After a few lackluster weeks, Q2 2011 finally gets some hot videogame releases! Portal 2 and Mortal Kombat top the list. Flying under the radar is SOCOM 4. The PSP gets a spruced up version of one of the best Final Fantasy games of all time along with sequel content in Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection.
Any of you picking up new games this week?
My nerd friends were jazzed about the premiere of Game of Thrones, the HBO series based on George R.R. Martin’s books. I haven’t read the books yet (I really want to), so the TV series doesn’t mean as much to me as it does to several of my friends. As a newb, I found the show interesting, though the amount of characters was a little intimidating. Still, Sean Bean is cool (partially because he looks like Triple H) and that Daenerys chick has perky boobs. I’d like to see more Bean and boobs.
Any of you catch the show? What did you think?
Personally I’m against killing any established brand, even if it has been run into the ground. One of the things I’ve learned from comic books is that the right creators can revive any franchise. Hell, Kevin Smith made…
Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Victor Ortiz’ excellent win over Andre Berto, when CC Sabathia will get his first win, or Chris Klein confirmed for the next American Pie sequel, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
While I was listening to David Jaffe talk about Twisted Metal last week, a journalist mumbled, “Sony should just cancel this franchise.” I thought the comment was rude and inappropriate. I’m also positive that the journalist didn’t say that to Jaffe during his on-camera interview. That said, his words stuck in my head. Are there gaming franchises that should be given the Old Yeller treatment?
Personally I’m against killing any established brand — even if it has been run into the ground. One of the things I’ve learned from comic books is that the right creators can revive any franchise. Hell, Kevin Smith made Green Arrow cool — a comic book about a rich guy with an Errol Flynn fascination, bad facial hair, and no superhuman powers.
What do you think? Are there any videogame franchises that should just be killed? Any sequels that make you go, “Please! For the love of God just stop!!!”
Here’s my Shacknews preview of Twisted Metal. I had some hands-on time with the game and really enjoyed the hell out of it. Like Paul Walker, the game is fast and furious. Here’s a clip from the preview:
I was really impressed with Twisted Metal’s diversity in vehicles, multiplayer modes, and gameplay styles. The game offered visceral chaos and controlled frenzy. Most importantly, every mode I played was flat-out fun. While I’m definitely interested to see how the single-player mode is coming along, from the multiplayer sessions I recently enjoyed, Twisted Metal seems like it will be worth the wait.
Any of you interested in this game? The multiplayer looks like it’ll be killer.
2K has pulled a Nintendo on me. By that I mean that it has me on the hook for three versions of the same game. Hell, I don’t even remember how many times I’ve bought Super Mario Bros. for various…
Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Paul McDonald’s unfortunate exit from American Idol, Scarlett Johansson moving in with Sean Penn, or Manny Pacquiao possibly fighting Kermin Cintron, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
I’ve played more than a thousand hours of Civilization Revoltion for iPhone. I’ll play more than a thousand hours of Civilization Revolution for iPad. If 2K releases an Android version, I’ll buy that and play the hell out of it too. 2K has pulled a Nintendo on me. By that I mean that it has me on the hook for three versions of the same game. Hell, I don’t even remember how many times I’ve bought Super Mario Bros. for various Nintendo platforms.
Several of my friends have bought multiple versions of Super Mario Bros., Final Fantasy IV, Chrono Trigger, etc. From the originals to portable versions to digital downloads, it’s kind of astounding that we’ve bought the same game over and over again. How about you? Have you bought the same game multiple times? Or are you free of this madness? If you’re among the afflicted, please list the titles (and platforms if you can remember them) that you’ve bought over and over again.
Today’s poll was inspired by RPadholic Sandrock323. He mentioned that he never uses his Nintendo DS while…uh…making a deposit in the bathroom. He believes that his DS is too sacred. Do you agree? Is it okay to play some DS or PSP while doing the #2? How about web browsing on your Android phone or iOS device? Kindly take today’s poll and elaborate (hopefully not in a gross way) in the comments section.
[poll id=”111″]
Since most of us stream movies from Netflix, I thought it would be cool to give each other weekly movie recommendations. Social discovery is all the rage and I think it would be awesome if we all shared one pick a week since we “know” each other. This week I’m suggesting Chocolate. It’s a Thai martial arts movie starring the outstanding Jeeja Yanin. She’s just a phenomenal talent with a potentially huge future. Although aspects of the movie are raw (it was made in a third-world country, after all), the fight scenes are some of the best I’ve seen in years. Check out the clip above for a taste of Chocolate (*snicker*).
If you happen to stream my pick, I’d love to hear your thoughts on it. Now its your turn to suggest one movie we should all watch. Please make sure it’s available on Netflix streaming.
I can’t stop playing Civilization Revolution for iPad…but I must. I’ve only scratched the surface of Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery EP and I really want to play more of it. The game is so clever and stylish. It brings me back to glory days of point-and-click adventures. I’d also like to play more Final Fantasy III on my iPad. Unfortunately, it’s only optimized for iPhone, so I have to double the resolution. It still looks pretty good…and job systems frickin’ rule.
How about you? What’s on your weekend playlist?
“Hi, I’m Adam,” he said. That’s how Edge introduced himself to me during WrestleMania 22 weekend. Due to spinal stenosis, Edge is retiring as a WWE wrestler. It was cool watching him evolve from Gangrel’s sidekick to a hilarious mid-carder. While I enjoyed his goofy days with Christian the most, I was impressed that he was able to become a top face and an excellent heel. Sadly, he has to retire early (by wrestling standards). The good news is that the doctors diagnosed his affliction early and he won’t cripple himself in the ring. Who knows what could have happened if his ladder match with Alberto Del Rio went as scheduled.
I know that some of you discussed this yesterday, but I wanted to give Adam Copeland a.k.a. Edge his own space. He definitely entertained me (I had the benefit of flash photography) over the years. I’d love to hear your favorite Edge moments. Kazoos rule!!!
People in the gaming business love creative games. Titles like Flower, Limbo, Braid, Swords and Sworcery, etc. are almost universally loved by people in the gaming the business. Some feel that…
Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, getting busy signals when you’re trying to vote for Paul McDonald, Kobe Bryant’s unfortunate language, or BlackBerry PlayBook reviews, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
People in the gaming business love creative games. Titles like Flower, Limbo, Braid, Swords and Sworcery, etc. are almost universally loved by people in the gaming the business. Some feel that these games deserve every bit of praise they get. Others feel that insiders get overly enamored with games that are different, simply because they’re different.
I think both are true to a certain degree. I adore Flower for its originality and uncanny resemblance to several dreams I’ve had. I also understand that most gamers are of the balls-and-guns variety — Madden and Halo are way more important to them than some artsy game with flower petals that may or may not be the result of too many marijuana brownies. I can count on writing about a Madden game or a Halo game every year or so, but a game like Flower is more exciting to write about because it’s atypical.
Do you think the gaming business is guilty of overrating and over-hyping creative games? Or should these titles be lauded for being refreshingly different? Do you like reading about and playing unique games from indie developers? Or would you rather stick to balls and guns?
