Category: Videogames

Coffee Talk #178: Your Favorite Videogame Endings

One of the disadvantages of being Ted (as mentioned in Coffee Talk #173) is that he doesn’t get to see many game endings. While not all games have huge payoff endings, some are so good that they make all the annoyances of a game dissolve as you’re enveloped by a wave of climactic bliss. Look at the clip of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, for example. The end is emotionally charged and cleverly uses a gameplay mechanic as a storytelling device. It’s just brilliant, brilliant stuff.

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 chances of Snooki hooking up with John McCain, if Bud Selig should move the all-star game away from Arizona, or the ridiculous contracts going to above average NBA players, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

One of the disadvantages of being Ted (as mentioned in Coffee Talk #173) is that he doesn’t get to see many game endings. While not all games have huge payoff endings, some are so good that they make all the annoyances of a game dissolve as you’re enveloped by a wave of climactic bliss. Look at the clip of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, for example. The end is emotionally charged and cleverly uses a gameplay mechanic as a storytelling device. It’s just brilliant, brilliant stuff.

What are some of your favorite game endings? Why did they move you? The comments in today’s Coffee Talk could be a good way to encourage each other to beat games that we haven’t finished. Maybe we just need to see the light at the end of the tunnel, the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, or the slinky girl wrapped in satin sheets on a water bed. Kindly share some of your favorite game endings today!

Videogame Used in Philippines to Teach Catholicism

My friend sent me an article by PhilStar to poke fun at my people’s love of the Roman Catholic Church. A Filipino priest has developed a game that doubles at a catechism tool. So yeah, my people are using videogames to teach people about Catholicism. Here’s the deal:

The three-dimensional game called “Paolo’s Journey,” developed by Fr. Maximo Villanueva Jr. of the Diocese of Balanga, Bataan, is based on Pope Benedict XVI’s “Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.”

Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas, who chairs the CBCP-Episcopal Commission on Catechesis and Catholic Education, said the Church needs to conduct a “new evangelization,” not for faith propagation, but to remind the faithful of the social teachings of the Church. The target gamers are Grade 3 pupils to college students.

I’m sure this will be followed up by a platformer starring St. Christopher or a first-person shooter where Pope Benedict annihilates demons with holy water. The possibilities are tremendous! If you’re not afraid of going to hell, kindly share your ideas for a Roman Catholic videogame.

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Coffee Talk #177: Your Videogame Development “Big Three”

With LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh creating the “big three” with the Miami Heat, people are coming up with all sorts of killer combos. Whether you’re talking about triumvirates in sports, television, or adult films, it’s fun to dream up “big three” combinations. Let’s do the same for videogame development! Who would be your videogame dream team?

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, Intelligentsia’s Finca San Jose Nicaragua, Mel Gibson’s anger, or the RAW mystery GM, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

With LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh creating the “big three” with the Miami Heat, people are coming up with all sorts of killer combos. Whether you’re talking about triumvirates in sports, television, or adult films, it’s fun to dream up “big three” combinations. Let’s do the same for videogame development! Who would be your videogame dream team?

Perhaps a combination of Square Enix’s art direction, BioWare’s storytelling, and Epic’s gameplay would work for you. Maybe you’d love Cliff Bleszinski, Hideo Kojima, and Tomonobu Itagaki to collaborate on a videogame. The possibilities are endless! So let’s play this game. Come up with a combination of three developers — companies or individual designers — that would make your dream team.

Watch the Super Street Fighter IV Finals of Evo 2010

Here’s a clip of the Evo 2010 finals in Super Street Fighter IV between Daigo and Ricky Ortiz. It’s just an awesome, awesome match between two incredibly skilled players. It’s humbling to watch Street Fighter IV played at a tournament level. Both of these guys are brilliant. Who won?!? Watch the video and find out!

New Darkstalkers Game to be Announced at Comic-Con 2010?

Capcom producer Yoshinori Ono is set to announce a new game at San Diego Comic-Con 2010. While his panel, “SSFIV and Beyond!“, only mentions Street Fighter, Shacknews‘ Brian Leahy believes that Ono will announce a new installment in another popular Capcom franchise:

The official description for the panel is limited to the Street Fighter franchise, but it is strongly rumored to be a new Darkstalkers game.

Ah, I miss the days of beating the crap out of Leahy in Street Fighter IV when we were both at G4tv. Back to the point, I would love a new Darkstalkers game! How about you? It’s a super-fun franchise with cool characters. Plus, Felicia and Morrigan are totally hot. (Is that weird?)

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This Week’s Videogame Releases

There are pretty two games coming out this week. First up is NCAA Football 11 on multiple platforms. More importantly, Dragon Quest IX for Nintendo DS is here! I’m super looking forward to playing this. While Dragon Quest isn’t as popular in America as its sister franchise, Final Fantasy, it has a huge following in Japan. Sure, it doesn’t have Reona Rewis, but I’m expecting to dig this game as much or more than Final Fantasy XIII.

Any of you planning to pick up new games this week? List ’em (please)!

Coffee Talk #176: Your Favorite Heel Turns

Last week LeBron James pulled off one of the most thorough heel turns in the history of heel turns. He went from a basketball player that was loved by some and liked by most to one of the most hated people in the NBA. One of Bill Simmons’ readers compared it to Hulk Hogan’s heel turn at Bash at the Beach ’96. It’s a funny analogy, but it totally works. James’ heel turn is so unbelievable that it could pass for a WWE storyline. I’m pretty sure halfway through the season, Pat Riley is going to take out Erik Spoelstra with a steel chair, spray paint his back, and take over as head coach.

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 World Cup finals, Jesse Jackson accusing Dan Gilbert of seeing LeBron James as a “runaway slave”, or BP’s efforts in the Gulf of Mexico, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Last week LeBron James pulled off one of the most thorough heel turns in the history of heel turns. He went from a basketball player that was loved by some and liked by most to one of the most hated people in the NBA. One of Bill Simmons’ readers compared it to Hulk Hogan’s heel turn at Bash at the Beach ’96. It’s a funny analogy, but it totally works. James’ heel turn is so unbelievable that it could pass for a WWE storyline. I’m pretty sure halfway through the season, Pat Riley is going to take out Erik Spoelstra with a steel chair, spray paint his back, and take over as head coach.

What are some of your favorite heel turns? Whether they’re from WWE shows, sports, videogame storylines, or real life, betrayals are powerful things. From Cain betraying Abel to LeBron betraying his hometown franchise, I want to know what some of your favorite heel turns in history are.

Austin Aries, Claudio Castagnoli, and Paul London in WWE Game

A friend notified me that my IMDB listing has been updated to include my writing credits for SmackDown vs. Raw 2011. Naturally, I went ahead and perused the listing. I was surprised to see that the motion-capture actors were listed. The entry noted that former WWE Superstar Paul London, my friend Austin Aries, and my favorite wrestler Claudio Castagnoli did mo-cap work for the game. This surprised me since I didn’t think that THQ and WWE would want the world to know that indie wrestlers were doing the in-game moves for current WWE talent.

According to IMDB, Aries did the mo-cap work for Evan Bourne, Chris Jericho, and Santino Marella. London portrayed Evan Bourne and Kofi Kingston. Castagnoli donned the capture suit for Edge and Jack Swagger.

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(Not a) Review of “Leliana’s Song” DLC for Dragon Age: Origins

The “Leliana’s Song” downloadable content for Dragon Age: Origins is the best post-launch DLC Bioware has released for its outstanding 2009 RPG. In addition to the things you’ve come to exepct from Dragon Age DLC — new items, new companions, new villains, etc. — “Leliana’s Song” stands out for its excellent voice acting and storytelling. If you’ve ever been tempted by any Dragon Age DLC, this is the one to download before any of the other post-launch content.

(Spoiler alert for anyone that hasn’t played the original!) “Leliana’s Song” is a prequel that examines the titular character’s past as an Orlesian spy. The DLC recounts the circumstances that lead her to chantry life in Ferelden, focusing on the betrayal by her mentor and lover Marjolaine. (And yes, fans of lesbian make-out scenes have something to look forward to.)

The storytelling is well done, thanks to a strong script and some excellent voice acting. Leliana and Marjolaine steal the show, while companions Sketch and Tug add some decent support. If you’re a Leliana fan — and lots of Dragon Age players are — then you’ll enjoy experiencing her past as a manipulative, cutthroat bitch bard. It’s such a great contrast to the seemingly dopey, bless-the-maker character you first encounter in Dragon Age.

The DLC adds some new music that’s completely appropriate for the adventures of the bard. Some of the exploration and battle tracks are lute driven, which is just cool. Along with cowbell, videogame music needs more lute.

In terms of gameplay, there’s nothing new. It’s the same action-RPG combat and exploration that made the original so enjoyable. Most players will be able to beat the DLC in less than two hours. It takes considerably less time if you skip through the dialog and cutscenes (in which case you’re kind of missing the point). Beating the DLC nets you some nifty armor (Battledress of the Provocateur) that can be used in Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age: Origins Awakening. Next to the Felon’s Coat, it’s the second-best light-armor in the game.

Most diehard Dragon Age fans have already purchased “Leliana’s Song.” If you’re on the fence about it due to disappointment in the other DLC then I recommend taking a chance on this one. It’s another dose of that lovely BioWare combination of fun gameplay and great storytelling. Out of all the Dragon Age DLC, “The Stone Prisoner” and “Leliana’s Song” are the best. This DLC is a nice prequel chapter in the Dragon Age saga that offers a few hours of fun and some nice armor that can be used in the full game.