, the highly detailed environments with all of their depth tended to hurt my eyes a bit when I really started moving as fast as Sonic should. But, the gameplay and ambiance was all there. It was an excellent, albeit short, experience on the whole.

Hopefully Sonic Generations strikes a chord with audiences. I’m still yearning for a new sidescrolling Metroid. I think the 3DS would be a great home, because it would afford a rich pallet upon which the famous Metroid environments could be painted. I always envisioned Brinstar to be a sort of massive underground cavern, and the 3DS could really show that off. I also see foreground environment obstacles that could be used to hide pitfalls or items. The opportunity to showcase perspective is too great to forget. However, I would be ecstatic to see a new Metroid on a regular home console, because all of these ideas would still work on a 2d viewing plane but with 3D models.

Just because we can create 3D worlds in which to navigate does not mean we must. Come on Capcom, do a new Mega Man series with 3D character models on a 2D plane (although perhaps create a hotswap with 8-bit graphics for the purists). Hell, I love Zelda in 3D, but I’d love another top-down Zelda with high-def character models. Perhaps a new Contra? Yes, please. I’m hoping this genre comes back into its own and some more of these iconic characters and franchises come back.

The allure of that which breaks the mold

My Xbox Live membership recently lapsed. And damn it all, I just then got the itch to hunt down some fools like a hooded predator. Needless to say, the Assassin's Creed multiplayer modes keep bringing me back for more and the recent updates on Revelations are not helping me fight he addiction.

There is just something about it that appeals to me much more than running around with a death cannon in my hands. It is less twitch and more observation (even though some people still rush through it a bit). I love trying to hide while hunting my prey.

My original lamentations about it seem to be getting addressed. Revelations will be bringing lobby support which makes me ever so happy. However, more modes would be one of the greatest joys. I love Wanted mode, but I find it too short sometimes. Instead of having enough time to properly track and find your contract while staying hidden becomes a bit of a trick when people who are trying to desperately max their score within the time allotted are dashing from place to place. You have to leave your safety zone to hunt them down, which opens you up and the slippery slope emerges. I wish there was a mode or mechanic that emphasized the more studied approach. Perhaps I sould just play SpyParty instead.

Regardless, since SpyParty will be on PC and still a year or two away, AC will be my bloody drug of choice. I love it so, and it me.

Something Old, Something New

Well, let me start by saying that I'm having fun typing this with basically one hand. I'm having some issues with one of the fingers on my left hand, so I taped two of them together. But then, G4 is running a marathon of Ninja Warrior, so I'm still happy.

Anyway, I just wanted to throw a few things out. I'm sure we're all aware of the PSN problems by now. Sony is at last trying to make good. Too little too late? We will see. At least the Department of Homeland Security is looking into the breach now. Phew! I feel a lot better now.

On to brass tacks...

The biggest reason I'm writing this is a little game called Mortal Kombat. Long story short, if you have any fond memories of Mortal Kombat from your childhood, you should play this game. This iteration of the series, or reboot as they've called it, is basically the model of how a game series gets back to it's roots while still updating to make itself modern.

MK was hugely successful when it was on a 2D plane. When the N64 debuted, nearly every 2D game franchise was trying to move to the 3D space. MK had some success there, but it never really appealed to me so I got out of it. Moving to 3D fighting took away from the core frenetic gameplay that I had come to enjoy at that point. However, the new reboot brings that back in all of its glory and it is beautiful.

Because of my typing handicap, I will keep this brief. As I stated, the new Mortal Kombat is what a franchise reboot should be. It returns to the core of what made Mortal Kombat a sensation in the 90's while cutting out a lot of the crap (or Krap, in this case). The graphics are gorgeous (until you get really close), and the new X-Ray attacks are so satisfying. The story mode is fun and epic, though some of the writing and voice acting is a bit questionable. I haven't played online just yet, but I'm sure it's a blast. Ultimately, Mortal Kombat returns to what made it popular but still kept a lot of modern conventions like online play, 3D models and tag teams.

If you love fighting games, Mortal Kombat in particular, or just like to see people beat the living Krap out of each other, then go out and at the VERY least rent this game. You won't be disappointed.

The official Atomic Gnome score: 8.75/10


And for the record, Johnny Cage may be a "weapons-grade retard" but for some reason I can play him pretty well. So, he may be my go-to guy. Just saying.

It's Been A While, But Here's Some Great Stuff

First of all, this video is pretty damn awesome. It answers the question that no one has asked, even though they should: "What if a Legend of Zelda movie was made in the vein of a teenage romantic comedy?" On top of the great gaming and 80's Teen movie references, they did a FANTASTIC job making this look like a home movie straight out of the 80's or early 90's. Great job!

Apparently a bunch of trolls started a flame war with psychiatrist Carole Lieberman on Amazon by rating her book with really low scores and leaving abusive messages. These responses blasted her for linking, without a doubt, that sexually-themed violence in video games is a major cause of sexual violence. Yet another entry into the "video games are a terrible influence" crusade. And guess what: Her comment was actually quoted by Fox News. Before reading more here, you might want to check out the official story. I found out about it here, but Wired did a real interview with her here. This is also her official press release.

First of all, these trolls need to find a better way of getting their point across. Seriously. These are the same people who yell, "FIRST!" and will state that they "don't care about this post." Get a life.

Second, Dr. Lieberman has stated that Fox News' quote was taken out of context. I'll give her that much. Well played. By the way, do you happen to be related to Joe?

Third, I would not be the least bit surprised that Fox News purposefully posted a quote from Dr. Lieberman out of context to claim another expert opinion against violent video games.

However, Dr. Lieberman has still made comments regarding gamers being violent. Yet, she still has not provided any hard evidence. I will also admit that there is yet to be any conclusive evidence that violent video games do or do not make people more or less violent.

Now, Jane McGonigal interests me, despite her wild mane. She fronts an organization named gameful.org which proposes that video games can actually be beneficial. To me, this is different than saying that video games do not affect people or affect them in specifically negative way. Gameful.org's focus is increasing gaming as a common activity and promoting it's possibly beneficial effects. The organization even goes as far as to challenge developers to design games with this in mind: Your games affect people, so make games while trying to increase the amount of positive influences your games have on people. You know what I say, Dr. McGonigal?

Challenge Accepted.

For more information about Gameful.org please visit their secret HQ at, er....gameful.org. Yeah.

Speaking of great gaming related organizations, check out Child's Play. They could always use more help!

That's it for now. I'll be back soon with some less political stuff soon.

Gnome Out.