Category: PC Gaming

Coffee Talk #79: 2D Gaming in 2010

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, Stephon Marbury’s adventures in China, your Super Bowl XLIV prediction, or Austin Aries being the second-best wrestler in Ring of Honor, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Sega’s announcement that Sonic the Hedgehog will be returning for a brand new 2D adventure has me excited. 2D Sonic games were a huge part of my childhood and stayed with me in my teens and college years. They were just so well done, offering clever gameplay and an unmatched sensation of speed. Plus, Sonic was just cool! (Well…he was until Urkel started voicing him in the cartoon. That was his downfall. Trust me.) Ah, the days when 2D was king…. (I’m going to fetch Daniel Stern for a Wonder Years-type voice over.)

It actually took me a while to get used to 3D games. For the most part, I hated the first generation of 3D platformers and fighting games. They didn’t have the precision controls and deep gameplay that 2D games offered. So much effort put towards the graphics that other aspects of these games fell short. Obviously 3D games have gotten past those growing pains and are today’s norm. But where does that leave new 2D titles?

Do gamers care for new 2D games? Do they sell because of novelty and nostalgia? Is that enough? Did Shadow Complex open the door for fresh 2D gaming experiences? Or was that an anamoly? I’d love to hear your thoughts on 2D gaming in 2010, so please shout it out in the comments section!

Coffee Talk #78: Your Game Developer Dream Date

I’ve “known” a lot of you long enough that I have a pretty good idea of what games you like and don’t like. However, I’m not so sure about your favorite game designers and developers. So let’s play a game! If you could have dinner with one famous game designer, who would it be and why? What questions would you ask him or her?

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,the season premiere of Lost, if Adrien Grenier should change his name to Vincent Chase, or why pinch-to-zoom is a must-have feature, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

I’ve “known” a lot of you long enough that I have a pretty good idea of what games you like and don’t like. However, I’m not so sure about your favorite game designers and developers. So let’s play a game! If you could have dinner with one famous game designer, who would it be and why? What questions would you ask him or her?

As for me, it would be Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto. I’ve had one-on-one interviews with him in the past, but that was in the late ’90s. My recent encounters with the legend have been in group settings. I want more! I’d love to hang out with Miyamoto over a slow dinner, followed by dessert and coffee. I’d love to pick his brain, to see how he gets his amazing ideas. I’d even enjoy observing his use of ordinary objects like a fork or a coffee cup. His perspective is just so different. Remember, this is the guy that came up with Nintendogs and Pikmin after getting a pet and taking up gardening, respectively. Maybe he could come up with a marvelously entertaining game base on my morning ritual of grinding beans and making coffee in a French press.

So yeah! Who is your developer dream date? In addition to who it would be and what questions you’d ask, let everyone know what the setting would be. Also, I reserve the right to punch anyone that selects Cliffy B (I’m kidding. He’s awesome!).

Dragon Age: Origins Awakening Character Reveal: Anders

[Updated with video!] BioWare has unveiled new information on a brand new character that will debut in the Dragon Age: Origins Awakening expansion pack (due out in March!). His name is Anders and he’s an apostate (illegal mage). A flippant fellow, Anders seems to heavy a healthy hate for blood mages and the chantry. My initial thought is that he’s Alistair with magic, but I’m sure there’s more to him than that. I can’t wait to learn more about him!

Let me know what you think of Anders when you have a moment.

Coffee Talk #77: The Superman 64 Award–Nominees Wanted!

You guys had fun talking about the Razzie Award nominees yesterday. In the spirit of the Razzies, N8R called for a poll for the worst game of the decade. Ladies and gentlemen…I present to you…the Superman 64 Award!!! (Trophy by N8R!)

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,the Super Bowl commercial you’re looking forward to the most, Edge turning tweener, or this excellent Final Fantasy VII mash-up album, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

You guys had fun talking about the Razzie Award nominees yesterday. In the spirit of the Razzies, N8R called for a poll for the worst game of the decade. Ladies and gentlemen…I present to you…the Superman 64 Award!!! (Trophy by N8R!)

Named after the worst game I ever played in my life, this piece of crap from Titus was so wretched that it gave me nightmares for years. If you guys and gals want to vote over the worst game released from 2000 to 2009, I can’t think of a better title than Superman 64 to “inspire” you.

A few of you started sending in nominations yesterday. Let’s keep things neat and consolidate them here. If there are any games you want to nominate for the Superman 64 Award for Worst Game of the Decade, please leave ’em in the comments sections.

Coffee Talk #76: Game Delays and Hypocrisy

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, Roger Federer showing his greatness once again, the “surprise” winner of the WWE Royal Rumble, or Steve Jobs talking trash, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

New Coffee: Cup of Excellence El Salvador: Finca Malacara roasted by Intelligentsia

Renowned game designer Hideo Kojima recently made some sharp comments on videogame delays in light of Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker’s delay. Here’s the translation, courtesy of Andriasang:

I always preach to the staff, ‘You must not have a delay after a release date has been announced. There is no greater crime as a game developer.’ Official announcement of a release date is nothing less than a promise to fans and business partners. In other words, a release date change is like betraying the expectations of everyone.

I find his stance admirable and I’m glad that a high-profile developer made such a strong statement. For the most part, I hate game delays. I understand that there are resource and budget issues that can result in delays, but more often than not the cause is poor management.

Having said that, I have to admit that I’m totally hypocritical on the issue. I will ding the vast majority of developers and publishers for delaying their games (with the exception of manipulating release dates to keep shareholders happy). There are some companies that are immune to my criticism. I’m sure this will shock many of you, but I can’t help giving BioWare a pass for delaying its games. The good reason is that I know I’ll greatly enjoy the final product. The bad reason is that Dr. Ray Muzyka and Dr. Greg Zeschuk are two of my favorite people in the business. It’s not exactly fair, but at least I can admit.

Today I wanted to how much videogame delays bother you. Are they an inevitable part of a creative endeavor? Or do you agree with Kojima that it’s breaking a promise to fans? Do you make exceptions for top developers like BioWare and Blizzard? Or are you consistent with your stance on delays?

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

Where the hell did the week go?!? Between the release of excellent games like Mass Effect 2 and the official announcement of the Apple iPad, things have been nuts (in a good way)! This weekend is a great time to bring things back to normal by playing some games. Vandal Hearts is still on my playlist. I love strategy/tactical RPGs. I wish gang fights were turn-based and took place on grids. If they did that and belted out tunes from West Side Story, gang fights would be the most popular spectator sport in America.

In a bit of mixed news, I realized that my save file for Mass Effect is in a debug system somewhere in San Francisco. I’m not even sure if it would work on a retail Xbox 360 anyway. What does this mean? It means I’m going to play the first one over again before I start the sequel. This is probably not the most efficient use of my time, but this is how I need to experience these games. It’s BioWare, ergo I must.

You know the drill! Let everyone know what you’re playing this weekend.

Zatanna Zatara Screens and Concept Art

Sony Online Entertainment has released a batch of renders and concept art for Zatanna Zatara in DC Universe Online for PC and PS3. One of the reasons I prefer DC over Marvel is its excellent secondary characters. Zatanna totally fits the bill. She’s a sexy lady in a ridiculous costumer (fishnets?!?) and her formidable powers come from saying words backwards. It’s so wacky that I love it (and her)! Hopefully her stupid alternate costumer with the dumb headpiece will be available as well.

Coffee Talk #75: My Three Favorite Gaming Videos on YouTube

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, Serena Williams slamming it Down Under, Neil Patrick Harris ruling American Idol, or the Brangelina breakup, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

YouTube is just a brilliant time waster. There are so many excellent clips on the service. Whether you’re looking for something interesting, stupid, violent, or moronic, YouTube surely has something that will tickle your fancy. Naturally, there’s a lot of great gaming content to be found. Here are three of my favorite gaming clips on YouTube.

#3 “Temptation of Sonata” — Ivy
This K-pop video takes its cues from Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. I’m shocked at how accurately the fight scene between Tifa and Loz is recreated in this video for a goofy song. I’m a big fan of the movie and Korean women, so this totally works for me.

#2 “Wind Waker Unplugged” — Freddie25
Here’s an absolutely brilliant acoustic performance of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker’s theme. I wish the kid would forget about school and make more of these videos.

#1 Snorlax Owns
This is the only clip that’s not safe for work. It has naughty language from two idiots. Basically it’s two guys with NY accents lewdly commenting on the short movie that accompanied Pokemon the Movie 2000. While the accents remind me of home, the Pokemon knowledge of the narrator is pretty impressive (though he gets confused by the dragonair at the end). It’s just hilarious to hear two dudes cursing each other out over Pokemon. “That’s not raichu dick! That’s f*ckin’ pikachu!”

Now it’s your turn! I’d love to check out some of your favorite gaming videos on YouTube. If you have the time then please post a link and tell my why you dig your video.

Coffee Talk #73: Are You Single Player or Multiplayer?

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, tomorrow’s potentially huge Apple press conference, this excellent “Pants on the Ground” cover, or if Shawn Michaels will end The Undertaker’s streak at WrestleMania, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

As I mentioned yesterday, MAG is available for Sony’s PlayStation 3 console. A lot of people are into the game simply because it supports 256 players. It’s a notable achievement, for sure, but for the most part it doesn’t interest me. For me, playing is a game is similar to watching a movie — it’s something that I enjoy by myself.

Certainly there are exceptions and I’ve definitely played my share of competitive multiplayer games. I went through a pretty big Quake/Unreal phase and I did have an EverQuest addiction at one point. I definitely enjoy playing cooperative games with a friend too. However, at the end of the day I love story-driven single-player games. When I watch movies at home or in the theaters, I pretty much shut everyone out. When I read comic books, it’s all about me getting absorbed into another world. This is my preference for gaming too.

How about you ladies and gents? Do you prefer multiplayer titles or single-player ones? Are games a solitary experience for you? Or do you enjoy sharing the excitement with a group of friends and strangers? I want to know what you’re thinking (pure energy)!

Coffee Talk #72: What Game Remakes Do You Dream Of?

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, your pick for the Superbowl, the huge infrastructure gap between AT&T and Verizon, or whether Allen Iverson deserves to be in the NBA All-Star game, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Tetsuya Nomura’s comments on the rumored Final Fantasy VII remake added fuel to the fire of a story that’s never going to die. Millions of gamers want it. Square Enix would be stupid not to do it. All three console manufacturers would love it on their system. People are going to keep speculating on a new FFVII until it’s finally made. The whole thing made me wonder about the games you want to see remade.

As for me, FFVII is on the top of my list, but not for the reasons most people want it. Although I enjoy the world now that it was fleshed out by Advent Children and Crisis Core, I still don’t think VII is one of the best Final Fantasy games. It’s arguably the most important, but I had more fun with IV, V, VI, and X. I want the game to be remade because the videogame world will go absolutely apesh|t for it. It’ll be huge! I’ll have loads of fun writing about it and discussing it with y’all. While I’d certainly be interested in playing a remade and improved version of FFVII, I’m far more interested in the game for the chaos and excitement it would cause.

Today I wanted to see what games you wanted remade. Any blasts from the past that you want modernized? Maybe it’s a game that fell short at the time but would excel with current technology. Leave a comment and let me know (please)!