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Weekly Poll Results: Are you or do you Plan to Celebrate Halloween in any way/shape/form?
by Ken Cauley | 11/03/09 | 1:27 PM PST



At the beginning of each week, we update our Weekly Poll. You can check out the results for last week's poll just below.

What we asked: Are you or do you plan to celebrate Halloween in any way/shape/form?

What you voted...

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Rock Crushes Scissors, Softcore Games Smother Hardcore Games
by Matt Pearce | 11/03/09 | 8:39 AM PST

Shovelware. It's a new term that, even if you haven't heard it before, you know what it is. It's the term hardcore gamers are using to describe the ever-flowing stream of softcore games that are being dumped on us like the manure they are. You know the games I'm talking about. You've heard of the Imagine series, right? Imagine: Babysitter, Imagine: Fashion Designer, etc. With over 35 titles, and still growing fast, the Imagine series is a perfect example of the terrible, yet somehow popular, games that continue to dominate the casual gamer market like a tsunami.

But these games can't hurt you if you don't buy them, right? Wrong. Shovelware is taking over our gaming platforms because they're cheap and fast to produce, and they sell like hotcakes to 12-year-old girls who, even though they own a gaming platform, know nothing about gaming. Sad, isn't it? You can't really blame these poor little children; these are people who probably would have never wanted to play video games at all if it weren't for Hannah Montana, but can they really be called "gamers" when they know nothing of the epic struggle between Link and Ganondorf, have never heard of the Masamune sword, and think the Master Chief is a robot? I say no, they are NOT gamers.

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Shirt? The Men of Contra Don't Need No Stinkin' Shirt!
by Brian Langlois | 11/03/09 | 8:14 AM PST

I've recently completed Contra ReBirth, and it was quite a fantastic, old-school Contra experience in every respect. I've been a long time fan of the series, but the one thing that I find most compelling about the bullet-hell side-scrollers is the enigmatic characters used therein. They don't really have fleshed out stories or anything, but you can just tell that they are the ultimate badasses! Call 'em Bill and Lance, or Mad Dog and Scorpion, but nobody comes tougher. These are men who, when faced with a full-scale alien invasion of Earth, choose to go into combat alone without even a shirt! I always like to imagine that the Contras are offered all this armor and equipment and they just grab a machine gun (single shot rifle in early games) and a bandanna and hit the road. That's like 80s action movie tough right there!

The fact is you can find a no more manly, testosterone fueled game than Contra, and none of the other tough action game stars can measure up to Bill and Lance. Snake? The Contra guys don't sneak around in cardboard boxes; they make their presence known! Master Chief? Sure he's tough with all that Spartan armor, but could he cut it shirtless? I doubt it! No, Bill & Lance are the guys that Marcus Fenix wishes were backing him up in his battle against the Horde and they are the guys that all video game action stars dream they could be. They're looked up to as the ultimate alien exterminators, and lord help you if they're aiming their Spread gun at you. Plus, they have a helicopter that can land on the moon! How awesome is that?

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Matsuura: Games Need Less Violence, Better Peripherals
by Christopher Burke | 11/02/09 | 4:16 PM PST

Masaya Matsuura - creator of Parappa the Rapper, UmJammer Lammy, Vib Ribbon, and Major Minor's Majestic March - has a couple ideas on how the gaming industry can change for the better.

Asked for one problem videogames face that he could solve, Mastuura replied, "Reducing the volume of games that involve hurting people with knives and guns.

"The recent success of music games and also family games for the Wii springs to mind. Undoubtedly there are other possibilities out there that are as yet undiscovered."

Read on for his thoughts on music games and their peripherals.

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Previews from Eurogamer Expo 2009
by Joel Windels | 11/02/09 | 1:18 PM PST

Here's a quick rundown of all the games I had only a short amount of time with, games that are unchanged since E3 or games I felt ill-equipped to judge. Thusly, I have simply jotted down my initial impressions from playing these games. Full hands-on of other games like God of War 3, Heavy Rain and Dark Void can be found elsewhere here on Kombo.

Bayonetta
It should be established that I am not a fan of the genre as a whole, but Bayonetta particularly offends me. Bearing a strong resemblance to Devil May Cry, Bayonetta is a fighting game that is ridiculously Japanese. Using her hair to summon various mythical creatures and to assume the shape of different objects, the self-titled maiden bludgeons and combos her way through countless enemies.

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Nokia N-Gage: 2003-2009
by David Oxford | 11/02/09 | 11:43 AM PST

Okay, question time: what would come as a bigger surprise to you? That the N-Gage has just been axed by Nokia, or that the phone/video game system even still in business?

Pocket Lint reports that the six-year old device will no longer be supported by manufacturer Nokia, who will instead turn their game-related efforts toward its Ovi Store content portal.

"We are not releasing any more games on N-Gage," said Nokia's Director of X-Media Solutions, Media and Games, Mark Ollila, to Mobile Entertainment News, "although the store - the ability to buy N-Gage games - will remain open until at least September 2010, and the N-Gage service will run through to the end of 2010."

"The message is that Ovi Store is the place to find and purchase mobile games," he added. "It's our one-stop shop for games".

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Now Shipping - 11/02/09 - Rabbids, Dragon Age, NFS, Ghostbusters, and More
by David Oxford | 11/02/09 | 9:36 AM PST

Sunday, November 1st:

• Rabbids Go Home (DS, Wii)

Monday, November 2nd:

• My Baby 2 (DS, Wii)
• Need for Speed: Nitro (DS, Wii)
• Style Savvy (DS)
• This is Vegas (360)

Tuesday, November 3rd:

• Academy of Champions (Wii)
• A Christmas Carol (DS)
• Band Hero (360, PS3, Wii)
• Cop: The Recruit (DS)
• Dragon Age: Origins (360, PS3)
• Food Network: Cook or Be Cooked (Wii)
• Ghostbusters : The Video Game (PSP)
• Hasbro Family Game Night (360)
• Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier (PS2, PSP)
• Jurassic: The Hunted (360, PS2, PS3, Wii)
• Lego Rock Band (360, PS2, PS3, Wii)
• Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 (PS3, PSP)
• Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron (DS, PSP)
• Star Wars The Force Unleashed: Ultimate Sith Edition (360, PS3)
• We Cheer 2 (Wii)
• Wire Way (DS)

Wednesday, November 4th:

• Agatha Christie: The ABC Murders (DS)
• Yoga (Wii)

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Random Video of the Day: Living with First-Person Shooter Disease
by David Oxford | 10/30/09 | 4:30 PM PST

This is slightly old, but I thought it might be fun to post if others, like myself, missed it when it was fresh.

I don't tend to play very many first-person shooters, and as this video reveals, it's probably a good thing that I don't:



I should probably mention that I don't smoke, drink, or do drugs, either. Perhaps I just... knew, somehow. But with stuff like Metroid Prime Trilogy and BioShock 2, I'm not sure how much longer I can hold out.

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Japan Speaks on Which Games Make Them Cry
by David Oxford | 10/30/09 | 12:05 PM PST

Has a video game ever made you cry?

While there are some who scoff at the notion, there are others who are only too willing to admit to it. And in Japan, that's precisely what happened when Oricon conducted a poll to see which games did the trick, with the result and some sample comments being posted today.

The number one game for making Japanese people cry is Final Fantasy X, with one male in his 20s commenting that the fate selected by the main character was just too sad. This was followed by Dragon Quest V, which had one lady crying so hard she couldn't see the screen during Papasu's departure.

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Keita Takahashi is Ready to Make an FPS
by Christopher Burke | 10/30/09 | 11:07 AM PST

First it was Fumito Ueda, now Keita Takahashi is the second prominent Japanese developer to say they'd be interested in making a first-person shooter. Of course, this is Takahashi we're talking about here - the creator of Katamari Damacy and Noby Noby Boy - so when he says 'FPS' you can expect it to be nothing like Halo.

"I had this idea for an FPS where the player's character grows in size, gets bigger and bigger as the game progresses," Takahashi told Develop.

"But as you get bigger some weapons are too small to use, so you have to improvise; maybe throw airplanes at the enemies. That sort of stuff. So I have this idea of making a fun and unique FPS, with the right team it would be a good FPS."

Sounds kind of fun, though Takahashi's games have always featured a recognizable protagonist - either the Prince in Katamari Damacy, or Noby Noby Boy. How Takahashi will keep that design element in an FPS where what your character looks like doesn't really matter would be interesting to see.

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Frankie Says Relax…With a Good Video Game
by Brian Langlois | 10/30/09 | 9:14 AM PST

For most players, one of the main draws of gaming is the thrill and exhilaration that we experience during intense moments. Games are designed to get our adrenaline pumping, making us excited and more immersed in the game world. The rush we feel when completing a particularly difficult challenge is a compelling reason to keep playing. There is, however, another side of this coin. I have found that there are some games that actually help the player relax, allowing them to calmly explore and experience the game world at a leisurely pace. There are a lot of gamers out there that wouldn't appreciate that kind of experience, but I think these games serve a unique role in the industry, and they are becoming ore and more common.

I've been playing some games lately that I would call relaxing. NyxQuest: Kindred Spirits is a great WiiWare title that is really good for a calming play session. I've also recently been playing Braid, which is mentally taxing but doesn't raise one's blood pressure.

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Podcast: Kombo Breaker - Episode 49: David Ellis of 1UP and Video Games (Go figure...)
by Joey Davidson | 10/30/09 | 6:09 AM PST

This is the one before we go crazy with #50. Episode #49 is a fantastic conversation with David Ellis of 1UP.

For those that don't know, David recently took the reigns of 1UP's new podcast, 4 Guys 1UP, in the wake of Garnett Lee moving on to an opportunity with GameFly Media. Make sure you check out their show! As of writing this preview up they've only published their first episode; no time like the present to become a fan! David took some time out of his schedule to hang out and talk games and podcasting with the Kombo Breaker team.

Listen in to hear us talk about BioShock 2, Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time, Guitar Hero, Sean being awful at Modern Warfare and Matt avoiding dream-shattering defeat in the broken(?) Need for Speed: Shift.

If you're new to the show, make sure you subscribe on iTunes. We'd love some feedback either here or on the iTunes show page itself. Follow us on Twitter (@KomboBreaker) or email us (kombobreaker@kombo.com).

Get pumped for #50, it's going to be huge.

Download | Subscribe on iTunes | Episode 49 | 1h 6m

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The Action Movie that is Uncharted 2
by Kyle Wattenmaker | 10/29/09 | 5:26 PM PST

Naughty Dog went into Uncharted 2 knowing exactly what they wanted to create. Every facet of the game was backed by a top tier effort. Uncharted 2 is powered by the most capable graphics engine ever seen in a console game. The art team at Naughty Dog gave that engine exceptional set pieces and an engaging environment to render in exacting and extraordinary detail. The design group toiled to make sure that every element of a great summer blockbuster made it into the game. The final product is practically flawless.

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Project Natal v. the "Wand" Controller
by Matt Pearce | 10/29/09 | 5:16 PM PST

With E3 far in our rear view it's time for the post-trauma to begin! What's the most controversial topic on everyone's mind? The new motion control systems for the 360 and the PS3. I'll tell you what I liked about both control systems, and I invite you to do the same in the comments. Let's keep this (mostly) civil, guys!

360's Project Natal Advantages:
- Uses motion capture techniques to map the player's entire body in 3D space as a controller.
- No button interface required; this makes it more accessible to casual gamers.
- Follows multiple people with no additional hardware required; this has much potential for party gaming.
- Face recognition, voice recognition, and control system integrated into the 360's dashboard.

Disadvantages:
- Slight delay in response time (at least in the live Ricochet stage demo, so it may be faster by release). This delay seemed very minor, similar to the Wii-mote's slight delay.
- Not quite as precise as the PS3 Motion Controller, a drawback for hardcore game genres. This may not be an issue since the device is targeted at a more casual audience.
- Not having a controller can have its drawbacks, for example, how would someone turn the camera to look in a different direction? This could be done with gestures or voice commands, but it seems like it could be an issue. Once again, may not be a problem for casual games.

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What Happened to those Magical Moments of Yore?
by Brian Langlois | 10/29/09 | 6:03 AM PST

When I used to play video games I used to revel in those great moments, the moments that made a game an unforgettable event. There was a steady stream of these back in the good old days as most games I played seemed to stick with me for a while. It seems though that more recent games lack these crucial events that burn into my memory. Maybe I'm just getting old, but I usually find that once I finish one it fades from my mind rather quickly. Are today's games getting too generic to leave a lasting impact?

Some of my favorite classic moments include blowing up Hitler's head in Bionic Commando, the opening sequence to the original Ninja Gaiden, and my favorite magic ink letter that was physically packaged with Star Tropics. These scenes created a powerful connection in this young player, and I can replay them in my head to this day.