I can has virus?

And ironically enough, I'm not even making one of my one million back-logged Biohazard jokes.

I'm just also posting to say "I live", my across-the-lake friend. I got a virus at the beginning of last week, and messed my self all kinds of up. Just wanted to say I'm glad you're among the sentient, and wish you the best of luck with the trip, the GF (hug Phoenix for me, would 'ya?), and your delectable kidney pies.

I'll toss a true post here tomorrow ranting about the differences between "Survival Horror" and "Survival Action". It'll be... uh, something.

Cheers, mate.

No rush to get back

Yes, I'm still here and yes, I'm still alive. I feel bad about leaving all of you for so long, but I finally have a chance to give you a quick update as to my holiday goings-on. As far as gaming goes, well, I've hardly played anything all week. I have DS games with me, but just haven't found much time to play them amongst all the fun and excitement of England.

I also haven't been able to keep up to date with all the video game news for the last week. Thankfully, it's not the time of year when there's a lot to cover, but there are still a few things worth mentioning. You may have noticed that I haven't done my weekly Rock Band updates, but that's because there are songs I want to buy, so I'll do a big catch-up post when I get back and have a chance to play them.

I'm also looking forward to playing Uno Rush, the newest version of the classic card game, which was released recently on XBLA. It's been a while since this game was announced, and of course it has to come out when I'm not around, but it's still a must-buy when I return. I just hope that everyone hasn't gotten bored of it by then, or discovered glitches and other ways of cheating.

So that's about all for now. Sorry again to my regular readers who have no idea what's going on because I haven't been here to fill you in, but I'll be back before the end of the week, and eager to kick things into high gear. Maybe we'll even get a few posts from my other writers, if Chris can pull himself away from Resident Evil 5 and Ed can turn off Team Fortress 2. So until then, have fun, play safe, and I look forward to talking to you all soon.

And the beat goes on

Okay, so picture this: You take a day off, and decide to go and visit an i am 8-bit art show that just came to town. After this, you go out clubbing with some friends and dance until the wee hours of the morning, finally falling asleep to the sound of your roommate playing Pong. That night, your dreams would probably look something like Bit.Trip Beat, a brand new WiiWare title developed by Gaijin, and published by Aksys Games.

First, I should say that, yes, you heard me correctly: I'm actually playing a Wii game. It's been quite a long time since I felt the need to fire up the little white box under my TV, but I just have a hankering for anything rhythm-based, and it gave me a chance to try out Nintendo's online marketplace, after two-and-a-half years of owning the console. No, I haven't spent a single Nintendo Point up 'til now, but my experience with the Wii Shopping Channel should be left for another time; right now I'm here to discuss my first purchase.

So as I said, Bit.Trip Beat is a strange mix between Pong and clubbing. Holding the Wii-mote like an NES controller, you twist it forward and backward to move your panel up and down the left side of the screen. From the right side of the screen come little pixely blocks, and you must move to the right place in order to bounce them back. The thing is, the blocks all arrive in time with the music, and hitting them correctly plays a chiptune over the top of the beats.

The music is really the first thing I noticed in this game, except for maybe the visual style. It's awesome electronica that builds up more as the stages go on. There are also three "levels" within those stages; you start in the middle one, but by hitting many blocks successfully you raise up to the top one, where all of a sudden the music becomes more full and your chiptune more melodic. However, miss too many and you drop back down. Miss many more and you drop down even lower, into the bottom of the three levels, in which the visuals are vastly degraded and the only sounds emanate from the Wii-mote, not the TV. Not only is this a very cool effect, but it makes me want to hit those long combos in order to hear the excellent music as it was meant to be heard.

At first, the blocks simply fly from right to left at you, but very soon it starts to get tougher as they start bouncing off walls or coming at you at different speeds. This is where the real challenge lies; keeping your combo up with things flying at you from all directions. You really have to get yourself "in the zone" if you wish to proceed, as casually playing will no doubt find you at the game over screen before too long. Finally, just to make things a bit harder, you will occasionally be issued "challenges" (in the form of white blocks), that will make your panel bigger or smaller for the next ten or twenty seconds. Although these can lead to big points, they can also lead to death if you find yourself with a tiny panel just before a really difficult section.

This leads me to my first gripe. There are only three stages to unlock in the game, all of which are about ten minutes long. It can be a real pain when you fail nine minutes in and have to start all over again, and I feel that the game would have been better if the stages had each been split, with some kind if checkpoint half-way through. However, since they are the same every time, it just comes down to memorization in order to pass (as well as quick hands).

Another aspect that's a little disappointing is the lack of online leaderboards. With it's score-based gaming, Bit.Trip Beat would have been ideal for this, but unfortunately, it's local leaderboards only. The lack of online functionality also means that we probably won't be seeing DLC in the future, which is a shame. However, it does offer a multiplayer option, but this is only for people in the same room as each other.

Ultimately, though, Bit.Trip Beat isn't about online multiplayer or DLC, but harks back to an older era of gaming where visuals weren't what drove the industry, but rather fun, addictive gameplay. That's not to say the visuals aren't impressive, but it's more of a Geometry Wars kind of impressive, not a Gears of War kind of impressive. The music is great however you look at it, though, and I found it equally awesome the tenth time I played a stage as the first time. It's also nice when you can keep your combo going during a difficult section, just to hear the fantastic chiptunes emanating from your speakers.

So overall, I would definitely recommend Bit.Trip Beat. However, I can't say it's ideal for everyone. If you have slow reflexes, an aversion to electronic music or, heaven forbid, epilepsy, then maybe you should give this one a miss. However, for everyone else out there who's noticed that there haven't been a whole lot of original games on the Wii, I seriously suggest you check this one out. It's just a shame that it had to arrive so close to the start of my vacation, as now I won't be able to finish it until I get back. However, it's certainly shown me that WiiWare can be awesome, and I'm excited to see what else is in store for the future.

Bit.Trip Beat is available now for 600 Nintendo Points ($6).

Leaving on a Jet Plane

Well, it may not be Summer yet, but that doesn't mean it's too early for a nice Summer holiday. Yes, I'm sorry to tell you that I'm taking a vacation for a couple of weeks. Long-time readers may remember that I went away shortly after starting this blog, and I'll try, as then, to post something whenever I have access to a computer. Thankfully, I have a new laptop on the way, so this should be easier the next time I decide to take a break.

Of course, I was all on my own the last time, where as now I have some other writers to fill some of the empty space, so readers should still have something worth tuning in for. Don't worry, though, I'll be back on April 3rd, and will no doubt have plenty to talk about.

I'm going to have to do without Rock Band again (and I bet they announce some fantastic DLC the day after I get there!), but I'm very excited because there are not one, but two great looking DS games due to launch in the next couple of days. GTA: Chinatown Wars hits stores tomorrow, and Henry Hatsworth should be arriving on Wednesday. The timing could not be any better, as Wednesday evening is when I take off, and I no longer have a boring plane journey to look forward to.

Anyway, I'll still be here for a couple more days, so I'll try to get in a few posts while I can. And if you all behave while I'm gone, maybe I'll buy you all some nice souvenirs from my trip. But, uh, don't hold me to that....

What's in a name?

You know what I love about RPGs? That you can name all your characters. Well, it's sort of love/hate actually, as I always feel the need to come up with something really cool, at least for the protagonist, anyway. Yes, I often find that naming screen to be the first obstacle I have to overcome, and I just can't get past it until something awesome has come to mind.

Don't get me wrong; I'm not a hardcore fantasy nerd who needs to name everyone "Throgdan the Destroyer", or anything like that. No, I usually just steal names from popular culture. For instance, in Final Fantasy VII, I battled the forces of Shinra as popular singer, Beck. Then in Final Fantasy VIII I took on Ultimecia's minions as well-known celebrity, Jesus (always a favorite amongst the kids). These brilliant names don't always come to me immediately, though, and I sometimes find myself wracking my brain for something just right.

There's one other problem with custom names that I found myself facing recently. You see, I'm still playing through Chrono Trigger on DS. Yes, I know I've been at it for a while, but I sort of got sidetracked, okay? Anyway, upon starting the game, I decided to call the main character Han (of the Solo variety). Then I thought it would be funny to carry on the theme and give everyone Star Wars names. It made my time-travelling adventure even more enjoyable, knowing that my efforts were helping rid the universe of the Imperial Forces.

So where's the problem? Well, as I said, I got sidetracked by other games, and came back to Chrono Trigger after a short break. Naturally, I had completely forgotten everything that had happened and had no idea where I was supposed to go next. So it was time for quick visit to Gamefaqs to re-orient myself and get a reminder of where I was headed. This is when I realized the error of my ways: Having re-named everyone, I had no idea who was being mentioned in the guide. Frog and Robo were pretty obvious, what with them being a frog and a robot (who I called Chewie and C3PO), but who in the world is Marle, or Ayla? They could be anyone!

Yes, I know that I could have looked up pictures of the characters then translated them back into the names of my trusty rebels, but it was tough enough trying to remember the time-bending story as it was.

So let this serve as a warning to anyone about to start a new RPG. Either leave the character names as they are, or at least familiarize yourself with their original titles, just in case. As for me, I'm sure I'll still spend hours trying to come up with the perfect moniker for my main dude, but will probably leave everyone else as they are. I'm afraid the Rebel Alliance will just have to make do without me......

All I want is new DLC

This week in Rock Band, we get a random selection of songs from The Offspring, R.E.M., and Richard Thompson. Okay, The Offspring, I've heard them, but don't exactly like them. I've heard R.E.M. as well, but don't like them either; and as for Richard Thompson, well, I've never even heard of him. Oh well. There's no discount for buying in bulk this week, so those who are less indifferent can pick them up for 160 MSP ($2) each.
Here's what's on offer:

The Offspring - All I Want
The Offspring - The Kids Aren't Alright
R.E.M. - Losing My Religion
Richard Thompson - The Way That It Shows
Note: Click on any song for expert drum videos.

So it may be obvious, but I skipped everything. I guess I just don't care for anything that isn't really fun to play anymore, and all of these tracks looked really easy. Maybe next week we'll get something a bit better.

Also this week, Wii owners can enjoy a random selection of DLC; some from recently, but most from late 2007 when Rock Band first launched. I haven't got reviews for any of them as I hadn't started this blog yet, but I seriously suggest everyone buy Joker & The Thief by Wolfmother. It's still one of my favorite songs to play on drums, and the guitar part is pretty fun and challenging too. Check here for a list of everything available.

In other news, Pwn or Die released a bunch of charts and graphs this week, sorting all 591 available Rock Band songs into various categories. Want to know what genre they all fall into? Well, now you can. Want to know how difficult they all are? You can know that too! I can't say they're all overly exciting, but one stat that should be brought to everyone's attention shows which decade the tracks are all taken from. I had a feeling that they were going a bit light on the 60's releases (the best era for rock music), but now I can see that this period in time has a measly 1.86% of the total songs available. What's up Harmonix? How about a few tracks by The Kinks to increase that number, or maybe some Hendrix, or The Rolling Stones? They may not be too popular with the kids anymore, but kids shouldn't be able to afford a $190 game to begin with!

Wheelin' & Dealin'

Rockstar sure are an interesting company. It's been only a few weeks since we got the first real gameplay footage of GTA: Chinatown Wars (due out next Wednesday), but even this was nothing more than a teaser. Now, with a mere five days until release, they've finally given us something a bit more substantial. In a world where we get massive previews, years before the launch of some games, Rockstar's ability to keep everyone in the dark about their upcoming projects is kind of astounding!

The video shows off a little of the drug dealing part of the game. Okay, so we already knew that you'd be driving around the city with various illegal narcotics, trying to find the best prices (ala Dope Wars), but we didn't know exactly how it would control. Well, now we know, and it's a little worrying. I'm not sure I like the idea of pulling out my stylus just to drag a bag of coke from one sack to the other or select menu items, but this seems to happen a lot.

You see, early DS developers felt the need to shoehorn in touchscreen support, just because that seemed to be the novel new feature of the system. We got excellent titles like Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, which were entirely touch-screen-free, except for every now and then when you'd be required to pull out the stylus for a few seconds. Thankfully, they realized how stupid this was, and many accepted that a DS game can be great even when using only the d-pad and buttons. There are still many fine games that rely heavily on the touch screen, but these ones were clearly designed specifically with it in mind.

However, we must remember that this is the first Grand Theft Auto game to appear on the system, so Rockstar haven't had a chance to figure out what works and what doesn't. I just hope that everything can be accomplished without having to constantly take out my stylus, but I guess we'll have to wait to find out. Apart from this, the rest of the game looks pretty sweet. We only got little snippets before, so even this short trailer seems to show off a lot. The game sure runs smooth, and moving the mini-map to the lower screen should allow them to make it a bit bigger without obscuring the player's view.

But anyway, it's only a few days until I have it in my hands, so I'll hold off on any further opinions until then. For now, here's the video for you to check out:

No continues in real life

There's been much discussion on this topic for the last week, so I figured it was about time for me to throw in my two cents. The subject in question is the "Change4Life" advertising campaign that the UK Government's Department of Health recently unveiled. For those unaware, this is a series of ads targeting parents of child gamers, the most recent of which has appeared in a number of reputable print magazines. It depicts a boy, lazily sitting on the ground with a Playstation controller in his hand. The caption states, "Risk and early death, just do nothing," with the word "Death" written in black.

The British Heart Foundation, Diabetes UK, and Cancer Research have all agreed to back up the claim that video games can lead to obesity in later life. I suppose it's hard to argue that sitting down for hours at a time is good for you, but is it right to single out gaming as the main cause of these problems? After all, there are plenty of other activities that don't involve much movement, such as movies, music, television, books, and board games, but none of these are mentioned in the ad.

It's also important to remember that there has been a vast increase in the number of "active" games over the last few years. First of all, there's the Wii, which has been getting gamers off of their couches for a while now. Okay, so many of the games don't involve more than a simple arm flail, but the success of titles such as Wii Fit should indicate that it's possible to game and get healthy at the same time.

Then there's the popularity of rhythm games, such as Guitar Hero, and Rock Band. Although the guitar parts can be played while sitting down, the vast majority of folks are likely to embrace their inner rock star, and at the very least, stand up. As far as drumming goes, this is tiring no matter how you choose to sit, and studies have shown that even virtual percussion can, in fact, be good for you. We also mustn't forget about games such as Dance Dance Revolution, which is more of a workout than many exercise regimens, and has been released on just about every system possible over the years.

Of course, the biggest opponents to the Change4Life campaign have been the game companies themselves. Sega, Atari, and TIGA have all issued statements denouncing the ads; citing many of the above reasons in their arguments. The UK Government then issued their own statement, in which they said "We are not saying that children shouldn't play computer games or eat treats, but parents and children need to be aware of the benefits of a balanced diet and an active lifestyle. The activities portrayed are examples of poor diet and lack of physical activity."

This statement seems fair, but there are so many factors involved besides video games. We should really look at the internet lifestyle so many have adopted over the last decade. People can do so many things these days without ever leaving their desk, such as working, shopping, communication, and even higher learning. All of these things, coupled with an increase in transportation costs have encouraged many to lead much more sedentary lives than in previous generations, and it's kind of hypocritical to tell a kid to go outside and play, while hunched over a desk sending emails.

So what this really comes down to is, video games have, once again, been singled out as the cause of problems, without looking at the bigger picture. I suppose that they're still a relatively new form of entertainment and, as such, are misunderstood by many older folks (which is pretty much all the government is composed of). I think it's good that health organizations are trying to teach people how to lead more active lives, but this will only be achieved when every factor is taken into account, not just the ones that will get you the most headlines.

Running a little layt

There were many excellent handheld games last year, and one of my favorites was Professor Layton and the Curious Village, for DS. This title puts you in the shoes of an aging English sleuth who is joined by his faithful child companion, Luke (best not to question), in an effort to solve the mysteries of the Curious Village. Peel away the story and European-cartoon-style visuals, though, and what you're left with is a puzzle game, pure and simple. It's chocked full of logic and visual problems which are (loosely) tied into the story, and this is where the real thrill of Professor Layton lies.

Well, it's just been announced that a sequel is on the way. Professor Layton and the Devil's Flute has been teased in the latest edition of Famitsu, which would bring the total number of games in the series up to four. Hang on! Surely I mean 'two', right? Unfortunately, this is another case of an eastern developer being very cautious of bringing their franchise to the western world. Japanese players have been lucky enough to enjoy both The Devil's Box and The Final Time Journey in the year-and-a-half since the launch of the first game, but neither of these have made their way anywhere else yet.

This is similar to what happened with the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney series. By the time the first one made it's way to the US, two sequels had already been released in Japan, albeit for Game Boy Advance, not DS. This meant that while they were preparing the second and third games for the western world, we were already hearing about game number four in Japan, which took some of the excitement away from our upcoming releases.

Now, I don't usually get too excited about sequels, but in this case, I really hope they make their way over to this part of the world. I wouldn't expect much evolution in terms of gameplay, but that's not really the point; I just want a chance to solve more of the mind-bending puzzles. The original made it to the top of the DS sales chart upon release, so there's plenty of incentive to bring the others over, but it's been over a year since then and no word yet. The instruction manual of the first even teased at a sequel, so we know they have it planned; it's just taking a bit longer than expected.

So what's the deal, Level-5? Are you going to bring the further adventures of our favorite professor over to the US, or did you give up on that idea? Maybe once the movie is completed, you'll be able to shift some resources over to localization, and those of us with a serious puzzle jones will be able to get our fix.

You say it's your birthday....

Those who know me personally, or have been paying very close attention, should realize that this week is my birthday. Okay, so it's not technically today, but since I have a hard time getting Thursdays off, I figured it would be best to celebrate when I wasn't working.

I have a new laptop on the way, thanks to my lovely girlfriend, Katie. And in the meantime, to keep me occupied, she bought me a copy of the Korg DS-10 Synth, which I've spent a few hours with so far, enjoying it's analog-synthy goodness. I know I've promised to share my game-related creations with you before, but this time I'm going to upload something, no matter how terrible it is, just so you can hear it.

So anyway, I'm going to get back to the festivities, but it won't be long until the trudge of day-to-day life grabs hold of my ankles and pulls me back down into reality, or whatever state of being it is that I usually occupy. See you all then!

Scream Fortress

I picked up Team Fortress 2 for the Xbox360 as part of the fantastic Orange Box bundle a little under a year ago and instantly fell in love with it. I'm not a big online gamer by any means, but TF2 was so immediately charming, smartly designed and had such tactical depth that I played it almost every day for the best part of 2 months.

Every match seemed to introduce me to some ingenious new gameplay nuance that stemmed from TF2's multi-faceted mechanics, be it the wonderfully designed and balanced weapons or the myriad interactions between the nine vastly different player classes. Along with DooM II, TF2 has to be my favourite multiplayer game ever.

For a time it seemed like I would never grow bored of it.

Eventually however, I did, as TF2 launched with a relatively small roster of maps and only one CTF arena called '2Fort'. Now, if you picked up the PC version over Steam, this isn't even an issue as new maps, gameplay modes and even unlockable class-specific weapons have been pouring out, free of charge over the service since launch.

The 360 and PS3 versions, on the other hand, have received absolutely nothing extra in the way of content since the Orange Box's debut. Valve have been making vague promises about bringing updates to the 360 version since late last summer, but haven't even managed to get a solitary new map out in all that time.

One interesting point Valve keep raising in their defense is that Microsoft are pushing to charge a fee for such a sizable upgrade (in terms of both content and, presumably, file size), something Valve feels is unfair given that PC owners are getting it all at no extra cost. It's a reasonable complaint, but frankly I don't care if it does costs me extra! I'd happily shell out 500, 800 or even a thousand MS points just for something new to play!

It's truly maddening to know that while I slouch in front of my television, sobbing bitter tears into my headset, TF2 playing PC owners are being spoiled rotten with a seemingly endless tide of pristine new content.

If the 360 version doesn't get it's act together soon, I'll have not other choice but abandon my controller and download the PC version over Steam. It hardly seems fair having to pay the team at Valve twice because they're incapable of delivering on their promises, but it seems I have no choice. My thirst for TF2 is endless, and my patience is all but spent.

To Gabe Newell and the team at Valve, from Hell's heart I stab at thee!

Resident Evil Rant 2; I'm so sorry.

I can't help this. I'm a fanatic, and doing this as a countdown to Resident Evil 5. But the other day, I posted something about said game, and Ed mentioned cash-ins by Capcom such as Umbrella Chronicles.

A side note; loved said cash-in.

Carrying on! I will agree at least partially. Capcom, as Godly as I find them, do adore remaking and/or porting their games at least twenty times before letting them rest. Let's see. Resident Evil, Resident Evil Directors Cut, Resident Evil Saturn, REmake, Resident Evil DS, Resident Evil PSP in the works (supposedly).. that's at least five versions of the same game. RE: Code: Veronica, Code: Veronica X, Code: Veronica Gamecube, and now, it seems Code: Veronica Wii.

All in all, ironically, I'm mostly okay with this. They're great games, and deserve these recognitions... but where is the Resident Evil 2 lovin'?

This was rumored even years ago. This was supposed to be the next Wii Resident Evil after four, even. And though Resident Evil 4 is one of my top five of all time, Resident Evil 2 is top two. I would wager most fans of the series agree with me, as well. And I'd say to remake it with the Resident Evil 4 engine, but the zombies are too slow for it. Add more zombies to make it more oppressive is a solution.

I just wanted to vent about this. And now I'm more mad, because I was going to close off this post with a link to some new Mercenaries mode goodness from RE5, but it's been taken down due to user violation!

Rabble rabble.

Surviving's the game

We've finally gotten a few solid details regarding Left 4 Dead's upcoming Survival Mode, courtesy if IGN. We already knew that it would be similar to Gears of War 2's Horde mode, in which the players are pit against endless waves of enemies, but everything else up 'til this point has been speculation.

According to IGN, the mode will take place in sixteen levels. Fifteen of these will be taken from existing maps, and one is a brand new lighthouse level (which the developers claim is the hardest). You start off with the chance to set yourself up: Grabbing weapons, health kits, and gas tanks, then when you're ready, the surviving begins. Regular zombies are quickly joined by special infected, and it's not uncommon to have many running around at once (including Tanks!), so you had better stay co-ordinated if you want to stay alive for long.

There will be plenty of ammo and health packs lying around the maps, but it doesn't sound as though they re-spawn, so you can't stay in the same place for too long. Instead, it's a case of using up everything you can, then trying to get to another supply point. Some of these points remain locked until the match begins, so you can't just collect everything at the start and hold onto them until needed.

Medals will be awarded depending on how long your group survives, but there has been no mention of new achievements yet. This brings me to another interesting point: The matches will only be five to ten minutes long. In fact, the developers say they've never made it past the nine minute mark, although this will probably change depending on which map you're playing. This is excellent for those who want to satisfy their lust for blood, but don't have time to get started on one of the hour-long campaigns. Once your group is dead, your time will be uploaded to an online leaderboard, so everyone else can see how fantastic your zombie killing skills are (or aren't).

So overall, it sounds like a lot of fun. And lets not forget that the update also unlocks the Dead Air and Blood Harvest maps for use in multiplayer, along with a Software Development Kit (SDK) for PC players, allowing for full gameplay customization. Although no release date has been given yet, we can expect it sometime before the Critics Choice Edition of Left 4 Dead hits stores on April 21st.

Here's a video which shows off the new mode, along with the lighthouse level:

Welcome to Ozzquest

Activision recently released some info on the upcoming Guitar Hero: Modern Hits, for DS. Before you stop reading, I should tell you that I don't really care. I mean, the original Guitar Hero for DS was kind of fun, but left me with no desire to pull out my hand-cramp-inducing Guitar Grip anytime soon. However, there's one screenshot, showing off the new fan-request-based story mode, that got me thinking.

In the picture, a girl is asking the player to beat a specific song on bass, with "Bomb Notes" activated, and score at least 70,000 points. It seems that Activision is trying real hard to turn the franchise into more of a "game", which is the opposite of Harmonix's Rock Band, in which the only real purpose is to rock out and feel like you're in an awesome band. But why stop there? If you're going to turn it into a story, with missions to beat, why not just go all out and make it into a proper adventure.

The way I see it, many gamers have at least one plastic instrument sitting in their living room. But up til now, all we've got to use them for is straight-up rhythm games. Isn't it about time we started seeing them in other genres too? I'm not talking about a Donkey-Konga-Jungle-Beat-style platformer, in which you use the instrument to control your character, but more of a hybrid game that uses instrument and controller.

I haven't got any solid concepts, but there are definitely a few idea running around my head. How about a cross between rhythm game and rpg, kind of like Puzzle Quest, only with music sections instead of block puzzles? You could move around the world with the controller, but have the instrument handy in order to do battle. Maybe you'd be using rhythm sections to throw spells at the opponent, or maybe it would just be a case of getting a higher score with certain variables active. Either way, it could be fun.

Or you could go one step further, and incorporate the instruments into an mmorrpg. Since Activision/Blizzard own both the Guitar Hero and World of Warcraft licences, this idea isn't too far-fetched. You could introduce a new, bard-type character who would play songs during battle to boost stats. Every song would be a short section that the bard would have to play on their chosen instrument. More powerful spells would involve playing more difficult sections, but you wouldn't have to hit 100% in order to cast. However, the better you do, the stronger the spell will be, and hitting every note could even cause an additional boost.

I suppose you could use the instruments for controlling a whole game, though, if you went with a Patapon-style strategy title. Instead of simply tapping "Patta Patta Patta Pon", you would be drumming out proper rock beats, with more complex fills to pull off special attacks and manoeuvres. In this case, you could even use the controller for navigating the menus, as there would be no gameplay outside of the battles, except for some fun, rhythm-based mini-games.

I'm sure there are many other instances where our plastic peripherals could be used in fun ways, but so far no-one seems willing to try the concept out. There was a rumor going around for a while which stated that Tim Schafer's new game, Brutal Legend, would include support for Guitar Hero guitars, but this has since been debunked. Of course, this could be because the game was recently picked up by EA, the publishers of Rock Band, and it's unlikely that they'd want to give publicity to their competitor by advertising this feature. Unfortunately, they said that it won't work with Rock Band stuff either, but maybe they'll change their mind as it gets closer to release.

So how about it, developers? Is there a possibility that we'll soon be using our expensive controllers in a wider variety of titles, or will it always be just for rock games? I'd even settle for some smaller, downloadable titles, if that's what it takes to introduce people to the concept. With the launch of the XNA Community Games Channel on Xbox 360, it seems like we finally have the perfect place to try out some of these idea with minimum risk; it just takes someone brave enough to make that jump. Until that point, I guess my plastic instruments will only be used on those occasions when I want to feel like a rock star.

Which is every day, come to think of it.

An offline experience

Xbox 360 owners have been enjoying all the features of the New Xbox Experience for a while now. But what about all those poor unfortunates who don't have their system connected to the internet? How will they receive the update, which brings a whole bunch of functionality to their favorite console? That question has now been answered, thanks to Microsoft's Larry Hryb a.k.a. Major Nelson.

According to Larry, Microsoft has begun shipping games that include the NXE update right on the disc. They haven't revealed exactly which titles feature this update, but we should assume that, from here on out, they all will. However, for anyone who's been holding out on the update, you should know that it will be mandatory in order to play the games. Much like PSP owners who don't want to upgrade their firmware, 360 players will soon find their system unable to run the latest games until the NXE is in place.

Okay, so they've answered how internet-less folks will get the update, but they haven't mentioned why. I suppose there are a few functions they could utilize, such as the ability to copy games to the hard drive, but about 90% of the NXE's features are based around connectivity. Things like the party system, improved marketplace layout, Community Games Channel, upcoming Primetime games, and Netflix Video Channel, are all irrelevant to those without Xbox Live. Even creating an avatar seems silly when you can't show it off online.

Of course, this could be part of a clever plan by Microsoft to increase the number of Xbox Live subscriptions. Once these new NXE users see all the cool features that are inaccessible to them, it may finally motivate them to get connected. Then they can experience the Xbox 360 as it was meant to be.

A flood of new DLC

This week in Rock Band, get ready for some hardcore guitar playing with Stevie Ray Vaughan. Players of the original Guitar Hero will remember the track Texas Flood, but now lucky Rock Banders have access to the entire album. Alongside this is a single track from No Doubt; one of the ones that was absent from the singles collection released in December. Texas Flood will set you back 1280 MSP ($16), but every track can be purchased individually for the usual price of 160 MSP ($2).
Here's what's on offer:

By Stevie Ray Vaughan
Love Struck Baby
Pride and Joy
Texas Flood
Tell Me
Rude Mood
Testify
Mary Had a Little Lamb
Dirty Pool
I'm Cryin'
Lenny

No Doubt - New
Note: Click on any song for expert drum videos.

So when this week's DLC was announced, I was fairly excited. I'm always looking for an opportunity to re-visit some of the classics from Guitar Hero, and I also planned on picking up Pride and Joy, just because it's cool. Unfortunately, just because Stevie Ray Vaughan can deliver some difficult guitar riffs, doesn't mean that the rest of the band share his talent. It turns out that the tracks I wanted are mind-numbingly easy on drums, so they didn't seem worth the money. Even though some of the other songs looked fun, I just didn't care for them much so, once again, I skipped everything.

Also this week, Wii owners can enjoy the 3-pack of songs by Jimmy Eat World, that was released last week on other systems. All of this week's DLC is also available, indicating that Harmonix are trying hard to bring the Wii version of the game up to sync with the other versions. Click here for info on the JEW pack.

In other news, the ESRB website recently revealed a rating for a new Rock Band track pack, entitled Classic Rock. Although no track list has been revealed yet, it's clear from the content descriptors that we will be getting songs from Steve Miller Band, as well as the Dead Kennedys. I suppose it's nice for those who don't have an internet-connected console (or those who own the gimped PS2 version), but everyone else has had access to these for a while now.

We've also gotten some more details on Harmonix's Beatles Game, thanks to the offical site that was just launched. But wait! Why am I talking about this here, since they previously announced that it would not be a Rock Band game, but rather a stand-alone product. Well, I guess they changed their mind, as it's now entitled The Beatles: Rock Band. It will still be a separate game, but will work with all current peripherals (I assume that means Guitar Hero ones too, since they're all compatible now). However, for anyone who feels that they don't already own enough plastic instruments, a limited edition bundle will be available for $250, that features replicas of the instruments used by the band.

The Beatles: Rock Band will be released on 9/9/09. Hopefully we'll be getting more details, including track listing, at some point soon.

The pitch is black

Back in 2004, Starbreeze Studios released a game called The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, for Xbox. It tied in with the movie Pitch Black and it's sequel, The Chronicles of Riddick, in which dangerous criminal Richard B. Riddick (who I will refer to as Dick) finds himself on a strange planet with all manner of crazy aliens out to get him. Although I never saw the movies, I heard that the game was really good, and not just for a licenced title.

Well, Dick is back, this time in a new game called The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena, which is due for release in April, on PC, Xbox 360, and PS3. The thing is, it's not entirely new, but rather a re-working of the original title, as well as a whole new story to go with it. Having heard so many good things about the first game, I figured that the sequel might be quite good, which is why I eagerly downloaded the demo that was made available yesterday on the XBLM.

It starts off in a spaceship, or something like that. Since there's no opening sequence, I just have to guess at the location, but the first thing you are tasked with is to "distract" two guards, which is accomplished by cutting them to ribbons with your curved blades. Throwing a rock probably would have been fine, but whatever. After this you must engage in combat with another guard, and this is where you realize that this isn't a straight-up first -person shooter. Instead, melee combat comes into play, as you have the ability to strike as well as block with your blades, which feels a lot like Condemned.

It's not long before you find a gun, though, and this is where things started to go downhill for me. You see, the shooting just doesn't feel quite right. This may be partially because of the weird camera, which starts off moving slow but quickly accelerates, and partially due to the lack of (or at least, very subtle) auto aiming. It's not like I expect to be able to pull off a headshot every time, but having to adjust and re-adjust your aim can be a little frustrating. In fact, it reminded me of Mirror's Edge, but the shooting in that game could be avoided for the most part, where as Chronicles seems to be a lot more combat-focused. Therefore, I could imagine the control becoming a bit annoying after a while. Maybe if I played around with the sensitivity I would find a setting that felt better, but I'm not sure.

Shooting isn't the only way of dispatching bad guys, though. Dick has the ability to sneak along and take people out with stealth kills. These are your standard sneak-up-and-stick-your-blades-in-someone's-back attacks that we've seen in may games over the years. Maybe once they would have seemed cool and gory, but games like Manhunt and Ninja Gaiden 2 have de-sensitized me to anything less than limbs and heads flying everywhere. Also, the stealth mechanic seems kind of basic. There's no knocking on walls to attract attention, or meter that shows your visibility. I think that hiding in the shadows makes you invisible (because the screen goes kind of blueish), but this is never confirmed in the demo, so I can't say for sure.

One part that's kind of cool has you getting into a machine and taking control of a drone. This is basically an automated soldier with a gun, who you can use to take out some enemies. However, it doesn't feel too different from just shooting them yourself, but at least you don't have to worry about dying, as you can just take control of another drone if you need to. This part also contains the only puzzle of the demo, although I'm not sure if that's a very accurate description, as it isn't exactly puzzling. Maybe it wasn't supposed to be.

After this, it's just a case of taking out a few more baddies, then the demo ends. Before this point, though, I got a few laughs from hearing the enemy insults. One guy threatened to rip my lungs out of my ass, while another clearly got his masters degree at the Marcus Fenix school of game dialog, as he advised me to "Eat sh*t and die!". In fact, this was probably the high point of the whole experience.

So overall, I was not impressed with the Chronicles of Riddick demo. Maybe in 2004 some of the gameplay mechanics would have seemed fresh and original, but we've seen some interesting first person games since then, so it just comes off as kind of generic. I haven't completely written off the final game though, as it's possible that this 5-minute snippet didn't accurately capture the feel of it. Hopefully it's just another case of a developer releasing a bad demo for a good game, but if it turns out that this demo really is representative of the full product, I think I'm going to give it a miss. I guess we'll find out when it hits stores on April 7th.

Beautiful Freak

I just read that Bethesda has released an update for Fallout 3 on 360 that adds some graphical bells and whistles that were, up until now missing on the Xbox port of this critically acclaimed Post-apocalyptic rompathon.

Back when Fallout 3 launched late last year, reviewers quickly identified the 360 version of the game as the superior port, citing the PS3 version's poor framerate and graphical glitches as a compelling reason to side with Microsoft's big fat console that could. What I didn't realize, however, was that the 360 version apparently had it's own graphical shortcomings at launch in the form of less detailed environmental textures and a lack of specular lighting throughout the game world.

Now, I played Fallout 3 on the Xbox, having already had my fingers burnt by the PS3 too many times to trust it with such a hotly anticipated release, and I thought the game was nothing short of stunning even with these omissions. However, it seems those boffins at Bethesda weren't happy and have given us 360 owners the added visual gloss that we were denied at launch... Well, in some places, at any rate.

Oddly, it seems that the extra shiny is currently only switched on some of the time, so while texturing and lighting have been improved in a significant number of locations, there are many more where they've decided to leave things untouched. There's some speculation over whether it's a performance thing, or if Bethesda are simply getting parts of the game engine up to scratch for their next DLC release, The Pit.  Either way, it's still a compelling enough reason to revisit pretty much everyone's favorite game of 2008. 

Now, where did I put my Alien Blaster?

Resident Evil Rant 1; A link to the Pest

Alright, first off, I must declare; I am a rabid Resident Evil fanboy. I did stay away from Survivor, and the Outbreak series (tried it once; ask for scar pics), but that is only a judgment call made in good taste.

I decided in anticipation of Resident Evil 5 (ohnoesmypants) to pick up RE4 to get myself into the holiday spirit. Now, it must be noted that I spent over one-hundred hours on this game for the Gamecube (r.i.p., you little hero), but I made it a point to stay far, far away from it on the PS2. I'm sorry, Playstation is where RE came from, but it seemed Nintendo was where it went to college. The controls were God-Awful, and it seemed that someone recorded the Gamecube gameplay, and taped it onto the PS2. It just didn't look good.

Bear in mind, this is not a biased comment. I worship RE2 on the PSX, and I remember the travesty of it's conversion onto the N64. It sucked so bad.

Anyways, one upside of the PS2 version was Seperate Ways, those new side missions as Ada with added cutscenes. Now, I've been RE-playing (~rimshot~) RE4 this go around on the Wii, and have not up until now had a chance to play those missions. And had completely forgotten about them. Needless to say, when I remembered today, gleeful is an understatement. To find new ways to enjoy an old classic? It's like finding out an old teddy-bear was stuffed with platnium. A very heavy teddy-bear, I guess. But you get the point.

So, why rant about this? Simple. Sometimes, even a game you have played a million and one times may yield new surprises on cross platforms. Especially if you fell out of gaming for a time, a masterpiece can remind you what gaming is; a lifestyle. Not to say you should attempt to make it so, in fact, quite the opposite; I'm going to reccomend doing something here you may not see often on gaming sites, coming from a gamer.

Embrace the casual gamer. They're not the ones making Nintendo put out repetitive crap on an otherwise genius system; Nintendo is. And I remain loyal yet, but remember; without the cash flow coming from that category of consumer, we'd never, ever have a hardcore game. Do you have any idea how much Twilight Princess cost to make? Well, I don't either. Google failed me. But I know it wasn't cheap!

So, as of right now, on the cusp of the greatness that will be RE5, I stand here boldly hand in hand with that manner of consumer; gamer, and one that plays games. For without him, Capcom would have quit making Resident Evil games long ago.

And we can't have that now, can we?

DS? Not i

The DS is a great system. But it wasn't always so wonderful. The original design was big and ugly, with dark screens, weird buttons, and a tiny stylus (snicker). So when Nintendo first announced the DS Lite, many, including myself, had no problem replacing their fat, silver one with the much-improved new model. Now Nintendo are getting ready to launch the DSi, which adds new functionality to everyone's favorite handheld, but will they find the same number of people willing to upgrade?

It's funny, but, all these years later, I'm still perfectly happy with my DS Lite. The same couldn't be said of the original model, which had some obvious shortcomings. The DSi certainly has some interesting features, but it seems like Nintendo are second-guessing their strategy about selling systems. Unlike the PSP, which was always touted as a multimedia device, capable of playing music and movies, as well as games, the DS has always been offered as nothing more than a game machine. This strategy seems to have worked out very well for Nintendo so far, so it's weird that, all of a sudden, they feel the need to offer extra functionality to their consumers.

Also, they haven't done a very good job of talking-up their new features. We all know that the cameras on the DSi can be used to take photos, but what else will they be for? I mean, I can take photos from my phone, but I would hope that in a gaming system they would do more than that. And since the new system now has the ability to play downloadable DSi Ware games, stored on an SD card, how come we haven't been hearing about all these upcoming titles? I know we've heard about some of the games that will be available, but this should really be Nintendo's top focus, as it's the biggest addition to the system.

I suppose we shouldn't expect Nintendo to have a great selection of downloadable games, though. At least, not for a while. I mean, it was a year and a half between the launch of the Wii and the first WiiWare games, and only now are we starting to hear about any interesting ones, so maybe by Spring 2011 we'll start to get some interesting DSi Ware titles, too.

It also hasn't been made clear whether DSi Ware games will be the only ones to support the cameras and SD slot, or if we'll be getting retail games that use these features too. This is an interesting thing to think about, because it could cause potential problems for Nintendo. On the one hand, if stores start getting games that only work on the new system, this could cause confusion amongst consumers, and hassle for store employees who have to explain this to them. On the other hand, if the games have camera support but still work on a regular DS, then we can't expect the feature to be too important, much like the Wii games that have optional motion control.

The release of the new system could also divide the consumer base if we start seeing DSi-only titles. Right now, the DS will play any game released for a Nintendo handheld for the last 10 years, including GBA titles. Of course, the DSi doesn't have the GBA slot, which could be important for some people. Add in the possibility that some games may not work on anything other than the brand new model, and all of a sudden store employees are having to explain the different SKUs to potential buyers, taking away the simplicity that the DS always offered. Anyone who's had to explain the difference between PS3 models should know how much hassle this can be.

So far, you may think that I really don't like the DSi, but this isn't true. I accept that some of the additions are good, such as the larger screens and improved Wi-Fi support, but I just haven't been sold on many of the new features yet. But maybe they're not trying to sell it to me. Maybe it's for all the non-handheld-owners who like the multimedia capabilities of the PSP, but haven't picked one up yet. I suppose that if I didn't already own a DS, I'd probably want the newest model, even if the new functions weren't very well utilized. However, with a $169.99 price point, I don't think I'll be replacing my current system any time soon.

So what about you? Are any of you planning on picking up the DSi when it hits stores on April 5th? Feel free to leave a comment telling us why you are, or aren't, looking forward to the new system.

Full of beans

Do you remember A Boy and His Blob? Old-school NES fans are probably nodding their heads right now, thinking back to time once forgotten. For those who don't, it was a puzzle platformer released back in 1989, in which you fed different flavored jelly beans to your faithful amorphous companion, causing him to shift into various forms: A ladder to help you climb; a hole to drop into; a blowtorch for burning down spider webs (seriously), and so on.

Well, it's back. At least, according to the April issue of Nintendo Power. The issue isn't on shelves yet, but the front cover is available for viewing, and this is where the beans are spilled. According to the mag, A Boy and His Blob will be getting a "reinvention" for the Wii. I'm not sure how much I care for the term "reinvention", as it doesn't make a whole lot of sense. I mean, once something's been invented, it already exists. You can't re-invent it, unless you go back in time to before it was released, and start fresh. How about just calling it a remake?

Anyway, reinvention, reimagination, or remake, it all amounts to the same thing, and could turn out to be quite fun. That is, unless they shoehorn in some bad motion controls, such as flailing your arm to throw the jelly beans into your blob's waiting mouth. Well, at least the Wii doesn't have a microphone on it, or I'm sure we'd be whistling to get his attention too.

No details are really known yet, but we'll be hearing more once the April issue of Nintendo Power hits stores. Oh, and if you're an investor, I'd suggest buying those Jelly Belly shares now, before prices go through the roof!

Really. Really.

So. More Were-hog.

Can someone maybe tell me why?

Here's the thing. Sonic Unleashed had the sincere potential to be a good Sonic game; I repeat, a good Sonic game. Do you guys remember those?Sonic Advance series aside, the last time we had an amazing one was Sonic & Knuckles, and a decent set the Sonic Adventure games. I have friends younger than Sonic & Knuckles at this point! No white vans involved, I promise.

How hard is it to get; fast hedgehog, hopping on crap, coins. Repeat. Thats all it takes! And Sonic Unleashed had most of it down! And then? Were-hog. Somewhere along the line, it turns into a Prince of Persia game, minus the fun. Why? It's like eating pizza, and then desert is brought out; donkey fecal matter. But don't worry, it's cake shaped. So, it's kinda' still cake; just made of donkey crap.

Where I work, I've met little kids not just dissapointed for getting it as a gift, but for having parents who got it for them. They asked me what they did wrong. I told them simply this; God hates them, and this is their punishment for being brought into this world. A world where bad games happen to good people, and hedgehogs fall so far from grace that they feel dirty even as they shower.

This needs to stop. Now. We need an anti-Hedgehog coalition as to stop these facists from ruining what is left of Sonic's name. Has anyone dug up Biggy and propped him up with two-by-fours and twine? Duct-taped JFK to a podium and played recorded speeches? Given Carrot Top a sitcom? No. These atrocities will not happen.

But some do.
Won't somebody please think of the children?

Okam-Wii

Recently I had the pleasure of spending some serious time with the Wii port of Clover Studio's stupendously beautiful PS2 adventure, Okami.

As anyone who has played Okami can attest, it was a real classic. The visuals were (and still are) truly exquisite, the game's storytelling and sense of humor were absolutely spot on and the gameplay, although obviously inspired by The 3D Legend of Zeldas, felt wonderfully fresh and original.

Now, Okami relies heavily on a game mechanic called the 'celestial brush', which would freeze time and transform the world into a canvas you could draw on with magic ink to fight evil demons and solve environmental puzzles. With it, you could make flowers appear out of thin air, send trees bursting out of the ground and bring dying plants back into full bloom. By slashing with your paintbrush, you could cut enemies and objects in half, while sketching a circle with a line coming diagonally out of it created a powerful bomb that cracked walls and skulls alike

There seemed to be no end to the number of imaginative uses the celestial brush had, and finding new techniques was one of the most joyful experiences in the game, but frankly, trying to reliably draw shapes on the screen using an analogue stick was not the easiest thing in the world. It could get very frustrating when the game refused to recognize the shapes you were trying to draw.

Given the Wii pointer's ability to approximate a computer mouse, it would seem the ideal matchup for such a mechanic, and for the most part I'm delighted to say that it is! In particular, drawing bombs used to be a total pain in the arse on the PS2 version, but thanks to the pointer it has been transformed into simplicity itself. Besides the ease of drawing the shapes, it also just feels right to be making the same motions with your wrist as you would if you were holding a pen to a piece of paper and sketching it for real.

As always, however, the Wii remote is a bit of a double edged sword and the combat controls are now a little more tricky thanks to the basic attack being mapped to a waggle gesture. It's by no means a big problem, but the game does sometimes inexplicably disregard a series of waggles that, by rights, should be triggering a nice juicy combo.

Overall, I'd have to say that the slight loss of reliability in some areas of the controls is more than made up for by far superior celestial brush input and would recommend the Wii version over the PS2 version. Either way, you're still getting one of the best adventure games ever to play, so don't worry too much.

One last thing worth mentioning is that the PS2 features a very prominent and very beautiful papery filter overlaid on the screen that gives things an incredibly stylized look. For some reason, this effect has been made significantly more subtle on the Wii version. Resultantly, it is in my opinion slightly less jaw dropping, but it does help you to see into the distance more easily and spot tiny details that often indicate hidden treasure.

Anyway, if you haven't sunk your canines (har har) into Okami yet, then stop wasting time and get to it!

The Dominus effect

That fool, Albus. He's taken Dominus, the ultimate weapon against Dracula, and run off with it, thinking he can harness it's power. Doesn't he realize that only one can be the host, and now she's hot on his tail? That one is Shanoa, and the game is Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia for the DS. It came out a while ago, and I offered up some info on it, but now it's time for the final word.

Okay, so as I said before, this is the third title in the series to be released for Nintendo's duel-screened system, so I didn't start it with quite the same degree of enthusiasm as some other games. However, it quickly became clear that Konami had put some real thought into how to breath some life into the (arguably) stale series. As always, the blend of platforming and RPG is really the draw here. Anyone who enjoys stats, items, leveling up, and many types of magic and weaponry, but gets bored with slow, turn-based combat or complex story, can't go wrong with this series, and OOE is no exception.

I imagine it would feel very similar to the last two games, if it weren't for two main differences. Those would be the level design and combat controls. As I mentioned before, the game takes place outside of a giant castle (for the most part), and will see you traveling through smaller, varied levels. Not only does this make things easier when looking for an area you missed, but now it actually makes sense when the scenery changes. Where as in previous titles, it seemed as though Dracula had employed a bunch of different contractors to build his castle, none of whom could agree on the design or color scheme, now we have separate levels in which to mix up the backgrounds.

The combat is also vastly improved over previous entries in the series. Not that there was anything wrong with it before, but being able to equip one weapon in each hand allows for faster attacks than ever, and the wide variety in weapons and magic really allows for customization of your play-style. I like the fact that there's no distinction between a simple sword and and a powerful spell, so you can use any of the 'Glyphs' absorbed from enemies as much as you like, experimenting until you settle on a set of attacks you like. Of course, you can't get too comfortable, as those bosses are usually beaten easiest with one or two specific spells, so acquiring as many as you can is a must.

The acquisition of weapons and spells should really be mentioned here, even though it hasn't changed much. As you defeat enemies, many of them drop Glyphs, which you can then absorb. Some are quite common, but others have a very low drop-rate. As always, though, enemies re-spawn when you leave the screen, so you can constantly defeat any bad-guy as many times as you like, until they drop what you need. This was an area I became a little obsessive over in 2005's Dawn of Sorrow, and the draw is still there. I may not have spent quite as much time doing it, but anyone who's a total completionist could spend hours harvesting these Glyphs.

I found, as the game went on and I acquired powerful attacks, that I rarely used close-up weapons anymore, and instead focused on long-range spells. These can't be fired off with quite the same speed as a sword or knife Glyph, but keeping your distance definitely makes things easier in the later stages of the game. The overall difficulty has been increased from previous entries in the series, so discovering which attacks work best in which situations is a must. You also can't rely on support magic, as many of these spells do little more than boost your stats, although there are a few that add important moves.

I also really liked the quest system, in which villagers assign you tasks that unlock special items upon completion. These are completely optional, but I still found myself doing as many as I could early on in the game, which made things a little easier later on. Once again, completionists will have plenty to do, and should find themselves re-visiting previous levels many times, searching for that elusive enemy or rare item.

Ultimately, though, what makes Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia fun is the old-school platforming action. With so many huge, epic, cinematic titles these days, it's good to remember what made gaming fun in the 2D era. This isn't to say that all of my enjoyment is based on nostalgia, though. I really feel that this game would have been great no matter when it was released, and even though I've beaten the main story, the gameplay is fun enough that I may re-visit it to get some of the hidden stuff I missed. I'm also eager to try out the bonus mode, available upon completion of the game. As with other titles in the series, a second character is unlocked, who you can attempt the entire game with, this time without the use of items or acquisition of new weapons. It's a challenge that hardcore Castlevania fans should love, and adds another few hours of enjoyment to the game.

So overall, I would highly recommend Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia. Anyone who's managed to avoid this series for all these years seriously needs to think about picking it up and finding out what they've been missing. And anyone who's played all the previous games should still pick it up, to see what's been changed. 2008 was a fantastic year for portable gaming, and this was definitely one of my favorites. It's re-invigorated my love of the franchise, and I'm eager to see where Konami take it from here.