Videogames Archives - Page 53 of 185

Coffee Talk #431: If You Were an RPG Character…

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, wishing for the Yankees to land Yu Darvish, David Stern turning into Vince McMahon, or WWE Kane’s new mask, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Being the excellent gamers that you are, I’m sure most of you have imagined videogame versions of yourselves. Let’s say you were in an RPG. What would your character be like? Would you be a hero or a villain? Would you be the center of attention or one of many NPCs complaining about arrow-to-the-knee injuries? Tell me all about the wonderful RPG character that is you!

As for me, I definitely wouldn’t be the leading man, but I wouldn’t be his sidekick either. I see myself as half of a duo — think Blue Beetle & Booster Gold or Scooby-Doo & Shaggy. I would have rare moments of heroism interspersed between sarcastic banter, nights of drunkenness, bouts of gluttony, get-rich-quick schemes, and lots of complaining about the rigors of the road. The game I’d be in would be a classic, old-school RPG. I’d break the fourth wall at least twice per quest. I wouldn’t be the star of the game, but I’d have show-stealing moments.

Now it’s your turn! Kindly describe your RPG character in the comments section.

Coffee Talk #430: Are You a Seasonal Gamer?

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, Tebow vs. Taker at WrestleMania, Lindsay Lohan’s leaked Playboy pictures, or Amir Khan getting jobbed in DC, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Yesterday I was talking to one of my NY friends and he said something along the lines of, “Man, I’m psyched that it’s winter. Now I can just dive into my games!” The concept of being a seasonal gamer is foreign to me. I’ve been living in California for most of the last 11 years and I’ve forgotten what it’s like to have four seasons of different weather. (That one year I spent in Thailand didn’t help either.) I’ve been getting paid to write about games for 15 years and it’s not like I was ever in a position to say, “Yeah, no. I’m not playing games this summer because it’s gorgeous outside.”

Thankfully I have real people like you to let me know how real people game! Do your gaming habits change with the seasons? I know that some of you have kids. Do you play games less in the summer so that you can spend more time with your children? Is winter the time to snuggle up with a good game? Or is it all about football for you? Please leave a comment and let me know if you’re a seasonal gamer.

Are You Ready for the South Park RPG?

Obsidian Entertainment is developing South Park: The Game, an RPG featuring those lovable (and foul-mouthed) kids on Comedy Central. From what I understand, the game is kind of like an M-Rated version of Paper Mario. On paper, this sounds frickin’ brilliant! I like Obsidian a lot. I love South Park and Paper Mario. Put them all together and, in theory, you should end up with an awesome game.

For more info on South Park: The Game, I highly recommend watching Game Informer’s interview with Obsidian CEO Feargus Urquhart.

Right now I’d love to hear your thoughts on the game. Are you excited for it? Do you dig the idea of the South Park gang in an RPG crafted by a company known for making very good RPGs? What other television characters would like to see in an RPG?

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

I finally have a weekend where I’m not flying anywhere! Unfortunately (for my gaming needs), I have a pair of videogame-award shows and related parties to attend. *sigh* I really want to have a whole weekend to start Skyrim…perhaps next weekend. For now, I think I’m going to spend Sunday playing Bastion for Chrome OS. It’s a great game and I want to see how it translated to a browser-based world.

How about you? What’s on your weekend playlist?

Coffee Talk #429: Giving Your Kids Videogame Names

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, where Chris Paul will be playing, why the hell its below 50 in Los Angeles, or your toothpaste of choice, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Would you name your child after a videogame character? Maybe a game designer? How about someone from a comic book? Or just straight up naming him Casper Van Dien? I’m totally down with this. Should I be blessed with a daughter, I plan to name her Tifa, after the strong-but-gentle woman from Final Fantasy VII. If I have a son, I’d like to name him Shigeru, after legendary game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Twin boys? That’s easy! They’d be Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent.

Now it’s your turn! Would you name your kids after videogame characters, comic-book heroes, or game designers? If so, what would you name your son, daughter, or twins?

Manny Pacquiao: Pound for Pound (iOS) Free Today

The Manny Pacquiao game for iOS is free today. Head on over and download Manny Pacquiao: Pound for Pound if you’re a fan of the Filipino boxer or if you’re looking for some unintentional comedy. The game looks…meh and the videogame version of Pacquiao looks like he was rejected from the Street Fighter and Tekken tournaments, but you can’t really complain about a free game. Ha!

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

After getting back from a harrowing trip that had me flying from Boston to Washington D.C. to Denver to Los Angeles, I’m back on the road this weekend. This time it’s Chicago and Boston. I want to be playing Infinity Blade II on my iPad 2. I’m sure I’ll start. I’m also sure that I won’t play it nearly as much as I’d like because I’m frickin’ tired. So this weekend’s gameplay will be a mix of Infinity Blade II and sleeping on (5) airplanes.

How about you? What’s on your weekend playlist?

Coffee Talk #426: Games You’ve Lost Interest In

Are there any game genres, videogame series, or gaming platforms you used to love, but have lost interest in? Perhaps you used to be a Final Fantasy mark, but haven’t enjoyed the last few releases. Maybe you used to be into sports sims…

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, Cafecito Organico’s Guatemala El Carmen Estate, if the Rajon Rondo trade rumors will motivate him or crush his psyche, or Bryan Danielson getting a big push in 2012, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Are there any game genres, videogame series, or gaming platforms you used to love, but have lost interest in? Perhaps you used to be a Final Fantasy mark, but haven’t enjoyed the last few releases. Maybe you used to be into sports simulations, but have found that the never-ending march towards supreme realism has killed some of the fun. Whatever the case may be, I want to hear your story!

As for me, my interest in portable game consoles is definitely waning. Part of it is that the PSP is nearing the end of its lifespan. Part of it is that the Nintendo 3DS has one of the most underwhelming launches I can remember. The really big part of it is that my iPad 2 is just a brilliant entertainment device that gives me great gaming and so much more. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll still play my portables for Japanese RPGs and first-party games from Nintendo, but I won’t carry them with me everywhere I go. That used to be the case. The iPad 2 has changed that.

Now it’s your turn! Please let me know what games, series, and consoles you’ve lost interest in.

Read My Review of The Black Eyed Peas Experience (Please!)

Kindly check out my review of The Black Eyed Peas Experience over at Machinima.com if you have a chance. It’s a fun dance game for B.E.P. fans and it encourages party play. As a Filipino-American, I felt obligated to give it a whirl and support B.E.P.’s apl.de.ap. He’s arguably the most famous Pinoy in America (until I surpass him) and I’m proud of his success. As for the game, let me quote myself (it never gets old):

The Black Eyed Peas Experience is a good dance game that uses solid gameplay mechanics. While the visuals are distinct, they’re lacking on a technical level. The music favors the band’s recent releases, completely ignores their earliest work, and leaves out one of their biggest hits. Obviously this game is for B.E.P. fans only, but even the band’s fans will find the graphics and the song selection lacking. Having said that, there’s plenty for B.E.P. fans to enjoy, especially with if they play the game with their friends.

The game awards bonus score multipliers if you play with friends. That makes it easier to unlock items and get high scores if you have friends that are willing to play dance games with you. If not, things are a bit harder. That’s cool and unfair at the same time.

Anyway, check out the review and leave a comment over at Machinima if you have a chance. Thanks in advance!

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FFXIII-2 Noel Kreiss Getting Ezio Auditore DLC Costume

Square Enix has announced that Final Fantasy XIII-2’s Noel Kreiss will be getting a special Assassin’s Creed costume. Through the magic of DLC, you can make Noel look just like renowned videogame assassin Ezio Auditore da Firenze. The price and release date for this DLC has not yet been revealed.

I’m not sure how I feel about this. Ezio is super cool, but Ubisoft has been whoring him out to other companies. It’s weird that he’s going to be in Soulcalibur V and Final Fantasy XIII-2. This whole French-Japanese connection is bugging me out…but of course I’m going to download the costume. Crossovers are cool.

How do you feel about FFXIII-2 having Assassin’s Creed DLC?